Myanmar shadow Govt. declares 'people's defensive war'

(News 1st): Myanmar’s shadow Government has declared a “people’s defensive war” against the country’s military, which seized power in a coup on 01 February. Duwa Lashi La, the acting President of the National Unity Government (NUG), formed by the elected legislators who were thrown out of office by the Generals, announced the news in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday. “With the responsibility to protect the life and properties of the people, the National Unity Government … launched a people’s defensive war against the military junta,” he said. “As this is a public revolution, all the citizens within entire Myanmar, revolt against the rule of the military terrorists led by Min Aung Hlaing in every corner of the country.” Myanmar has been in turmoil since Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi just as the new parliament was about to sit. The coup triggered widespread protests and a civil disobedience, which resulted in more than 1,000 persons being killed and even more arrested. The deadly crackdown has, in turn, triggered armed resistance to the military’s rule, especially in Myanmar’s borderlands, with opponents joining ethnic armed groups and forming People’s Defence Forces (PDF) to fight back. Tens of thousands have been displaced in the violence. In his video message, Duwa Lashi La accused the military of committing “war crimes” and urged military-appointed bureaucrats to resign from the Government.