Military and political analysts have welcomed the formation of the Spring Revolution Alliance (SRA) as a significant turning point in the revolutionary movement. The SRA, a coalition of 19 revolutionary groups that emerged after the coup and have demonstrated battlefield success, is widely seen as a force that could accelerate efforts to overthrow the military dictatorship.
The groups involved in the Spring Revolution—the Burma Army (BA), Burma Liberation Democratic Front (BLDF), 96 Soldiers People’s Defense Force (96 Soldiers PDF), Burma People’s Liberation Army (BPLA), Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), Chin Brotherhood (CB), Danu People’s Liberation Army (DPLF), Force for Federal Democracy (FFD), Generation Z Army (GZA), Kalay Revolution Force (KRF), Magway People’s Defense Force (Magway PDF), Mon State Revolutionary Army (MSRF), National Liberation Army (NLA), People’s Independence Army (PIA), Pa-O National Defense Force–Kham Kong (PNDF-KK), Yaw Defense Force (YDF), Sagaing People’s Defense Forces (Sagaing PDF), Student Armed Forces (SAF), and Yaw Army (YA)—agreed to form the SRA together.
Representatives of these groups held a meeting on November 21 and officially announced the formation of the SRA on December 15.
According to an SRA statement, negotiations on forming the alliance began in May 2025. An initial meeting involving 14 resistance groups was held in the first week of November, during which common understandings were reached, laying the groundwork for the alliance’s establishment.
Political analyst and lawyer U Kyee Myint said the creation of the SRA reflects the will of the people and could significantly strengthen the momentum of the revolutionary movement.
“This coalition came together at a time when the people really needed it. After five years of experience, we’ve learned that no single person or group can overthrow the military dictatorship alone. The fact that this alliance has been formally established, and is being put into action, is very encouraging. I truly believe we’ll start seeing victories soon, and the revolution could gain momentum much faster,” he told DMG.
“The Arakan Army (AA) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) are intensifying their efforts, and the Karen National Union (KNU) has also joined the fight against the junta. This kind of alliance, the SRA, comes at a crucial time, especially since pressure on the junta had eased following a ceasefire with two major ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State. Without a coalition like this, the Spring Revolution could have been prolonged for much longer, he added.
U Kyee Myint also stressed that public support remains crucial to the SRA’s success.
In its statement, the SRA said the newly formed alliance will work to establish a clear, effective, and robust command mechanism.
Captain Zin Yaw, a former junta officer who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in which civil servants and security personnel refuse to work for the regime, said the SRA’s accumulated military experience and centralized command structure could pave the way for victory in 2026.
“The revolution will grow stronger now that the forces are united. They’ve announced around 10,000 fighters, roughly equal to 10 combat divisions of the Myanmar military—or about one-third of its total combat strength. Instead of operating separately, they will work under a centralized command system. It will take some time, but we can expect this coalition to achieve success in 2026,” he said.
He added that although revolutionary momentum slowed after Operation 1027, which dealt heavy blows to the junta, the formation of the SRA could inflict further damage on the military regime.
The SRA will be led by a main steering committee, with each member force represented. The committee will be responsible for implementing decisions and overseeing military operations, SRA spokesperson Ko Min Htet Han told BBC Myanmar.
In recent years, ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and Spring Revolution forces have increasingly formed coalitions such as the Three Brotherhood Alliance to fight against the military regime.
photo credit - BPLA
