Once you read the title, you might want to know what are being denied. According to the title, the facts presented in this article are not just opinions nor accusation, but the explanation with hard evidence. The facts should be read from the view of a citizen with neutral and pragmatic approach, then the situation will be clearly seen.
The controversial question is whether the NUG is a terrorist organization or not. In particular, some diplomatic community assumed that NUG could hardly be designated as terrorist group for the reason that majority of the people support them. In fact, people who support NUG are denying the fact that their actions are terrorist actions, while the victims, mostly innocent civilians, are considering that those are cruel violent actions. Therefore, the question if NUG is terrorist organization or not, needs to be answered objectively.
The assumption of some countries that NUG/PDF are supported by majority of the people, is derived from the assumption that NLD is supported by majority of the people. NLD won a landslide victory in the 2015 general election thanks to “First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)” electoral system. At that time, 26,368,207 (over 26 million) out of 38,020,297 (over 38 million) eligible voters voted in election. Among them, 12 million voters voted for NLD. These figures said that even among those who casted the votes in that election, over 14 million voters did not support NLD. Therefore, the assumption that NLD is supported by majority of the people in Myanmar is just an exaggeration.
During the NLD administration, the government failed to bring success in all aspects such as politics, economics, social and peace process. Moreover, due to the conflicts with some ethnic groups, its popularity had declined during their term 5 years. These arguments are not based on the pessimistic view about NLD, but even NLD supporters had noticed the weak performance of NLD government. There are also some evidence that responsible persons from NLD party admitted that they could not fulfil the expectation of their supporters.
After taking State’s responsibility by Tatmadaw, there have been peaceful protests. The highest number of people staging protests reached on 22 February. Even on that day, there were only around 5 million people (9.52% of total population) staging protests. However, local and international media, activists and social influencers, who were backed up by some foreign countries and organizations, intentionally portrayed the image that the whole country staged the protests against the Tatmadaw. They are still doing so until now.
During the NLD administration, government and ruling party, by using the public budget, worked with Facebook team to manage the public perception or to control the public opinion via Facebook which is quite influential social media in Myanmar. In doing so, they limited the users who criticized their government and ruling party, then, they took down the official pages and accounts of people who had different opinions with them. With the aids of some other countries, activists, journalists and social influencers were trained to promote them and attack the opponents. Therefore, the exaggerated news about protests on social media and supporting activities for NLD are intentionally set up. By using social media, they portrayed the image that the whole country supports the NLD and persuaded other people to follow the majority. Such actions have an impact on the NUG, which was basically organized by NLD.
Another thing is that although people had participated in some peaceful protests, most of them have not been supporting the NLD extremists and supporters since the latter turned their peaceful protests into violent actions. In this case, with the title of “Social Punishment”, the mobs of NLD extremists humiliated and bullied the people, who did not support them. There are plenty of evidence that they committed such social bullying on social media as well as in real life. Is it acceptable in international community that a person who did not support a political party became a victim of social bullying? Does it comply with democratic norms and values?
According to the current situation, the international community should take a look at the matters that NUG/PDFs are attacking non-combatant targets and innocent civilians were often killed violently. Ex-MPs from NLD party and their extremist supporters have organized CRPH, NUG and PDFs. Then, those who do not support them, innocent civilian with different political views and non-combatant civilians were titled as “Dalan”, which means “informer” to SAC government, and they were brutally killed. On 7 September 2021, NUG declared the “D-Day”, and not surprisingly, they instigated the violence across the country.
From 1 February to 27 November, under the pretext of clearing “Dalan”, NUG, PDFs made accusation on non-combatant innocent civilians and attacked them leaving 1031 violently killed and another 1076 injured. Among them, 13 monks were murdered and 5 were tortured. 38 government staffs were killed and another 81 were injured. Administrative staffs in many townships and villages were brutally killed. 207 administrative staffs were killed and another 155 were injured. 3 health staffs were killed and another 8 were injured. Staffs in education sector, including teachers, were also not an exception. 12 were killed and 15 were injured. 445 buildings in education sector such as schools and offices were destroyed. The worst thing is that COVID-19 centers were attacked 33 times. In this case, 13 were killed and 27 were injured. Public hospitals and private clinics were also attacked 25 times. Public infrastructure such as roads and bridges were destroyed 397 times. By doing so, public places were violently attacked and destroyed 4226 times until now.
State-owned media broadcast the news about attacking and killing of non-combatant targets all the time. At the same time, these cases were also reported with the hard evidence to embassies and international counter-terrorist organizations including United Nations. Seeing such evidence, it should not be concluded that NUG, PDFs and NLD extremists were supported by the whole country by neglecting their terrorist acts. The terrorist acts and crimes of those groups are not acceptable whether from the democratic norms or the perspective of human rights or on humanitarian grounds, or international rules such as Geneva Convention. It is undeniable that these acts should be designated as terrorist acts according to abovementioned international rules and norms.
