EN 
MYN 
New Year State of the Union Address by Acting President Duwa Lashi La of the National Unity Government January 1, 2025
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
On this New Year’s Day of 2025, I would first like to extend my heartfelt wishes for the physical health and peace of mind of all our fellow citizens. The National Unity Government firmly believes that this New Year will bring continued and greater victories in the revolution, advancing step by step beyond the successes of previous years, for our nation and for all our people.
On behalf of the National Unity Government, and together with the entire people, I wish to express our profound gratitude, joy, and respect for the sacrifices, resilience, and dedication made by all revolutionary forces across the country. As the National Unity Government, we bow deeply to the people’s sacrifices, recognizing their immense significance. At the same time, I want to assure everyone that we remain steadfast in our determination, working tirelessly to free the entire population from the grip of the brutal military dictatorship as swiftly as possible.
On this New Year’s Day of 2025, I also hope that our people will soon be able to cross into a time of joy — a day free from the misery and oppression of the military dictators. In this spirit, today, we are granting freedom to some individuals who had been serving sentences imposed under the justice system of our National Unity Government. Having completed their terms of punishment, may they now begin anew and celebrate this New Year’s Day with happiness together with their families.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
The Spring Revolution will soon reach its fourth year. During this period of struggle, we have not only achieved revolutionary victories but have also experienced many political challenges and upheavals. Yet, no matter how severe the political storms we have faced, they cannot be compared to the immense suffering, sacrifices, and bloodshed borne by the people.
Therefore, with deep respect for the lives, blood, sweat, and labor of the people, I want to solemnly pledge that—no matter what political challenges may arise—we will never take any action that goes against or undermines the interests of the people.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
I would like to express that while we have been carrying out revolutionary tasks, we have also been undertaking nation-building efforts in parallel. In accordance with the responsibility entrusted to us by the people, the National Unity Government has been fulfilling revolutionary duties in every necessary sector. Along the way, as we have worked hard to discharge these duties, we have seen that, whether due to limitations in our leadership capacity or the harmful consequences of entrenched systems and negative practices, there have been instances where the people have faced hardship and suffering. On behalf of our entire government, I want to state clearly that we do not act with the attitude of “favoring those we love while oppressing those we dislike.”
I would like to state that we are moving forward firmly on the basis of principles and systems, guided by the goals of the revolution. While we are building both people and institutions together, we are also working to ensure that good principles and good people are placed in the “right person at the right place.” On one hand, we are striving to dismantle the roots of the brutal military, and on the other, we are carrying out the responsibilities of people’s administration without interruption. If, in the course of doing so, there have been weaknesses or shortcomings, I humbly ask for the people’s broad understanding with goodwill.
We fully recognize that there are limitations in the capacity and effectiveness of the organizations of people’s defence, people’s administration, and people’s security that function within the machinery of our revolutionary government. That is why, as the National Unity Government, we are continuing the processes of correcting weaknesses and strengthening capacity, including building greater resilience in the defence, administration, and security organizations on the ground. I want to emphasize that all of us are serving with strong determination and unwavering effort to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
I would like to respectfully emphasize that unity and solidarity are of utmost importance throughout the Spring Revolution. The central purpose of this revolution is the total eradication of the military dictatorship and the establishment of a new federal democratic state. Compared with the people’s liberation and the people’s interests, issues of power, authority, or territorial control by any single group are minor matters. To dismantle the system of dictatorship, the core mission of all revolutionary forces must be the complete removal of Min Aung Hlaing and the terrorist military council that he leads.
Therefore, we must all seriously reflect on how to unite everyone capable of dismantling the military dictatorship. The National Unity Government bears full responsibility for this task, but so do all the ethnic revolutionary armed organizations. This struggle must not be limited to the liberation of a single ethnicity alone — it must expand to achieve freedom for the entire country, ensuring the complete eradication of the military dictatorship nationwide.
Our government is fulfilling the revolutionary duties entrusted to us by the people. We are not clinging to positions or titles, nor are we seeking to expand our own roles. That is why we openly acknowledge that within our government there is always a need for leaders who can guide more broadly and effectively than the current circumstances allow. If there are capable individuals ready to take over existing positions, we are always prepared to shoulder the transfer of responsibilities and hand over accordingly. For this reason, I want to make clear to the people that we always open the door.
The National Unity Government warmly welcomes leaders who are ready to shoulder the revolutionary responsibilities on behalf of the people. We respectfully invite you to join us in carrying forward these duties together. That is why, in 2025, it is time for all ethnic revolutionary organizations and political forces to demonstrate even more practical cooperation—both politically and militarily—in order to completely remove Min Aung Hlaing and the military junta. In this regard, I would like to affirm that the National Unity Government will place even greater emphasis on strengthening alliances and partnerships.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
I would like to state that the National Unity Government is always ready to adapt internal reforms in line with the advancing course of the revolution. We have never hesitated to correct our weaknesses, nor have we allowed ourselves to remain complacent or stagnant in serving the interests of the people. Our sole focus has been, and will continue to be, on striving for better revolutionary outcomes that can truly deliver lasting benefits to the people.
