30 March 2026 — The Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF) announced its formation in a statement released on 30 March.
The new move signals a significant step towards unifying the anti-junta resistance efforts that have intensified across the country since the February 2021 military coup.
The event was attended by senior leaders and representatives from key political and armed resistance groups, including the National Unity Government (NUG), Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), Karen National Union (KNU), Chin National Front (CNF), Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH).
These organizations represent a broad coalition of the pro-democracy movement and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) who are fighting the military junta, known as the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC).
The council was established to lead and coordinate political, military, and institutional efforts during the current revolutionary period. Its formation comes as the resistance movement gains ground and seeks to transition from a disparate collection of groups into a more unified governing body to manage the revolution and plan for a post-military future.
SCEF is structured around three main groups: representatives of States and Federal Units, including Ethnic Revolutionary Organisations (EROs); representatives of the public; and representatives of women.
The composition is intended to reflect the diversity of the resistance and ensure that ethnic voices and civil society have a central role in the decision-making process, addressing historical grievances over centralization of power.
The council stated that its main goal is to end all forms of dictatorship, including military rule, and to support the establishment of a federal democratic system. It also aims to protect the rights of ethnic nationalities and ensure equality and self-determination in a future federal union.
This core mission is a direct rejection of the military’s long-held concept of a centralized, military-dominated state and aligns with the aspirations of ethnic minorities for genuine federalism.
SCEF outlined key political objectives, including ending military involvement in politics, abolishing the 2008 Constitution, drafting a new federal constitution, and establishing a system of transitional justice.
The 2008 Constitution, drafted under previous military rule, guarantees the military a quarter of parliamentary seats and control over key ministries, a structure the resistance views as fundamentally undemocratic and the root of the country’s political crisis.
The council said it will adopt a collective leadership approach, ensuring representation from ethnic groups, democratic forces, women, and the public. – Reporting by Ben