Also, there are stronger evidences found recently. Phyo Zeyar Thaw, the NLD member, was arrested together with terrorist weapons, ammunitions, their recorded history of assassinated cases, plans to conduct more violence, and other evidences. According to those evidences, it is also undeniable that violent cases across the country were arranged and managed by NUG. Taking opportunities upon the oxygen shortages during COVID-19 third wave, they transported the weapons and ammunitions, carrying inside the oxygen cylinders. Some EAOs helped with them. Also, the notebook of Phyo Zeyar Thaw revealed that NUG’s “Hit List” really exists.
So, is it still not the “Terrorism” that school teachers, religious personnel, COVID-19 control and treatment centers were violently attacked and brutally killed? Why terrorist’s acts of the NUG/PDF and extremist NLD supporters are being neglected all the time? Seeing such situations, some people think that prestigious democratic countries, promoting human rights, are encouraging and supporting terrorism and terrorist acts.
According to the theories, there is no universally agreed definition upon terrorism. However, some definition and description about terrorism can be referenced from the United States’ laws and described statements. According to them, there are 72 groups designated as terrorist organizations. 14 groups were removed from that list. The US designated terrorist organizations according to terrorism definition of Foreign Relations Authorization Act - Fiscal Years 1988 and Immigration and prescribed terrorist activity in Section 212 of Nationality Act.
The United States defines “terrorism” as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents. Terrorist acts include threatening, planning and attempting to conduct violence by using any explosive devices directly or indirectly. Therefore, the violent cases happening in Myanmar can be designated as terrorist acts not only with norms and laws of Myanmar, but also with the definitions prescribed by more than 200-year-old democratic country, the US.
The intention of NUG, controlling the public by fear, conducting violence, is not to raise the voices of their opponents. In other words, by using terrorist way, they have been trying to make unsupported groups become their supporters, as well as portraying the image that there is no unsupported group in the country. Actually, people don’t dare to oppose them but on social media, it is seemingly that majority of the people support them because opposite voices are limited.
Professor Antonio Cassese, international law expert from Italy, defined that the intent to spread fear among the population which would generally entail the creation of public danger is partially the terrorism. According to “The Law of Armed Conflict”, attacking non-combatants is prohibited in any armed conflicts. Prohibiting crimes of violent extremists and protecting non-combatants from violence are totally in line with local laws as well as international laws.
During the time of peaceful protests in Myanmar, security forces did not shoot the protesters, but those peaceful protests are gradually turned into violence, and then, security forces had to control the riots with minimum level of forces as per the prescribed laws. Other countries also exercise the same practice. Even in countries with highest democracy, such kind of riots with violence were controlled by using necessary forces. Knowing that NUG/PDFs have been conducting violent acts with extremism, some countries and international community have connection with them. It should be aware of that such kind of connection can encourage the terrorism and enhance the terrorist acts in our society.
Quite the contrary, countries with highest democracy, standing on humanitarian grounds, are too optimistic about such terrorist acts in Myanmar. And thus, they are seemingly difficult to designate them as terrorists. However, if we observe the situation objectively, we can see the reality, and would accept that NUG and PDFs are terrorists. Where you stand determines what you see and what you do not see. For instance, looking at Afghanistan, it was assumed that that country had the world’s deadliest terrorist groups in the past, and was attacked under the topic of “war on terror”. But now, international community is in contact with them and support them. Therefore, a change in where you stand changes everything. Illegal and terrorist NUG/PDFs are still conducting violence and organized crimes, killing innocent but unsupported people under the pretext of their political goal.
In conclusion, no matter what the international community does not know the violent acts of NUG/PDFs or neglecting such violence, Myanmar as a sovereign country, has already designated them as terrorist groups according to Counter-terrorism Law of Myanmar. The assumption that NLD was supported by majority of the people was left behind. The disqualification of NLD and violent acts of NUG/PDFs have changed the public opinion. The reputation of NLD was ruined by PDFs which were supported by NUG, which was also derived from NLD. In spite of emotional NLD members and extremist supporters, majority of the people want to live peacefully without NLD, NUG and PDFs. Especially, those who saw that many lives were ruined by such extremist groups, and sympathized the victims, are disgusted by such extremists. Therefore, some countries who assumed that NUG was supported by majority of the people should not rely only on the fake and fabricated news on social media and the news media who are working on their own interests. International community is urged to see the reality of the current situation in Myanmar.
Reference
United States’ Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Definitions of Terrorism and Terrorist Activity, Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/ & https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/08/103399.htm & https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/08/103401.htm