CNI News
May 28, 2026
When it comes to federalism, it must be understood that it is a federalism based on territory, not one based on ethnicity, said President U Min Aung Hlaing.
He made this remark during the Union Government meeting held on May 26, 2026.
President U Min Aung Hlaing stated, “We will work towards firmly establishing a multi-party democratic system politically, and we will build a Union based on democracy and federalism. When we say federalism, it is necessary to understand that it is a federalism given to territory, not to ethnicity.”
He added that after gaining independence, the nation had to resolve internal armed conflicts, instability, and foreign invasions. He noted that due to the weaknesses of the 1947 Constitution, the emergence of the right of states to secede led to even greater political conflicts.
President U Min Aung Hlaing further emphasized that lessons must be drawn from past events to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future. He stated that efforts must continue to achieve political stability, strengthen the economy, and bring an end to armed conflicts from a security perspective.
In global practice, federal systems include ethnicity-based federalism, geography (territory)-based federalism, combined ethnicity- and geography-based federalism, and nation-based federalism, among others.
Among these, federalism experts point out that Myanmar has built a federal system based on both ethnicity and geography, which shares slight similarities with India's federal model.
