THE SOVEREIGN CHOICE: From Stalemate to Federal Renewal in Myanmar

Sai Wansai

A highly anticipated meeting between the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) and the Steering Committee for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF) finally took place, sparking excitement among the Myanmar public. In the days leading up to the July 23, 2026 meeting, the SCEF had also held separate talks with the Pa-O and Mon resistance forces, the Spring Revolution Alliance (SRA)—an alliance of armed groups formed during the Spring Revolution—and the federal unit parliaments and governments of Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay regions. In total, the SCEF reportedly met with eleven organizations in just eight days.