The Myanmar Defense Services held a military parade in Naypyidaw, the capital, on Wednesday to mark the Armed Forces Day. The junta, citing the hot weather, held the parade at night for the first time in more than half a century. Faced with the offensive of the anti-government armed forces, the Defense Services is currently on the verge of defeat, and the scale of this year's parade has been reduced. The junta leader Min Aung Hlaing presided over the parade and delivered a speech, emphasizing that the military's interim rule is only to strengthen democracy. He also pointed out that young people in the country have been deceived to join the rebel army, and the ethnic armed groups allied with the rebel army are involved in drug trafficking, smuggling, and illegal gambling.
Representatives of the military of China, Russia, India, and Pakistan attended
More than 7,500 military personnel from the Myanmar Navy, Army, and Air Force, the air force performance team, and the cavalry team participated in the parade. With the addition of lighting effects at night, the Defense Services also dispatched fighter jets and helicopters for night flight performances. Several hundred guests, including representatives of ethnic minorities and ambassadors to Myanmar, were invited to attend. Representatives of the military of China, Russia, India, and Pakistan were present, including Russian Deputy Defense Minister Fomin. Among the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, only Singapore and Brunei were absent. Several Russian military commanders and defense ministry officials were awarded honorary medals for their participation in international military cooperation to assist in building a modern Myanmar Defense Services.
Min Aung Hlaing inspected the troops by car and then all the officers and soldiers participated in the flag-raising ceremony. Min Aung Hlaing repeated in his speech that the military launched a coup in 2020 due to electoral fraud in the general election, and the military is committed to restoring peace and stability in the country and called for national unity. He said that the next general election is being prepared, accusing ethnic rebels and the so-called "People's Defense Forces" of deliberately sabotaging and delaying the electoral process. The next Federal Parliament election will adopt a proportional representation system to be inclusive of all parties, but he did not mention the schedule of the election.
As for the domestic unrest, Min Aung Hlaing criticized those who oppose the junta for participating in violence, looting, and spreading hatred. The Defense Services has been targeted by international media and social media users. He also criticized some powerful countries for interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs and assisting anti-government armed forces to confront the Defense Services, but did not provide evidence. Min Aung Hlaing said that he was saddened to see young people become scapegoats in Myanmar's rebellion, claiming that they were misled by the false statements of the media to disrupt the operation, and blamed ethnic rebels for undermining the country's progress towards a federal based on democracy.
In addition, Min Aung Hlaing emphasized that due to the importance of Myanmar's geopolitics and the development of the global situation, a new conscription system must be implemented. He called on retired soldiers to re-enlist. Since the military coup in February 2021, the Myanmar junta is currently facing the greatest threat. The "Brotherhood Alliance" composed of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Deang National Liberation Army, and the Arakan Army three rebel groups, with the support of the anti-government armed forces, attacked the Defense Services since October last year, and made great progress in the northern and other areas.
Enforced conscription leads to an exodus.
Myanmar media reported that the soldiers of the Defense Services were tired of the war and their morale was low. In order to increase its military power, the junta announced the implementation of the "People's Military Service Law" in February this year, conscripting men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve for two years. Those who evaded military service would face imprisonment and fines, which caused panic among the people and led to an exodus from the country.
Analysts pointed out that the military setback led to the reduction of the scale of the 79th Founding Day military parade this year. It was shortened by about 1 hour compared with usual, and no heavy military equipment such as tanks and missile transporters were seen. The number of military aircraft participating in the flight display was reduced from 6 last year to 2, and the number of soldiers was also reduced from 8,424 last year to 7,750.
Min Zaw Oo, the founder of the Myanmar Institute of Peace and Security (MIPS), pointed out that the military parade requires at least two months of training and preparation, but the Defense Services are busy with the war, and most of the divisions are understaffed, resulting in limited resources for the military parade. According to the "Nihon Keizai Shimbun", military parades in Myanmar usually take place in the early morning, but this year it was changed to the evening, possibly for security reasons. It is dangerous for the army to prepare for the early morning parade in the dark at midnight. On March 27, 1945, the Myanmar Defense Services rose up against the Japanese occupation. Myanmar later designated this day as the Founding Day and holds a military parade every year to commemorate it. A total of 14 night parades have been held in the past.
