Khaing Pyi Soe, General Secretary of the Arakan National Party (ANP) believes that building a federal union is not possible amid the current political crisis in the country. He made the comment in Naypyidaw on January 20, where the National Unity and Peace Coordination Committee (NSPNC) met with nine political parties to discuss establishing a federal union within five years. The discussions included making advances via the National Ceasefire Agreement and the framework for the peace talks.
“I think we should start with what is possible, instead of saying the wrong thing at a time when the political crisis is very intense. There are many other people in Myanmar like the powerful Aung San Suu Kyi to consider. I think the only way to find a better future is to consult with all these ethnic leaders, ” said Khaing Pyi Soe.
He added that the current conflict can only be resolved peacefully.
According to Colonel Khun Okka, one of the leaders of an ethnic armed group, suggested that the establishment of a federal union needed to be carried out, not by word of mouth , but by a federal system that satisfies all.
“What I see is that it is good to have both word of mouth and good practices. It is a project that needs to be undertaken with practical steps. Making a commitment and promise is a good thing. But we need to keep learning how to go about it. We can join in and advise on our construction process. This is called federal designing. What federalism will look like is a federal system that everyone is satisfied with,” said Colonel Khun Okka.
He added that if the military promises to establish a federal union, it welcomes the military’s commitment to a federal system. However, it is important to note that federalism can not be a sham.
From 2010 to 2021, whether it was during the time of Thein Sein, the quasi-civilian government, or under the NLD government, the Colonel noted that we have tried to build a federal union by holding multi-party and multi-sectoral talks.
However, Sai Leik, General Secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) pointed out that no agreement was ever reached during this time frame for the establishment of a federal union.
He said that “even at such a time when all parties are working together, the political aspirations of some groups have not been on the right track. In such a situation as today, I do not believe that a federal union can be achieved with just a few political parties.”.
He added that without the collective bargaining power of the civilian government, there can be no way for federalism to emerge.
