26 May 2026 By Mon Lay / MPA
The chief of Myanmar’s military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, stated that any future federal system for the country would be based strictly on geographic territories rather than ethnic identity. He made the remarks during a meeting of the military-backed union cabinet today.
Addressing the assembly, Min Aung Hlaing asserted that his administration remains committed to establishing a robust multi-party democratic system and building a union founded on democracy and federalism. However, he emphasized that “federalism” in this context refers to territory-based demarcations, noting that officials must understand it does not grant federal autonomy along ethnic lines.
Regarding the country’s ongoing internal conflicts, the junta chief claimed that his administration had extended peace talks within its first 100 days of taking power. He stated that the military is currently maintaining lower-level contact with several Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs). Min Aung Hlaing also blamed the People’s Defence Forces (PDFs)—the anti-junta armed resistance—alleging they chose the path of armed struggle because they refused to accept political outcomes linked to alleged irregularities in the 2020 general election.
Furthermore, the general accused foreign nations of utilizing various methods to financially support and manipulate political parties that align with external interests. He claimed that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) had systematically intervened in Myanmar’s internal sovereign affairs.
Political analysts have strongly countered the junta leader’s rhetoric. “Min Aung Hlaing’s definition of federalism completely ignores the decades-long demands of ethnic nationalities for equality and self-determination,” a political analyst told MPA. “This is an explicit declaration that the military intends to perpetuate a centralized, military-dominated system akin to the 2008 Constitution. His claim that election fraud birthed the PDFs is a distortion of history; the armed resistance emerged only after the military staged an illegal coup and brutally killed peaceful demonstrators.”
During the cabinet session, Min Aung Hlaing also addressed domestic economic strains, lamenting a growing labor shortage driven by large numbers of young people leaving the country to work abroad.
Turning to education, he stated that the state must enforce a compulsory education policy up to the “KG+9” level (lower secondary education) and ensure all schools remain operational, arguing that supporting education is the key to creating rural employment opportunities.
Junta policies, however, have drawn sharp condemnation from domestic civil society groups. “He complains about labor shortages caused by youth leaving the country, but ignores who caused it,” a local activist remarked. “It is the junta’s illegal coup and the enforcement of the conscription law that forced young people to flee because they can no longer live safely within the country. While schools on the ground are being destroyed by military airstrikes, the leadership targets propaganda about compulsory education on paper.”
The military junta currently faces deep international isolation and severe diplomatic exclusion. Observers and military analysts view the regime’s ongoing campaign of airstrikes against civilian populations and rural villages as a desperate bid to maintain authority amidst territorial losses.
Analysts conclude that Min Aung Hlaing’s latest speech is a calculated attempt to mask severe battlefield setbacks, a collapsing economy, and a deepening political crisis. Both independent commentators and activists have dismissed the cabinet address as an empty, rhetorical exercise disconnected from the stark realities on the ground in Myanmar.
Editor: Ko San
