Mandalay-based people’s defence forces (PDFs) warned people not to attend Thingyan water festivities organized by the Military Council as they are planning to attack their Thingyan stages in the Mandalay region.

The Thingyan Festival, also called the water festival is the annual celebration of the Burmese New Year that usually runs every year from 13 to 16 April. Normally, this is a joyous national holiday that people celebrate by throwing water over each other, usually from stages at the side of the road that are often paid for and sponsored by different businesses.

The military regime is planning to organize Thingyan celebrations and set up Thingyan stages in big cities across Myanmar.

“Thingyan stages around the Mandalay Moat will be the main targets during the water festival. We shall not be liable for any deaths or injuries of Festival goers as a result of explosions”, said one of the leaders of the Justice Mandalay PDF to Mizzima.

The junta wants to have successful Thingyan celebrations so that it can claim that there is peace and stability in the country and that things are running as normal.

Unsurprisingly, this attitude has made the Thingyan celebrations a target for PDF forces who want to demoralize the junta and deny them any such propaganda victories.

“You have right to choose to celebrate the water festival in different ways, but if you are planning to join the water festival at a stage being hosted by the Military Council you should think again. This year’s Thingyan will be a revolutionary Thingyan, we are calling it the waterless Thingyan. Mandalay PDF forces will bear no responsibility [for injuries suffered] in upcoming attacks”, said a resistance force leader.

People have been unable to properly celebrate Thingyan since 2019 because there were no Thingyan celebrations in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19.