Myanmar’s Quest for a Federal and Democratic Future: Considerations, Constraints and Compromises

By Su Mon Thazin Aung

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Political stakeholders tend to view the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) as key towards achieving a parallel governance system in the medium term, and as part of a solid foundation for a long-term federal democratic solution to Myanmar’s problems.

• The strong commitment shown by the NUCC stakeholders has allowed for compromises and incremental and workable solutions and for it to function as a unifying force to challenge the military.

• In principle, a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of Federal Democratic Charter I and II show that the NUCC has been able to reach a consensus in support of ethnic minorities’ struggle for equality and over identity issues.

• However, the sequencing problem in the NUCC stakeholder dialogue including the formation of NUG before the completion of FDC Part II, and the lack of clarity on the check-and-balance function of the NUCC, worry some stakeholders where the CRPH’s and NUG’s priorities are concerned.

• Going forward, stakeholders’ continuous strong commitment in the fight against the military, in building a solid foundation for a federal and democratic union, and in making incremental compromises would make political coalition long-lasting.

* Su Mon Thazin Aung is Associate Fellow with the Myanmar Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. She also works as Director of Capacity-Building at the Institute for Strategy and Policy- Myanmar, an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental think tank in Myanmar.

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