EN 
MYN 
State of the Union Revolutionary Address
Acting President Duwa Lashi La of the National Unity Government
2025 February 1st
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
Today marks the fourth anniversary of Myanmar’s return to an era of darkness. It is the day, February 1, 2021, when the military leaders of the Myanmar armed forces, led by the terrorist junta, seized state power from the civilian democratic government. The coup dragged our nation into the depths of misfortune and despair. In the aftermath, people across the country have suffered widespread hardship, while countless lives, homes, and possessions have been destroyed and lost due to the violence and atrocities inflicted by the coup-making military.
According to the records of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), over the four-year period, 6,231 democracy activists and civilians have been killed as a result of the military junta’s violence, and a total of 28,433 people have been unjustly arrested.
From February 1, 2021, to January 30, 2025, due to arson and destruction carried out by the military junta and its subordinate groups, a total of 103,485 civilian homes have been destroyed and lost.
It is well known to all our fellow citizens that military coups in Myanmar did not begin only with the events of 2021. In fact, the history of military takeovers in Myanmar has been a recurring cycle of destruction. Moreover, it is evident that successive leaders of the Myanmar military have long embraced the belief that if they could seize power by force of arms, they could rule the nation as kings until their deaths. The coup carried out four years ago against the civilian government also made it clear that the coup leaders believed they could obtain state power through guns and violence, relying on the notion that “whoever holds the weapons holds the government.” Such views and convictions highlight the underlying mindset and fundamental conduct of military dictators who depend on weapons to dominate and rule.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
To eliminate the destructive system and dark era from our country and society, it is essential to reject outdated ways of thinking and dismantle the entrenched traditions of dictatorship. The millions of people who resisted and rose up against the 2021 coup clearly demonstrated to the entire world that the military coup was unacceptable to the people.
With the unwavering support of the entire population who reject military dictatorship, our National Unity Government, together with the ethnic revolutionary organizations, has successfully resisted and fought against the coup-making military through both political means and armed resistance. Over the past four years, our people have led and advanced the broadest and deepest revolutionary struggle in Myanmar’s history. Today, revolutionary forces are able to control and administer more than 140 towns across the country. However, reaching this scale of control does not mean that we have already arrived at the final destination. I want to make it clear that we will continue to fight until the military dictatorship is completely and finally destroyed.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
Our people’s struggle for democracy and justice did not begin with the 2021 coup. In 1988, the nationwide democracy uprising succeeded in toppling the long-entrenched dictator General Ne Win. Throughout successive eras of military rule, the people have continually risen up—politically and through mass movements—against oppression, injustice, and military dominance. Today as well, the resilience, self-sacrifice, and unyielding determination of our people are clearly and powerfully evident in the ongoing revolution against dictatorship. For this, I bow my head in deep respect.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
The eradication of military dictatorship is our government’s revolutionary duty, while the building of a new federal democratic state is our government’s constructive duty. Therefore, I want to reaffirm to all our people that we will carry out these two responsibilities with clarity and firm political determination, without the slightest hesitation or wavering.
The reason we established the National Unity Government was to lay a foundation of national unity and to carry out both revolutionary and nation-building tasks. At present, I want to emphasize that we are not only working in practical cooperation with ethnic revolutionary allied organizations, but we are also advancing as a united alliance of revolutionary forces. We in the government fully understand that, in the Spring Revolution, it is not enough to simply resist and destroy the injustices of the brutal military through armed struggle alone. Alongside the military dimension, the political dimension also plays a crucial role in this resistance revolution.
I would like to stress the great importance of encouraging many soldiers within the Myanmar military — those who still love and care for the country and its people — to genuinely stand with the people. We understand that there remain many true soldiers inside the military who reject the culture of violence. Therefore, with the nation and its people in mind, I earnestly appeal to these genuine soldiers and patriotic officers within the Myanmar military to turn toward the people and to reject the brutal junta. The participation and defection of soldiers, officials, and officers from under the machinery of dictatorship is crucial to the complete eradication of the military dictatorship. I also want to make it known that whenever and wherever soldiers, officers, and officials within the Myanmar military bravely switch sides to stand with the people, they will always be welcomed with open arms by our people.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
As the National Unity Government, we continue to march forward on both the revolutionary and nation-building journeys with full responsibility and accountability to the people. No matter what political storms or revolutionary challenges arise along the difficult and turbulent path of the Spring Revolution, I want to make clear that we will always face forward and advance on the side of the people.
I would like to make it known that, in order to fulfill the revolutionary duties entrusted to us by the people, we have been continuously strengthening our own capacities while also engaging in ongoing self-reflection and critique. Along this journey of carrying the responsibilities of our time, there have been both areas where we have fallen short and areas where we have succeeded. Like any government, we too have strengths and weaknesses. We are striving to reduce our shortcomings as much as possible while working to expand and reinforce our strengths. In addition, I want to emphasize that our government is consistently guided by the advice and direction of the people, and we are advancing the course of the revolution accordingly.
We place great importance on the people’s suggestions and perspectives, and I want to reaffirm that we will continue to carry out effective reforms. As the National Unity Government, I want to make it clear that we have no other priority task besides ensuring the success and triumph of the people’s revolution. If the people choose to use the National Unity Government as a stepping stone to leap toward the goal of the revolution, I want to state clearly that our government is always ready for that role.
My dearly respected fellow citizens,
Together with my colleagues in the National Unity Government, I hold complete conviction that Myanmar’s future lies in the total eradication of military dictatorship. At the same time, we have full confidence in the building of a new federal democratic state where all ethnic nationalities enjoy equal rights. We also firmly believe that our society must be cleansed of weapons-based oppression and all forms of violence, and that no discrimination of any kind must ever be allowed to take root again. Just as we reject armed domination, we also reject mob rule and mass oppression. The people must be freed completely from lives of subjugation. Furthermore, the people must be free from feelings of inferiority, weakness, and fear. It is our responsibility to guarantee their sense of security. I believe we must ensure that our people can live with dignity, confidence, and freedom from fear. Each of us shares the responsibility to help the people overcome fear, weakness, and feelings of smallness. With this conviction, I conclude by saying that we will continue the long journey of the revolution with steadfast determination and a mature, forward-looking vision.