Armed groups, including those identified as PDFs, were invited in the interests of the Union to return to the legal fold, with the expectation of building a Union based on democracy and federalism. Understanding the State’s genuine goodwill, members of armed groups, including PDFs, who returned to the legal fold, have been handed back to their parents.
For the voter list errors in the 2020 general election, requests to address the following were rejected. However, an attempt made to convene the Hluttaw based on the disputed election results was an attempt to seize State power by wrongful forcible means, according to Section 417 of the Constitution –
(a) rejecting the request to address the errors in the voter list and electoral fraud found during scrutiny
(b) rejecting the request to solve these errors by convening the special session of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw
(c) rejecting the request to seek the best ways by the government, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and the Union Election Commission
(d) failure to take action over the two-time formal requests to convene the National Defence and Security Council to discuss the aforesaid measures
Such actions not only revealed the inability to transparently clarify the electoral fraud, but also showed that the then President himself was directly involved in the attempt to forcibly unlawfully seize State power, which constituted personal criminal misconduct beyond the duties assigned by the Constitution. Therefore, the Acting President declared a State of Emergency in accordance with the Constitution and transferred the State power to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.
The Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services exercised State power under the Constitution for Tatmadaw to scrutinize and expose electoral fraud in order to hold a free and fair election again. In this regard, groups such as CRPH and NUG were illegally formed, attempting to present themselves as an elected government by spreading the acts of propaganda that Tatmadaw had reversed democracy to cause misunderstanding among the people both at home and abroad. They misled the public and youth with false hopes and pushed them toward the path of armed struggle. CRPH and NUG organized groups under the name of PDFs, sending them under the control of certain EAOs to obtain arms and ammunition. They also used PDFs as tools in the terrorist activities and area expansion of some EAOs, thereby sacrificing the lives of PDFs.
At present, as the government cooperates with neighbouring countries, some terrorist EAOs are finding it difficult to maintain their positions, and those identified as PDFs are also facing greater hardship. Now is the time to recognize the reality that the setback to democracy has resulted from the path of armed struggle.
A Union based on democracy and a federal system is aspired to and shared in vision not only by the government, the people, Tatmadaw, and political parties, but also by PDFs. However, CRPH and NUG, who wear the mask of democracy and covet State power for themselves, have chosen the path of armed violence to maintain their claim as the so-called elected government. It is solely due to their obstruction that the journey towards democracy has been delayed and hindered.
Armed groups, including PDFs, are once again invited to cooperate with the government and Tatmadaw if they wish to contribute to the upcoming general election and help build a genuine, disciplined democracy and a Union based on democracy and a federal system, which everyone hopes for. They are welcome to work in the interests of the State and the regions, either individually or in groups, by contacting and coordinating with nearby military units and local authorities.
Information Team
National Defence and Security Council
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