Myanmar Spring Chronicle – Scenes from May 13
(MoeMaKa), May 14, 2026
Policies and implementation the NUG should review after five years
It has now been a few weeks since the Spring Revolution that emerged after the military coup on February 1, 2021 reached its fifth anniversary. The National Unity Government (NUG) marked its fifth anniversary in April, and the People’s Defense Force (PDF) was also formed five years ago in May.
As the NUG reaches its fifth year and the PDF marks five years since its formation, this can reasonably be seen as a milestone moment to reassess policies and their implementation in governance, military affairs, and other administrative sectors within the country.
Five years after taking up arms with the aim of dismantling the military dictatorship, the PDF and resistance forces have achieved military victories, but have also suffered losses of territory and towns. From a military perspective, the current situation appears to have declined somewhat compared to the peak periods of late 2023 and 2024.
Some ethnic armed organizations are also facing a slight downturn from their peak strength during 2023–2024. In addition to two groups that have agreed to ceasefires, some non-ceasefire groups have also lost parts of the territories they previously controlled.
In his address marking the NUG’s fifth anniversary, Acting President Duwa Lashi La stated:
“Over these five years, we have been able to create successful revolutionary moments, while at the same time continuing to struggle toward success. Along the journey to our ultimate goal, we have also faced various challenges, which I would like to openly acknowledge to the public.”
Regarding those challenges, he added that they stem from “the deeply entrenched system built over decades by the military—using division, control over resources, finances, and power to turn wrong into right.”
The struggle against military dictatorship is not simply about removing a single authoritarian leader, but about transforming an entire system. It has gradually become clear that this is not as easy a task as initially assumed.
The goal is not only to dismantle military dictatorship but to resist all forms of authoritarianism. Achieving systemic change is not something that can necessarily be accomplished within just a few years, and current developments suggest that reality.
During the peak of Operation 1027 and the height of military momentum in recent years—when ethnic armed groups, alongside resistance forces, achieved major successes even in central Myanmar—there may have been a belief within the NUG that victory was near.
However, the military regime managed to regain breathing space amid crisis and has been able to recover from a situation where cities like Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin were under threat.
While fluctuations—gains and losses—are normal in warfare, the military’s ability to survive a critical phase, learn lessons, and address its weaknesses has contributed to its recovery.
Looking back on the five-year effort to dismantle military dictatorship, it is becoming increasingly clear that the revolution is not one that can achieve overnight victory, but rather one that must steadily move forward over time. Resistance forces will need to continue confronting the military regime—led by generals and former generals operating under a civilian facade—across military, political mobilization, and economic fronts.
History shows that revolutions aimed at transforming systems rarely succeed overnight. While it may be relatively easier to remove an individual leader, changing an entire system requires transforming ideas, perspectives, beliefs, and traditions—processes that can take decades or even longer.
Early in the Spring Revolution, some leaders suggested that victory could come within months—two, three, six months, or a year. Such expectations are clearly not applicable to a systemic revolution. While they might apply to removing an individual, building a society based on equality among ethnic groups (federalism), gender equality, non-discrimination, and mutual respect between majority and minority communities cannot be achieved in a short time frame.
Now that these realities are becoming clearer, the NUG should reassess its five-year journey and adopt a longer-term perspective. It needs to engage and communicate not only with people in areas under its control but also those living in territories controlled by the military, taking into account their political positions, views, and beliefs—not just in the short term, but with a long-term vision.
Education and healthcare services must also be approached with long-term planning and strategy. It is no longer sufficient to simply establish policies—there must also be a reassessment of how effectively they are implemented.
In the early stages of the Spring Revolution, education policies and implementation were largely approached from a short-term perspective. Many parents and students believed that the revolution would succeed soon, linking education decisions to expectations of imminent victory.
While such beliefs were understandable, it is now clear that they were not realistic. Therefore, it is time to shift toward long-term policies and practical implementation strategies.
Just as with education, it is now time to reassess healthcare, economic policies, and other sectors with a long-term perspective.