Myanmar Spring Chronicle – Scenes from June 7
(MoeMaKa), June 8, 2026
The National Unity Government’s Education Policy and the Problem of Interim Governance
Recently, the People’s Administration Team (Pa-Ah-Pha) of Pale Township in Sagaing Region issued an order directed at local residents of Pale Township whose children are enrolled in schools located in towns and areas under military control. The order stated that parents must withdraw their children from schools operating under the military junta within approximately one month and re-enroll them in interim education schools under the National Unity Government (NUG). It further declared that if they failed to do so, students studying in junta-controlled schools would not be allowed to return to revolutionary-controlled areas until the revolution is over.
The stated reason for issuing this order was to prevent breaches of security affecting revolutionary civilians. However, no explanation was provided as to how security had been compromised, what connection existed between such security breaches and students attending schools in military-controlled areas, or whether there were any concrete examples or incidents supporting the claim.
The contents of the order have already been reported by various news outlets, and many people have voiced criticism and condemnation. One revolutionary armed group in Sagaing Region publicly opposed the directive, issuing a statement rejecting any measure that restricts the right to education and freedom of learning.
A spokesperson for the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) was also quoted in a news report criticizing the directive, saying that it was no different from the practices of the military regime itself.
The order issued by the Pale People’s Administration Team has raised important questions: Is it consistent with the policies of the National Unity Government? Is it in line with the position and policies of the Sagaing Interim Federal Unit Government? Yet, the responsible authorities have not publicly commented on, guided, or addressed the order concerning education issued by the Pale administration. It also raises the question of whether a township-level People’s Administration Team has the authority to issue directives that could affect national education policy, potentially overriding either the Federal Unit Government or even the National Unity Government itself.
During the interim or revolutionary period, it is understandable that township administrations or state/federal-unit administrations issue governance orders based on practical necessities and delegated authority. However, it is questionable for a township-level body to issue directives that may undermine nationally established policies or potentially infringe upon human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Dictating which government’s education people may or may not receive reflects a misunderstanding of the fundamental purpose of education itself. Moreover, restricting access to education based on vaguely defined concerns about “the security of revolutionary civilians” amounts to an excessive exercise of authority, imposes unnecessary boundaries, and risks deepening divisions among the public.
The National Unity Government should provide a clear public explanation regarding such matters. Specifically, it should clarify two issues: the scope of authority granted to township-level administrative bodies and the government’s official policy position on the matter.
Under interim governance arrangements, problems related to administration, judicial processes, tax collection, and the allocation of public funds frequently appear in media reports. Issues such as abuse of power, taxation practices, excessive extraction of natural resources, and the fair distribution of revenues generated from those resources have repeatedly emerged.
In some areas, excessive logging has reportedly taken place in protected forest zones, with timber being transported through both revolutionary-controlled and military-controlled territories before being exported to neighboring countries. Environmental damage caused by excessive extraction of gold, minerals, and other resources has occurred in certain ethnic areas as well as in territories controlled by People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) under the NUG. In some regions, even more serious incidents involving the transportation and sale of narcotics have reportedly occurred in recent years.
For these reasons, the National Unity Government needs strong policies and robust procedures to supervise and regulate such situations. The public expects that weaknesses, misconduct, policy violations, and governance problems will be addressed swiftly and effectively whenever they arise.
People may understand to some extent that an interim government cannot operate in the same manner as a fully established government under normal conditions. Nevertheless, incidents such as the directive issued by the Pale Township People’s Administration Team have the potential to damage the credibility and reputation of the government itself.
At present, it remains unclear whether the Pale People’s Administration Team will continue implementing the directive as issued or whether it will simply allow the order to remain on paper without enforcing it in practice.