Q&A: Leader of Myanmar’s shadow government talks civil war strategy in 2025
Al Jazeera
Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) seeks to deal a decisive blow to the country’s military rulers in 2025.
This year is likely to be one of the most pivotal in Myanmar’s modern history.
The country is embroiled in a civil war, ignited by the military’s 2021 coup against an elected government.
Fighting has escalated and the military regime, which calls itself the State Administration Council (SAC), has suffered mounting defeats. It has responded to the loss of control over border regions and swaths of territory to opposition forces with indiscriminate air attacks and atrocities against civilians.
The military’s most formidable opposition – a coalition of ethnic armed groups – now controls most of Rakhine state in the country’s east and from the border with China to the city of Mandalay in the north.
Another major opposition force is the National Unity Government (NUG) – described as Myanmar’s shadow government – in exile, which oversees a loose collection of anti-regime groups known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF).
