Myanmar's shadow government has called for a military coup

Myanmar's shadow government has launched a "people's defence war" against the military, which took control in a February 1 coup.

In a video uploaded on Facebook on Tuesday, Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the National Unity Government (NUG), revealed the news. The NUG was created by elected legislators who were kicked out of office by the generals.

He claimed the National Unity Government "started a people's defensive battle against the military junta" with the responsibility of protecting people's lives and property.

“Because this is a public revolution, all Myanmar citizens revolt against the military terrorists commanded by Min Aung Hlaing in every corner of the country.”

Myanmar has been in chaos since Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's elected administration just as the new parliament was set to convene.
The coup d'état sparked huge demonstrations and a civil disobedience movement, to which the military retaliated violently.
According to the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, over 1,000 individuals have been slain, with thousands more jailed.

The military's brutal crackdown has sparked armed opposition to its authority, particularly in Myanmar's borderlands, with opponents joining ethnic armed groups and creating People's Defence Forces (PDF) to fight back.
The violence has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.