Myanmar junta chief vows ‘global standard army’

Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing has used Independence Day to declare ambitions of building a “standard army” capable of rivaling global powers – even as his forces face mounting defeats at home and are widely condemned as a “fascist army” by the public.

Speaking at a ceremony in Naypyidaw on Sunday, the junta chief awarded medals to loyalists and soldiers while railing against what he called “bullying and exploitation” on the international stage. He insisted the armed forces were being shaped into a modern, disciplined and patriotic institution able to resist foreign manipulation.

The rhetoric is not new. Min Aung Hlaing has long promoted his vision of a conventional fighting force, boasting of domestically built frigates, submarines, combat vehicles and aircraft. But the reality is starkly different. Since orchestrating the 2021 coup, he has presided over a civil war that has hollowed out the military’s reputation and exposed its weaknesses.

During the resistance’s Operation 1027 offensive in late 2023, the army lost control of more than 80 towns and surrendered two entire regional commands in Shan and Rakhine – unprecedented setbacks in its history. Senior officers defected, troops fled across borders, and the commander‑in‑chief admitted his forces were overwhelmed by superior tactics and technology.

In response, the junta invoked a long‑dormant Conscription Law to replenish ranks, a measure not even used by previous dictators. Analysts say that despite air power and heavy artillery, the military has failed to defeat lightly armed People’s Defense Forces and ethnic armed groups. “If the military cannot win against domestic resistance, how can it claim the status of a ‘standard army’ on the world stage?” one observer noted.

The army’s image is further scarred by decades of atrocities against civilians – village burnings, rape, extrajudicial killings – which have escalated since the coup with attacks on hospitals and schools. Many in Myanmar now dismiss it as a “fascist army” rather than a disciplined force.

Despite support from allies China and Russia, the junta has clawed back only limited territory in northern Shan. Nationwide control remains elusive, forcing elections to be split into three phases while resistance continues on multiple fronts.

Min Aung Hlaing’s grand vision of a global‑class military stands in sharp contrast to the battlefield reality: a force struggling to hold ground at home, let alone project power abroad.

-2026-01-07