This yr is more likely to be probably the most pivotal in Myanmar’s modern history.
The nation is embroiled in a civil warfare, ignited by the navy’s 2021 coup in opposition to an elected authorities.
Preventing has escalated and the navy regime, which calls itself the State Administration Council (SAC), has suffered mounting defeats. It has responded to the lack of management over border areas and swaths of territory to opposition forces with indiscriminate air assaults and atrocities in opposition to civilians.
The navy’s most formidable opposition – a coalition of ethnic armed groups – now controls most of Rakhine state within the nation’s east and from the border with China to town of Mandalay within the north.
One other main opposition pressure is the National Unity Government (NUG) – described as Myanmar’s shadow authorities – in exile, which oversees a free assortment of anti-regime teams referred to as the Individuals’s Defence Power (PDF).
The NUG faces challenges in gaining diplomatic recognition on the worldwide entrance and its fighters are struggling to seize city areas on the house entrance.
Al Jazeera spoke with NUG Performing President Duwa Lashi La in regards to the motion’s navy and political technique in 2025 and the warfare’s seemingly finish recreation.
Al Jazeera: Please describe the NUG’s technique for 2025.
Duwa Lashi La: In 2025, we want to speed up the wave of our revolution. Though it started with little or no assets, the revolution has turn out to be stronger. In 2022, we shaped armed forces. In 2023, we may launch navy operations. In 2025, we’re searching for the tip recreation. The individuals of Myanmar have suffered an excessive amount of for all these years. We’ve got to bear all these atrocities, whereas the world simply watches on.
In 2025, we’re aiming for the entire elimination of evil [regime leader] Min Aung Hlaing from our soil.
Armed revolution is an important focus, but it surely’s not the one one. It’s politically vital to have inclusive participation of all of the armed forces. It’s additionally essential to have robust diplomatic cooperation with the worldwide neighborhood and to achieve extra assist from them.
One other vital issue is nice communication with the general public, and good governing in our managed areas. We’re aiming to enhance in all these areas within the new yr. To realize that, we’ve a strategic plan.
Al Jazeera: What do you assume will occur in 2025?
Duwa Lashi La: We purpose to succeed in a tipping level in 2025, an identical scenario to Syria when al-Assad fled the nation.
We’ve got to strike a last blow in opposition to the SAC.
Components of the worldwide neighborhood, such because the ICC [International Criminal Court], are additionally making an attempt to prosecute Min Aung Hlaing. We fully assist this. It will be nice if the worldwide neighborhood may arrest him. We’ll additionally proceed our effort to prosecute him inside our nation from each manner attainable.
Nevertheless, worldwide intervention is important on this transitional interval.
With simultaneous and collaborative makes an attempt between the worldwide neighborhood and resistance forces in opposition to the SAC, we consider the SAC can be destroyed without delay.
It’s essential to chop off the monetary movement to the SAC to realize this purpose. The navy is backed by robust assets that they’ve acquired from a long time of controlling the nation. We have to cease this.
The worldwide neighborhood must also cease buying from Myanma Oil and Fuel Enterprise, an enormous monetary supply for the navy. Moreover, the worldwide neighborhood ought to cease offering jet gasoline and promoting weapons to the navy.
I strongly urge the worldwide neighborhood to cease speaking with the SAC, associating with them and recognizing them.
Al Jazeera: Does the NUG contemplate itself a frontrunner of the nationwide revolution?
Duwa Lashi La: The NUG is on the frontline of the revolution, because the individuals of Myanmar elected us to steer it.
The worldwide neighborhood wants to acknowledge this mandate.
Though sure ethnic resistance organizations (EROs) don’t precisely acknowledge the NUG as a central authorities, we’re performing as one. We’re additionally in session with varied ethnic armed teams. Some EROs see the NUG as a typical, central physique that they assist. So, our obligation is to fulfil this position. That’s the reason we can’t lose this revolution.
Al Jazeera: Lately you referred to as for the return of NUG ministers to Myanmar – the general public welcomed this name. Have any returned but?
Duwa Lashi La: Our coverage is that the revolution mustn’t turn out to be caught. There should be progressive adjustments inside our motion. That is the time for NUG ministers to stay with the individuals on the bottom, share the wrestle collectively, and really feel the great and the unhealthy of what individuals expertise.
That’s the reason I’ve urged ministers to return to the nation. As this is a crucial subject, we’ve been discussing it throughout the ministerial committee, solely comprising all ministers, for about two months now. Sure plans have been laid down by the committee relating to this subject. Some ministers within the committee pledged to come back to the frontline.
Al Jazeera: When will the NUG reshuffle its ministers? And who do you take into consideration to take over what roles?
Duwa Lashi La: That is labeled info. Nevertheless, we’ve been as clear as attainable about this. The NUCC [a policy advisory body, the National Unity Consultative Council] has additionally already introduced the NUG’s reformation.
We fully agree with the reforms. We don’t intend to occupy these roles completely. It is usually vital for strengthening the NUG. We’re all the time able to welcome extra skilful and succesful people who want to contribute to the revolution.
We’ve got plans to reshuffle ministers to strengthen and velocity up the revolution. However, as to when and what reshuffling, I gained’t disclose at current. We’ve got agreed on doing that in early 2025. There might be some adjustments in early 2025.