Therefore, we are preparing to carry out reforms within our government ministries while also implementing processes that bring together greater strength on the ground in response to the current domestic situation. I believe that in the revolutionary process, leadership and ground-level implementation cannot be separated or distanced from one another. For this reason, ministries that need to re-establish themselves inside the country will continue to be led by leaders working inside the country, while ministries that are essential for international relations will continue to operate abroad.
In fact, the Spring Revolution can be likened to the birth of a chick breaking out of its shell. For a healthy chick to be born, the mother hen must warm the egg from the outside, while at the same time, the embryo inside must struggle and push to break free of the shell. In the same way, the revolution at home and the movement abroad are not separate; they are interconnected parts of one greater relationship, working hand in hand to bring about new life for the nation.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
In my remarks today, I also want to address the soldiers who are still directly protecting the criminal Min Aung Hlaing and the junta, which continues to oppress the people at gunpoint. It is important to understand that the Myanmar military and the terrorist military council cannot be considered one and the same in every respect. Within the military, the current leaders—obsessed with power and personal gain—have cruelly oppressed and killed the people, and their leadership has become weak and corrupt. Because of this, the entire population now views the Myanmar military as nothing more than a terrorist force. The time has come for the dignity of the Myanmar military to be restored by the soldiers themselves. Today, under the command of the leaders of terrorist military council, the honor once held by the Myanmar military in the eyes of the people has been dragged into disgrace. This is no longer something that soldiers should overlook or ignore.
Therefore, I believe the time has come for soldiers to transform from being loyal enforcers of the criminal Min Aung Hlaing and his terrorist military council into honorable members of the People’s Defence Forces. The building of a new military institution will play an essential role in shaping the future federal democratic state. That is why I earnestly appeal to soldiers: do not remain as instruments of the terrorist military, but instead stand as peoples' soldiers whom people love. I also want to assure you that every soldier who chooses to stand with the people will have their life and safety safeguarded with utmost seriousness by the National Unity Government. Thus, I strongly urge all soldiers to uphold your personal integrity and to restore, without delay, the honor and dignity of the Myanmar military that you once pledged your loyalty to.
By standing with the people, soldiers now have the best opportunity to bring about a swift end to the conflicts currently plaguing the country. I therefore once again urge the generals who are leading the military, and the soldiers on the frontlines who are sacrificing their lives to defend the criminal Min Aung Hlaing and the terrorist military junta: the time has come to put the future of the nation first and to join hands with the people without delay.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
Our National Unity Government has been consistently striving to maintain positive relations with the international community, including neighboring countries in the region. In recent days, we learned that Chinese workers employed in projects inside Myanmar had been unable to return home for as long as four to five years due to the ongoing conflicts in the country. In light of this, our government arranged for the safe repatriation of 129 Chinese nationals so they could be reunited with their families ahead of the Chinese New Year. We are pleased that our efforts enabled these Chinese citizens to return home safely.
The Spring Revolution already enjoys the full support of the entire Myanmar population. Yet, within the calculations of regional geopolitics, there remain complexities and constraints that make the situation challenging. That is why, placing the interests of the people at the forefront, the National Unity Government wishes to send a clear message to the international community and to our neighboring countries in the region: through their actions, the people of Myanmar as a whole have already made it undeniably clear that they utterly reject the coup-making criminal Min Aung Hlaing and the terrorist military council.
At present, the junta has already suffered significant battlefield defeats on the ground. I therefore earnestly appeal to the neighboring countries of our region: please stop supporting the terrorist military council for the sake of your own interests. Prolonging the life of the terrorist military council only extends the suffering of the entire Myanmar population, pushing them deeper into misery. I sincerely appeal to you—do not allow this to happen. On behalf of the people, I call on all regional nations to cooperate in ensuring that the Myanmar military withdraws from politics and governance, so that military dictatorship will not be prolonged in our country.
Min Aung Hlaing and the terrorist military council, who are already losing on many fronts, are now attempting to create an exit strategy by organizing an election in 2025 together with certain political parties. However, such an election—called and arranged by Min Aung Hlaing and the military council—will not resolve Myanmar’s political crisis or bring an end to the ongoing conflicts. Instead, it will only escalate violence and increase bloodshed across the country. Therefore, I earnestly appeal to neighboring countries and the international community: please do not lend any recognition, support, or cooperation to this sham election.
Our National Unity Government and the revolutionary forces hold firmly that in order to resolve Myanmar’s political crises and ongoing conflicts, the military’s involvement in politics and governance must come to a complete end. Only then can true peace and stability be established in the country. We remain fully prepared to take part in building this peaceful and stable future. As I conclude, I once again urge neighboring countries and the international community to stand with our call—to support the people’s struggle and to reject the junta’s attempts to prolong its power.
Revolution Must Prevail!