[Interview] Myanmar's pro-democracy provisional government seeks recognition by international community

The government needs support and recognition from the international community, its foreign minister told the Hankyoreh

Daw Zin Mar Aung, the foreign minister of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, speaks during a video interview with the Hankyoreh on Saturday. (interview screenshot)

Daw Zin Mar Aung, the foreign minister of the National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) – a provisional resistance government established to stand up against Myanmar’s military junta – told the Hankyoreh in a video interview Saturday that, “[NUG] is doing all it can to receive official recognition from the international community,” while saying repeatedly that it is her government, not the military government, that has legitimacy.

She said that there are countries that have “formally expressed support with the people’s democratization movement in solidarity with NUG” and that other countries have “expressed support informally.”

While refraining from mentioning any particular country by name, she said that some countries “have reached out and asked what kind of help the government needs and are providing support,” while other countries “have declared support through media outlets.”

Zin Mar Aung emphasized during the interview that NUG “is in solidarity with a broad range of forces, including the opposition armed forces made up of minority groups.”

According to her, NUG was formed following discussions between members of the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw – which represents a group of National League of Democracy lawmakers ousted in the 2021 coup – armed groups made up of Myanmar’s minorities, political parties that participated in elections outside of the National League for Democracy, civil activists who led peaceful demonstrations, and members of the country’s Civil Disobedience Movement.

She said that NUG has conducted discussions on the future of Myanmar and was not just established to stand up against the military junta. She said that, in contrast to Myanmar’s 1988 uprising, “there were discussions made in the runup to establishing NUG that involved firm political goals about establishing a nation, not just the fall of the military dictatorship.”

She also noted that “We were able to create through these discussions two sections of a federal democratic constitution, and the military government will be reformed through a professional federal military force as part of efforts to build a democratic federal nation,” thus reconfirming her government’s intent to establish a federal military that includes minority groups.

When asked about whether her government could begin negotiations with Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar’s military government, Zin Mar Aung said “there are currently no plans” to do that. She did note, however, that any move toward dialogue with the military junta would need to be predicated on the military “releasing unfairly detained politicians and democracy activists, and for the military government to take responsibility for the massacres, terrorism and human rights abuse it has committed.”

At the end of the interview, Zin Mar Aung said, “[South] Korea fought for democracy and [South] Koreans suffered a period under military dictatorship. This is the same situation facing Myanmar. Please support us to overthrow the military government in Myanmar or provide support until a democratic leadership can regain control from the military junta.”

The Hankyoreh sent questions over to her in advance, and the interview was conducted by Lee Cheol-seung, the head of South Geyongsang Province Migrant Community Service Center. An exchange student from Myanmar provided interpretation during the interview.

By Jung E-gil, senior staff writer

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