National Unity Government of Myanmar

The National Unity Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေး အစိုးရ; abbreviated NUG) is a Myanmar government in exile formed by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), a group of elected lawmakers and members of parliament ousted in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. The European Parliament has recognized the NUG as the legitimate government of Myanmar. It includes representatives of the National League for Democracy (the deposed ruling party of former state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi), ethnic minority insurgent groups, and various minor parties.

The State Administration Council (SAC)—the country's ruling military junta—has declared the NUG illegal and a terrorist organization, while the NUG designated the Tatmadaw and its affiliated organizations as terrorist organizations under Section 3 of Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law.

In May 2021, the NUG announced the formation of a "People's Defense Force", and in September the launch of a "defensive war" and nationwide revolution against the military junta. As of September 2021, the NUG had established representative offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, France, Czech Republic, Australia, and South Korea. On 1 February 2022, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the NUG appointed Saw Ba Hla Thein as the first representative to Japan.

Although the NUG is widely described as a government-in-exile, it has not declared a temporary capital in another country or in Myanmar, and instead conducts its operations remotely and from hiding within Myanmar.

History
Following the 1 February 2021 military coup, a Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (the Myanmar legislature) was created by members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who had been elected as lawmakers in the 2020 general election. It claimed to be the legitimate legislative authority for Myanmar. It named a set of office-holders of the National Unity Government on 16 April, which included members of the NLD, other parties and independents.

The NUG immediately sought international recognition as the government of Myanmar and gained much support from the people of Myanmar. When the NUG was announced, its designated minister for home affairs and immigration, Lwin Ko Latt, stated that he expected recognition by several countries soon. The International Trade Union Confederation called for recognition of the NUG by governments and the United Nations, and the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, a group of pro-human rights lawmakers within ASEAN countries, called on ASEAN to invite to the ASEAN Leaders Meeting on 24 April the NUG rather than representatives of the military junta.

In April 2021, the NUG established Public Voice Television (PVTV) as a media outlet for the NUG, the CRPH, and NUCC. PVTV hosts a series of programmes, including a satirical show called People's Voice TV, and news reports.

On 5 May 2021, the NUG announced the formation of the People's Defense Force as its armed wing to launch an armed revolution against the military junta, which designated it a terrorist organization on 8 May.

On 7 September 2021, the NUG announced the launch of a defensive war against the military junta, and urged the citizens to revolt against the junta in every corner of the country.

On 6 October 2021, Malaysia's foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah warned the Burmese military it was prepared to hold official talks with the NUG if the military did not cooperate with the terms of ASEAN's five-point consensus. On 24 October, the Foreign Affairs Ministry appointed Bo Hla Tint, who served as a minister in the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, as an ambassador to ASEAN.

On 26 April 2022, Lwin Ko Latt, the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, announced the formation of the Bureau of Special Intelligence. The announcement also mentioned that due to arbitrary arrests, torture, killings, and other acts by the SAC within the country through the exercise of people's power, the Bureau of Special Intelligence was set up to build national security that would ensure the social security and socio-economic development of the people while preventing violence.

On 7 September 2022, NUG acting president Duwa Lashi La stated that the regime had lost control of half of the country, noting that NUG had formed over 300 PDF battalions, and township public defence forces in 250 of the country's townships, while approximately 1,500 resistance fighers had died since the coup.

On 6 February 2023, NUG stated that it had restored internet access in at least 15 townships where the junta had cut off access since 2021. NUG spokesman Nay Phone Latt also added that they were providing access without using the junta's infrastructure. On 13 February, the NUG opened an official liaison office in Washington, DC to engage with the American government.

On 17 September 2023, the NUG's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) stated it dissolved the Myanmar Gems and Jewellery Entrepreneurs Association (MGJEA) for providing tax revenue to the SAC.

In April 2024, a significant blow to the Myanmar junta, an anti-army alliance launched drone strikes on military targets in the capital, Naypyitaw. NUG confirmed the strikes, causing casualties. The attack targeted the airport compound, about 25km southwest of military headquarters.

International relations
In April 2021, Building and Wood Workers' International announced its support of NUG and called for the international community to recognise NUG's legitimacy.

In September 2021, in the lead up to the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the UN had been expected to make a formal decision on recognizing the legitimate government of Myanmar. Ahead of the UNGA, major global labour unions issued a statement calling for a global day of action for Myanmar, specifically calling on international governments to recognise NUG and for humanitarian assistance to be provided solely through NUG channels. A behind-the-scenes compromise between China and the US prevented the Burmese military's representatives from attending the UNGA session, effectively forestalling a decision to replace Kyaw Moe Tun, the incumbent Permanent Representative of Myanmar who represents the NUG. As of 12 April 2024, the United Nations list of Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Ministers for Foreign Affairs of all Member States continues to list Win Myint as President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On 5 October 2021, the French Senate unanimously passed a resolution to formally recognize the NUG as the official government of Myanmar, and sent it to the National Assembly for passage. On 7 October 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that recognizes the CRPH and the NUG as the only legitimate representatives of Myanmar.

Since ASEAN implemented the Five-Point Consensus with respect to the Myanmar situation in April 2021, the military-led State Administration Council has not honoured its commitment to the peace plan. ASEAN member states, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with SAC's continued intransigence. In May 2022, Malaysia's foreign minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, publicly called on ASEAN member states to begin informally engaging NUG. The suggestion prompted a protest from SAC. On 20 September 2022, Malaysia became the first ASEAN member state to publicly engage with the competing NUG.

The NUG has called on the People's Defence Force to not target Chinese projects. Additionally, it reportedly sent congratulatory letters to Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping after the 20th CCP National Congress in October 2022. In January 2024, it published a 10-point policy paper on China, describing it as "a specifically important country, not only for close, profound historical ties between the two countries but also for China’s status as a global superpower". It also pledged support the one-China principle and expand economic ties.

In November 2021 and December 2023, the Inter-Parliamentary Union affirmed that the NUG's parent organisation, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, is the legitimate interlocutor for Myanmar and its members are able to participate in the official business of the IPU as observers.

Funding and revenues
In May 2022, the NUG announced it had raised $42 million USD from fundraising activities, with the majority of revenues spent on weapons and support for civil servants on strike. It has launched a number of successful initiatives, including the sale of Spring Revolution treasury bonds, an online lottery, and the sale of military-linked land and properties. Most NUG donors live abroad, and limited evidence suggests the Burmese diaspora in Singapore is the primary source of funding. The NUG has also encouraged Burmese-based companies and taxpayers to redirect taxes to the NUG, instead of the military regime. The NUG has also launched NUGPay, a parallel digital currency system.

In May 2022, the NUG raised $10 million from the sale of Min Aung Hlaing's Yangon home on Inya Lake Road. In October 2022, the NUG raised $9.3 million USD during an auction of land in Mandalay's Patheingyi Township illegally seized by the military. In January 2023, the NUG raised $10 million in 18 hours, after a pre-sale of apartments on military-owned land in Yangon. In February 2023, the NUG raised $4 million after an entrepreneur bought rights to a gem mine in Mogok Township.