Part 2--Irrawaddy interview of DawZin Mar Aung--NUG

Quote: Critical voices are always louder. But they are not always bad. I like it. But, when we are overwhelmed by those critical voices, and are out of touch with the reality on the ground, there will only be pessimistic expectations. There has been certain progress on the ground. We don’t want the international community to lose sight of that. We face challenges, but there are also lessons from the past about what we can do to overcome them, and where the pitfalls lie. We can’t assume that because something happened in the past, the same thing will happen now or in the future. There was no unity in the past and we can’t let the same problem affect us now. We are overcoming this, and I am optimistic about it. My view is there are opportunities for us amid the challenges.

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Suppose the resistance forces gain the upper hand and changes occur. What role will the current military leaders or defectors play? Will they be allowed to participate, and what roles will they be assigned in the reconstruction of the country? We have a policy in place. But regarding its implementation, we still need to make preparations for technical matters. Some [junta soldiers] have surrendered and some have defected to us. We have to check how many of them have committed war crimes. They will be treated differently depending on the severity of the crimes they have committed. In principle, regarding security sector reform, the Myanmar military has to reform itself. The military is impaired, and it needs to mend. They must understand that they must mend now. If they mend quickly, they may be able to restore ties with the people and salvage their reputation. But if they don’t, they will be forcibly mended. Military leaders and personnel who say they love the Tatmadaw [Myanmar’s military] have to make a choice. https://www.irrawaddy.com/in-person/interview/success-of-myanmars-revolution-depends-on-shared-vision-of-federalism-nug-foreign-minister.html

12-14-2023