The plan to form the People’s Defense Force (PDF) is not aimed at carrying out offensive military actions, Mahn Win Khaing Than, Prime Minister of the interim National Unity Government (NUG) clarified at a meeting between the NUG and the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar.

“At the same time the NUG is working on the defensive tasks after the formation of the PDF. The move aims to carry out defensive resistance on the path of rooting out the military dictatorship,” the prime minister added.

The NUG members held a meeting with the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar for the first time on May 16th.

The NUG is striving to rebuild democracy, and working to prevent the violation of human rights. In doing so it calls for international cooperation in addition to the public’s efforts, the Prime Minister added.

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar is comprised of Ms. Yanghee Lee, Mr. Chris Sidoti and Mr. Marzuki Darusman who have previously worked on the UN Fact-Finding Panel dealing with the mass violence perpetrated against the ethnic Rohingya people from Rakhine State.

According to the NUG’s statement, the meeting mainly focused on the NUG’s efforts to get international recognition and the violation of human rights by the military council.

The meeting was attended by Vice-President of the NUG Duwa Lashi La, Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than and the relevant Union Ministers.

The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) announced the formation of the interim NUG on April 16th.

The NUG announced on May 5th that it formed the PDF as the forerunner of the Federal Army in order to protect the people from violence acts committed by the junta troops.