The construction of a federal army was first envisioned by the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC). It was to be an ethnic revolutionary force that would have been built between 2011-2018.
Proponents of the concept were the UNFC leaders attending a Peace Conference. However, the military did not accept the concept.
Now political analysts agree that in the new era of a military coup, a strong revolutionary army is needed. The current situation calls for the total abolition of the military dictatorship. The idea of building a Revolutionary Army or also known as a Federal Army is finding new support.
Burmese political analysts say that a coalition of all those who oppose a military dictatorship should be formed to advance the current revolution. The proponents of this concept argue that it is necessary for both ethnic revolutionary and national revolutionary organizations to cooperate now.
Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a Burmese political analyst, said, “… Burma’s troubles are rooted in this military dictatorship. Without this military dictatorship, our country would be peaceful. The people of the country should be peaceful and calm. That’s why we need to form a coalition of people who don’t like this military dictatorship and continue this revolution systematically. Only then will we win the revolution.”
Currently, along with efforts to overthrow the State Administrative Council’s (SAC) military forces, ethnic armed groups and the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) are preparing to form a federal army.
However, there is no general coordination taking place between the National Unity Government, its subsidiary PDF and Local Defense Forces.
According to U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst in Myanmar, a federal army that can fight against the military council forces, while also uniting revolutionary forces using one voice is badly needed.
“Whether we all agree or disagree with each other, but today is the time to cooperate with each other in unity, we urge you to understand and work together with NUG. There, as NUG, we urge you to build unity without trying to be recognized as the leading force of the entire Spring Revolution. At this time, it is mainly a matter of trying to establish a federal army that can be widely assembled to attack the military council’s security forces, and that can exercise a unified command.” Said U Than Soe Naing.
According to the Arakan politician U Pe Than, the construction of the federal army is still a long way off, and he believes that the currently scattered PDFs should be gathered first.
“I don’t think it’s easy to talk with many leaders without a leader. So, will they try to unite under the NUG, or will all the PDFs build unity among themselves and establish an army? Leaving politics aside, will they cooperate militarily? If there are many PDFs like this, local PDFs can first try to unite as a single group, then we will be able to say the words federal army. At present, when such scattered forces are not unified, let alone at the federal level, we will not become an unified group. Even in the matter of fighting against the military council, we still cannot decide how to fight, what kind of military strategy to employ. In My opinion, this will take a lot of consolidation,” said U Pe Than.
Shortly after February 1, 2021, the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and the Local Defense Forces (LDF) emerged, fighting with a strategy of village-based stealth warfare. More than 300 battalions of the People’s Defense Forces were quickly formed by the NUG Ministry of Defense.
Defense Minister U Yi Mon urged these fighting forces to root out the military dictatorship during the 2nd anniversary ceremony of the establishment of the People’s Defense Forces.
Armed conflicts between the military council and revolutionary forces are taking place all over the country, and with the support of ethnic-based revolutionary organizations. The attacks made by the People’s Defense Forces have also significantly improved over time.
