CNI News
2 June 2025
Military and political analysts are reviewing and discussing what kind of political status should be given to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.
Myanmar political analyst Dr. Aung Myo told CNI News that successive authorities have monopolized Myanmar politics for over 70 years, and it is true that the Panglong Agreement was violated.
Therefore, ethnic groups should be given a higher political status than their current status, and their religious, literary, and cultural freedom should be granted, he said.
“That’s why the ethnic groups are not satisfied. We can’t give them the same status as the “Wa”. But we have to improve them more than the current status. We should give them religious and cultural freedom. But they mustn't have an army like the “Wa”. Another thing is that if the problems that occur within the state don’t affect the union, they should be allowed to decide within the state. State governors should be able to even grant amnesty regarding crimes. Moreover, they should have general administration offices that can make their own decisions, I think." said Dr. Aung Myo.
The UWSA and the NDAA leaders
The government led by President U Thein Sein offered a ceasefire in 2011 and held discussions with various ethnic armed groups.
By 2012, the government and 14 ethnic armed groups had reached state-level and union-level ceasefire agreements, and the NCA was finalized in August 2015.
Then, on October 15, 2015, eight (8) ethnic armed organizations, namely KNU, RCSS, ALP, DKBA, KNU/KNLA-PC, PNLO, CNF, ABSDF, signed the NCA, and during the NLD government, the NMSP and LDU signed it.
The ethnic armed groups, which have had an upper hand in Myanmar's political landscape during the past more than four years, were demanding higher political status than before and it was not to blame, 7 EAOs Alliance spokesperson Colonel Saw Kyaw Nyunt told CNI News.
The MNDAA, the AA and the TNLA leaders
“In the past, the desire of all EAOs was to build a federal democratic union with national equality and self-determination. However, given the situation that has developed in the country over the past four years, there may be desires and demands among the ethnic groups. This must be accepted. We cannot blame the fact that, due to this unusual political situation for more than 4 years, we have also seen other ideas emerge in our ethnic armed organizations. There is a cause and effect. "I believe that if we can work together in consultation and coordination with all stakeholders, looking to the benefit of the Union, we can shape a situation that best suits the actual situation of this country," he said.
Military and political observers point out that most of the ethnic armed groups currently waging a revolution want a political status similar to that of the “Wa.”
However, they also point out that giving them a political status like the “Wa” is impossible due to geographical and historical factors.
