‘The people must reform us’: A resistance spokesman’s account of a new alliance

Two battalions under the publicly mandated National Unity Government (NUG) united last month with four other independent resistance groups based on a shared set of principles in the strategically vital Magway Region, a resistance spokesperson told Myanmar Now. Htoo Lay, leader of one of the member groups—the Daung Sit Aung Local People’s Defence Force (PDF) group—said the new alliance binds the six resistance organisations and their members to observe prohibitions against using arms to resolve intergroup disputes and against threatening, domineering, or disrespectful treatment of civilians. He spoke with Myanmar Now in detail about what motivated the groups to form the alliance and the general strategic and political situation in Magway Region. We present the conversation here, lightly edited for clarity. Htoo Lay Myanmar Now: Why did these six ground forces decide to unite?Htoo Lay: The reason for our alliance is to work together moving forward. We will consult, negotiate, and coordinate with each other. We will mutually monitor one another, group by group.The leaders on the ground held multiple meetings. We issued a joint statement of common agreement. After holding these dialogues, we finally achieved this result. This alliance includes the Daung Sit Aung Local PDF, the Salin Local PDF, PDF Minbu District Battalion 1, PDF Minbu District Battalion 5, the Daung Nyi Naung (Peacock Brothers) Urban Guerrilla group, and Bamar Army Battalion 707. The allliance is made up of these six groups.MN: Now that you've formed this military alliance, what do you plan to do?HtL: We have 13 common principles agreed upon by our combined groups. Among these 13 points, there are items we may need to add if necessary. If some points don’t align with the majority consensus, we can remove them. What I’m saying is that there could be additions as well as deletions.Our primary focus is on the people. Our civilians are smart; they know the situation of each resistance organisation and battalion. If there are arguments among our groups, it’s a disappointment to those who support us, so our main goal now is to serve the people. When people see that we are united and in solidarity, they will be happy and encouraged. We’ve already heard feedback from the public about our alliance. People are saying, “Now our township has unity and solidarity.” That makes us very happy.From here on, these six groups will continue to plan and execute military missions together.MN: I understand this is an alliance of township-level battalions from Salin Township, although some Minbu District battalions are also involved. Are you looking to expand this into a district-wide alliance including all battalions in Minbu District?HtL: Currently, this is at the township level—the combat forces in Salin Township coming together. Looking ahead, we do plan to unite all the battalions in the district. We’re starting with Salin Township, then moving to Pwintbyu, and then to Minbu. We want this to happen with all combat forces in the district and will continue working to make this happen.We know all the battalions in this district. We’re all brothers and allies, so we will continue working to make our alliance official.It’s not difficult for groups on the ground to unite. Our resistance organisations have been pushing back against the military dictatorship from the beginning because we couldn’t accept it. Our hearts are already united. What we carry in our hearts is the same: we’re all focused on fighting and overthrowing the military dictatorship. When asked what’s needed for unity, we need to forget our egos and the notion of “me”. We need to check our self-importance. We are revolutionaries. We can’t have big egos saying, “just me” or “just my organisation”. If we reduce these ego things, there’s no reason we can't unite with any group.We have only one common enemy, the military council. In this situation, there’s no reason for big egos. None of us are fighting for position or status.If my comrades make mistakes, they can be reformed. Revolutionaries must reform each other. And the people must reform us. If groups or comrades act against the people's interests, we must guide them better. Even if it’s not by disciplining them, we must guide them. The key is that if there’s no ego, everything works out. Bamar Army members undergoing military training (Bamar Army/Facebook) MN: Minbu District’s Salin Township is an area with Ka Pa Sa [Myanmar Directorate of Defence] armaments factories that supply the regime's troops with weapons and ammunition. What is the current military situation on the ground?HtL: Currently, fighting is happening in various locations throughout the district. Whether in Pwintbyu, Minbu, or Sidoktaya, there are ongoing battles… Minbu District is truly a strategic territory for the military council because it has Ka Pa Sa factories. But regarding attacks on these factories and blockade operations, I cannot share tactical information.Our brother groups have attacked Ka Pa Sa convoys. However, we can’t claim to control certain townships or areas, or claim to have surrounded the Ka Pa Sa factories without actually having the force to maintain control. If we do, it’s ultimately the people who will suffer because if they believe we’ve taken over, the junta will launch airstrikes or send paramotors. That’s why we don't announce what we will do, it’s necessary to see for yourself.MN: What capacity does the junta currently have for territorial control?HtL: On the ground, our six allied groups along with other district forces have taken control over a significant amount of territory. I cannot elaborate on the extent of our control because it might lead to travel restrictions for civilians. However, we have reached a position where we can pose a real threat to the military council in every one of Minbu District’s townships.MN: What are the main challenges currently facing ground resistance forces in Minbu District?HtL: Each battalion has its own. In some battles, we’ve had to retreat due to insufficient ammunition. There have been cases where we nearly captured camps but had to withdraw because of insufficient ammunition. Whether it's our Local PDF or other battalions, everyone has to cope with shortages.For Local PDFs like us, the needs are even greater. We have to buy our own weapons, ammunition, all our equipment. We receive little support from the district, regional, or union levels of the NUG. Even when we have weapons, we’re often short of ammunition. My request would be for union, regional, and district-level officials to provide as much support as possible to Local PDFs and organisations like ours who are fighting on the ground.My other request would be to the public and the media: When we’re conducting military operations, sometimes the battle isn’t over yet, but news is already surfacing about it online. There are posts submitted by the public, or posts shared from one civilian to another. We absolutely don’t want this kind of thing to happen and ask that people wait for information from credible sources. Resistance fighters from Minbu District Battalion 1 MN: Can you tell us about the recent alliance formation and the situation on the ground?HtL: We will become even more united. We invite groups that are not yet in the alliance to join us. They can come discuss and coordinate with our groups and suggest modifications or additions to our common principles. We’re ready to collaborate and we extend this invitation freely and without limitations.

‘The people must reform us’: A resistance spokesman’s account of a new alliance

A fighter told Myanmar Now about the principles to which his group and five allied organisations recently committed on the crucial Magway Region front, where the resistance has been targeting junta armaments factories

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