Message from the Union Prime Minister on the 37th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing

It is with profound solemnity that we mark today the thirty-seventh anniversary of the unjust deaths of Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing, students of the Yangon Institute of Technology, who fell victim to the agents of the military dictatorship during their participation in Myanmar's pro-democracy movement. I wish to express, first and foremost, my deepest and most heartfelt condolences for all monks, members of the clergy, and citizens who have perished due to the inhumane oppression, torture, and extrajudicial killings perpetrated by successive military juntas throughout the ages, mirroring the fate of Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing.

Generations of young students such as Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing have historically stood in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, exhibiting selfless dedication and unwavering commitment while bravely resisting and rebelling against the illegitimate oppression and violent acts of the terrorist junta. The National Unity Government acknowledges with the utmost respect and gratitude the participation of the present generation of young people, who courageously sacrifice their lives, their strength, and their well-being on the front lines of the ongoing People's Spring Revolution. Their engagement is a source of immense encouragement to the revolutionary forces.

At this juncture, as it was thirty-seven years prior, the nation is once again confronted by a multifaceted crisis stemming from the abortive seizure of power by the terrorist junta. This junta perpetrates war crimes on a daily basis, engaging in the torture and extrajudicial killing of civilians, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, the unlawful confiscation of private property, and the deliberate destruction of residences. To ensure the complete cessation of the terrorist junta's unjust oppression and to secure for all citizens the full enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including freedom, justice, and equality, the revolutionary forces must continue their struggle, demonstrating unwavering unity and concerted action.

To expedite our liberation from the oppressive cycle inflicted by the terrorist junta since Myanmar's independence, and to facilitate the swift emergence of a Federal Democratic Union characterized by full democracy and the respect for human rights, the National Unity Government solemnly pledges to continue its collaboration with the revolutionary forces. It is with this commitment that I issue this statement on the occasion of the thirty-seventh anniversary of the martyrdom of Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing.

Mahn Win Khaing Than

Union Prime Minister