Myanmar Spring Chronicle – Scenes from May 27
(MoeMaKa), May 29, 2026
SRF Student Revolutionary Force and NUG Reach an Agreement
SRF Student Revolutionary Force and NUG Reach an Agreement
A few days after arrests and disputes occurred between the Minkin Township People’s Administration Team (Pa Ah Pha), the People’s Defense Team (Pa Ka Pha), and the Student Revolutionary Force (SRF), which is active in Minkin Township, the parties met and held discussions, reaching an agreement. This was announced in a joint statement issued on May 28 by the Minkin Township People’s Administration Team and SRF.
Some news reports carried headlines claiming that SRF had agreed to come under the National Unity Government (NUG), while another report stated that SRF had agreed to operate under the NUG’s Chain of Command (COC). However, the final paragraph of the joint statement merely states that SRF recognizes and accepts the National Unity Government as the legitimate national government and will continue cooperating in revolutionary activities within Minkin Township.
Among the three points of agreement contained in the statement, the third point specifies that SRF members who have not committed crimes may continue participating in the revolution under the NUG government’s Chain of Command (COC).
Based on the wording of the statement, there is no indication that SRF must be dissolved. Rather, it only states that revolutionary activities will continue under the NUG’s Chain of Command. This suggests that SRF is likely to continue operating within Minkin Township.
In statements released by both sides in recent days, the NUG side alleged that some SRF members had committed offenses, including recruiting individuals under the age of 18, detaining civilians, and carrying out independent judicial proceedings. It was also stated that at least eight complaints related to such activities had been received.
The justification cited by NUG-affiliated People’s Administration and People’s Defense organizations for taking action over such alleged offenses resembles arguments previously made in the case involving Bo Naga, who led the BNRA force and later became embroiled in disputes with NUG-affiliated local administrative and defense bodies.
SRF’s practice of administering justice within territories under its control is not unusual in Myanmar. Revolutionary armed groups, whether PDFs or LPDFs, commonly issue their own directives, enforce their own regulations, and punish offenders within areas under their authority.
Many observers view accusations of criminal conduct or independent judicial practices as merely justifications used in political and administrative conflicts such as the dispute between SRF and the Minkin Pa Ah Pha and Pa Ka Pha. At the same time, there have also been allegations of wrongdoing against some members of NUG-affiliated administrative and defense organizations in certain regions, yet in some cases no effective disciplinary action has been taken.
In the context of ongoing armed conflict, there are numerous controversies regarding judicial systems, existing legal frameworks, and their practical implementation. Consequently, civilians often find themselves living in fear of whichever armed group controls their area.
The dispute between the LPDF force operating in Minkin Township and NUG-affiliated administrative and defense bodies reflects a broader problem seen elsewhere. Such conflicts may arise from disagreements over resource sharing as well as competition over military recruitment.
When such disputes first emerge, it is important for higher-level authorities to intervene quickly and resolve them through political means and organizational negotiation.
If problems are allowed to persist for weeks, criticism, blame, and accusations between the parties tend to escalate. Armed groups may also begin exerting pressure on, or attempting to use, local civilians to strengthen their positions.
Conflicts, tensions, and public disputes among revolutionary armed groups that are fighting against the military dictatorship risk undermining the broader objective of removing authoritarian rule.
As the revolution continues for an extended period, people increasingly hope for an end to their suffering and for liberation from the hardships they endure. Under such circumstances, clashes, shootings, arrests, and, in the worst cases, killings among revolutionary armed groups themselves can shatter public expectations and weaken confidence in the revolutionary movement.