Al Jazeera: What are the NUG’s situations for peace talks with the navy?
Duwa Lashi La: The NUG is all the time open for dialogue. We by no means shut the door on peace talks. The issue is that the SAC by no means desires to have interaction in political dialogue with us.
However we’ve one situation, as is printed in our joint assertion with the K3C [an ethnic armed group coalition]. If the SAC agrees to not less than three of our six necessities, resembling accepting civilian rule, and declaring to the world they may by no means intervene within the nation’s politics, then we will transfer ahead with the peace talks.
It’s vital that the world’s superpowers, neighbouring nations and ASEAN nations [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] should be included in witnessing and making certain the navy’s departure from politics. If they can’t agree on these grounds, it is going to be troublesome for us to have peace talks with the SAC.

Al Jazeera: How are you making an attempt to persuade ethnic resistance organisations to again you, and why are some EROs reluctant?
Duwa Lashi La: We have to look again to historical past to know that. Myanmar has usually had conditions the place many ethnicities participated collectively in revolution. For instance, once we rebelled in opposition to Japanese rule, it was the Kachin who began the revolution, after which the Chin additionally participated.
The Burmese and Buddhist teams sided with the Japanese, as they have been additionally Buddhists. I don’t imply to discriminate in opposition to any communities right here; I’m simply explaining the scenario primarily based on the information.
We’re seen as a Western-influenced group. However this revolution is totally totally different as a result of everyone seems to be concerned on this wrestle, as they need to be. There are some ranges of distrust among the many ethnic armed teams. For instance, the KNU [Karen National Union] was alone in rebelling in opposition to navy dictatorship.
Equally, the Shan additionally began to insurgent in opposition to the central authorities in 1959 and established an unbiased chain of command – the Kachin in 1961 and, later, the Chin. Everybody has been independently combating in opposition to navy dictatorship.
To systemize everybody below one chain of command, every having their very own central physique, has been the largest problem for the NUG. We have to work as a joint chain of command, the place all chiefs of workers can have a joint commanding system.
As for now, we’re working below a coordination system for joint navy cooperation, and, as we’ve seen, it’s going efficiently. However sooner or later federal navy, we should set up one chain of command with the assistance of specialists and anxious events.
Al Jazeera: In June 2023, the NUG authorised the substitute of the 1982 Citizenship Legislation that denies equal entry to full citizenship rights for Rohingya and others within the nation. Has the NUG formally repealed this legislation?
Duwa Lashi La: This has been below our consideration since 2021, simply after the coup. We launched an announcement on the modification of the unjust 1982 legislation. However when and learn how to do it is determined by the authorized necessities and the nation’s scenario.
When the scenario improves, as we regularly say throughout the transitional interval, once we are capable of embody the opinion of the grassroots stage, once we get the individuals’s mandate, the involved authorities will certainly amend that legislation.
It’s not one thing we will rush. If we amend a legislation with out deliberate session, it will be a weak legislation that might have to be amended repeatedly. We’d not have the general public’s belief in such weak legal guidelines. We should take time to create a legislation that the individuals have full religion and robust perception in.
Al Jazeera: How will you tackle elevated Chinese language backing for the navy regime?
Duwa Lashi La: We’re all the time making an attempt to make China understand the realities in Myanmar. Not solely China – we want our neighbouring nations, resembling India and Bangladesh, to understand the actual scenario.
I can’t perceive why they might assist this brutal, heartless navy that destroys its personal nation. China is our neighbouring nation. We can’t select our neighbour. We will’t say that we don’t prefer to be their neighbour and transfer Myanmar to an island. That’s inconceivable. Whether or not we prefer it or not, we all the time want communication with China.

But it surely’s vital for our neighbours to know what the individuals of Myanmar need. One factor is obvious: Myanmar should be in accordance with the desire of the Myanmar individuals, as famous within the United Nations Safety Council Decision 2669. The individuals of Myanmar don’t want a navy dictatorship. Interval.
To steer them, we’re speaking with China in each diplomatic manner attainable, by means of any channel attainable. As we’re neighbours, we guarantee safety and higher collaboration in economics and their investments, because it’s a really economic-orientated nation. We’ve got knowledgeable them that any bilateral settlement between a democratic authorities of Myanmar and China can be ensured.
Al Jazeera: The navy has been committing atrocities with its indiscriminate air strikes. What’s the NUG’s counter to those air strikes?
Duwa Lashi La: We’ve got all the time expressed our determined want for antiaircraft weapons to counter navy air strikes by means of varied media channels. Atypical weapons have been unable to take down the regime’s extremely modernized Russian-made jet fighters.
We actually want efficient weapons, like antiaircraft missiles. However there are various limitations to acquiring such navy weapons.
It’s attainable if there’s a will – take Ukraine, for instance. We’re assured to take the entire navy down inside six months if we’re supplied with such weapons.
If we may ever get assist like Ukraine, this wrestle would finish instantly.
At the very least 6,000 harmless individuals have misplaced their lives thus far. Tons of of 1000’s of civilian properties, spiritual buildings and colleges have been destroyed, and these atrocities are primarily due to the air strikes.
As soon as once more, I critically urge the worldwide neighborhood to think about the Myanmar scenario and assist the individuals’s revolution.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.