ASIA/MYANMAR - Five years after the coup, the military junta accelerates the political transition

Yangon (Agenzia Fides) – Five years after the coup of February 1, 2021, Myanmar's military junta appears to be seeking a political shift, governing a transition that, following elections scheduled in three phases between December 2025 and January 2026, should lead to the formation of a civilian government next April, "albeit one composed of former military personnel who have abandoned their uniforms and now appear in civilian clothing," Fides sources in Myanmar report. “Meanwhile, the message directed at the public is one of a desire to normalize national life. And it is a message that is also being conveyed symbolically: on the anniversary of the coup, the junta placed great emphasis on the celebration of the reconstruction of a pagoda in Mandalay that had been destroyed by an earthquake. They described it as ‘the pagoda that has overcome the crisis,’ precisely to indicate the transition to a new phase,” explains Joseph Kung, a Catholic educator from Yangon, in statements to Fides. He adds that no significant events have been reported in the city. In a gesture intended to demonstrate a more conciliatory attitude, the military junta has also invited former civil servants who left their posts in 2021 in protest against the coup to return to work, promising to remove them from the “blacklist” and reinstate them to their regular positions in the civil service. In Mandalay, however, according to information from Fides, the People's Defense Forces launched an attack against the army's Central Military Command, precisely while the junta leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, was visiting the headquarters. Locals heard a loud explosion coming from the complex, although no casualties have been reported so far. “The country remains divided, and fighting continues in some areas. The People's Defense Forces are continuing the fight and show no signs of wanting to stop the conflict. In some areas governed by ethnic minorities, however, calls and messages are beginning to circulate urging an end to the war and negotiations with the regime. After five years of conflict, the number of displaced people exceeds 3.5 million; the population is truly exhausted, and there is a very strong desire to return to normal life and resume social and economic activities,” Kung notes. Meanwhile, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) held a consultation among foreign ministers in Cebu, Philippines, focused on the well-known “Five-Point Plan” for peace in Myanmar, affirming that “reconciliation in Myanmar remains ASEAN’s top priority.” During the meeting, Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro, in her capacity as ASEAN’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, briefed the ministers on the latest political and humanitarian developments in the country, confirming that member states intend to continue with “a constructive and consistent engagement to support the peace process in Myanmar.” ASEAN announced that, for the time being, it does not recognize the results of the elections in Myanmar, as it did not send its own observers. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 2/2/2026)

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