CNI News
14 November 2024
Although most of the people have accepted that armed and political conflicts can be solved by using federalism in Myanmar, some people are asking why the federalism is the best for Myanmar.
As armed movements and armed groups emerged under the successive governments, democracy and federal problems were needed to be solved, chairman of the People's Party (PP) U Ko Ko Gyi told CNI News.
" Conflicts emerged continuously since Myanmar gained here independence because points and promises that are included in the Panglong Agreement were not implemented. One of the problems is politically ideological. At that period, armed movement of the Burma Communist Party was the biggest. Later, ethnic armed groups emerged based on equal rights and federalism. In 2021, armed groups that are related to democracy. So, it's necessary to solve the problems regarding democracy and federalism. Basic fact of the political problems is the livelihood problem of the people. Because of the inability to solve the problem, dissatisfactions arose among the public. These were mixed with political dissatisfactions, I think." he said.
Federalism was essential in Myanmar. But armed conflicts emerged because of not only political disagreements but also interests, pointed out military and political analysts.
While seeing the NSPNC and political groups of the UPJDC
Regionally based federalism was the most suitable for Myanmar in implementation of democracy and federal administration, said Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the SAC during his meeting with the leaders of indigenous militia in northern Shan State on 10h September 2023.
Ethnic armed groups were demanding the rights of their ethnicities in the peace talks and weak in regional demanding; it was necessary to be organizations representing region rather than representing an ethnicity, said chairman of the SAC.
Over 20 representatives from 11 political parties, six EAOs, chairman and secretary of the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee, and Center for Peace and Reconciliation (CPR) went on a trip to India to study the matters regarding the division pf power between the central government and states, equal rights and self-determination from 4th to 7th November 2024.
If the essence of federalism was understood and its principles were exactly implemented, it could be an answer to Myanmar, director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategy Studies, U Thein Tun Oo told CNI News.
While seeing international diplomats, leaders of the SAC and leaders of the armed groups
" According to the federal theory, states can enjoy self-administration. Mainly, there were not equal rights between Regions and States under the rule of British, which was an ideological problem when Myanmar gained her independence. To solve the problem, if States will enjoy self-administrations and self-determinations in accordance with essence of federalism within the border of the current union and they all will live unitedly, it can be an answer to Myanmar." he said.
However, if stakeholders thought about beyond the federalism, the union would collapse and as a result, a great problem could arise not only in Myanmar but also in Southeast Asia, pointed out military analysts.
Although most stakeholders are making attempts to build a union based on federal and democracy, some EAOs have expressed that they have intended to build confederation and independence.
