Myanmar Junta Leader Proposes Renaming States to Reflect Multi-Ethnic Populations
Myanmar’s military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has proposed renaming the country’s states to better represent all ethnic groups living in the States, calling for collaborative efforts to find suitable alternative names.
He proposed this on October 15 during a ceremony in Naypyitaw marking the 11th anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
Min Aung Hlaing argued that diverse ethnic communities coexist across Myanmar’s regions and states. He noted that ethnic Shan people comprise only slightly over 35 percent of the population in Shan State, while Kachin residents account for roughly 39 percent of Kachin State, despite both territories being named after those specific groups.
"We need to recognize that a state does not belong to just one ethnic group, but to all the ethnic groups living in that area," Min Aung Hlaing said. "I would like to urge everyone to work together to find state names that represent the people living in each state, with national unity as our priority."
NCA Anniversary and Peace Talks Invitation
Among the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that originally signed the NCA, representatives from the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC), the New Mon State Party (NMSP), and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) attended the anniversary event.
During the proceedings, Min Aung Hlaing extended an invitation to resume peace talks with the Karen National Union (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF)—signatories that have been actively engaged in armed resistance against his regime following the 2021 military coup.
On October 16, the second day of commemorations, workshops were held at the Horizon Lake View Resort in Naypyitaw. Discussions centered on practical cooperation for peace and stability, boosting regional economic development, sustainable livelihoods, and the effective delivery of humanitarian aid to conflict-affected areas.
Persistent Ground Realities
Despite the junta’s diplomatic overtures and peace workshops in the capital, intense fighting continues to rage on the ground. Human rights groups and local reports indicate that the military has sharply escalated airstrikes amid escalating clashes with resistance forces, while regime-imposed blockades and severe restrictions continue to obstruct humanitarian assistance to displaced civilians.
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