Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing urged Shan State's ethnic armed organizations to make peace and cooperate for national development in a Shan National Day message on Saturday, February 7, 2026, as reported by The Irrawaddy. This came amid criticisms from RCSS/SSA leader Gen. Yawd Serk in his own Shan National Day address. Gen. Yawd Serk blamed the 2021 military coup for Myanmar's turmoil, attributing it to the "ego, pride and greed" of Min Aung Hlaing, according to The Irrawaddy. Separately, Min Aung Hlaing complained of international sanctions and isolation at a dinner honoring the delegation that defended his regime at the International Court of Justice genocide hearings in The Hague, as stated by The Irrawaddy. On Friday, February 6, 2026, Min Aung Hlaing and Prime Minister Nyo Saw visited ultranationalist monk Sitagu Sayadaw in Yangon, donating cash and seeking blessings, per The Irrawaddy. Military training for the 19th batch of conscripts concluded that day at several regional command headquarters, following the regime's enforcement of the conscription law two years ago. Shan ethnic armed organizations halted their offensive last year under pressure from Beijing, according to The Irrawaddy reporting on the context of Min Aung Hlaing's peace appeal.
