Sagaing, June (3)
The revolutionary forces fighting against the violence and crackdown of the military dictatorship held the first Sagaing Forum on the 30th and 31st of May.
The Sagaing Forum, which was held online, was attended by more than 170 revolutionary forces based in 28 townships in Sagaing Region and 31 observers.
The Sagaing Forum announced on June 1 that the various revolutionary organizations discussed political, military, local administration, and general aspects at the forum, finding solutions and gathering opinions.
Among them, they commented on strengthening regional defense groups, including the emergence of interim measures at the regional level, development of policy on self-determination, and mutual restraint between the administration and the military.
“The Sagaing Forum focused on developing plans in advance for Sagaing Region to provide information consistent with the federal government rather than establishing a federal unit,” Ko Lwan Thu, the spokesperson for the Sagaing Forum, told Than Lwin Times.
Following the military coup, due to the violence and torture of the army, the resistance forces took up hand-made guns, and nowadays the PDFs are armed with advanced weapons and are brazenly attacking the military council. In addition, the military council is committing arson attacks, destruction of homes, mass killings, and airstrikes.
According to data from the Nyan Lin Thit Research Group, there have been 295 airstrikes in Sagaing during the two years since the coup, which is the second highest number nationwide.
On the other hand, there are a large number of armed local resistance forces in Sagaing, and there are misunderstandings between their groups, accusations, arrests, and territorial issues for tax collection.
U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, said, “The Sagaing Forum is the first step in strengthening all the revolutionary forces in Sagaing through training.”
Therefore, from that step, if the change of common, the organization of battalions and troops, and the equipment are better, I hope that Sagaing will soon have a great united force that can face the military council,” he said.
Before and after the Sagaing Forum, more than 30 ethnic armed organizations and revolutionary partner forces sent messages that included expressions regarding Sagaing as a federal unit.
The Karen National Union (KNU), which has been involved in most of the armed clashes with the military council, said in a statement that it hopes that Sagaing can be formed as a federal unit.
In addition, the Burman People’s Liberation Army (BPLA) that emerged during the Spring Revolution, said that the Sagaing Forum was a good step towards building an equal federal union.
Speaking at the Sagaing Forum, Ko Lwan Thu said, “Recently, all the revolutionary groups in Sagaing Region need to be controlled through political means in order to unite politically and militarily.
The Sagaing Forum seeks to establish a regional consultative council in order to eliminate all authoritarian systems, promote self-determination and self-governance, and coordinate efforts across regional organizations.
In order to hold the second Sagaing Forum as soon as possible, the details of the current discussion will be sent to the leaders of the groups, and efforts will be made to have other forces participate in the forum, according to the forum organizing team.
News – Than Lwin Times
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