Two resistance groups representing Myanmar’s ethnic Bamar (Myanmar) majority have agreed to join the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF).
The SCEF is a major anti-junta coalition that unites the country's opposition shadow National Unity Government (NUG) with powerful allied ethnic armed organizations (EAOs).
In recent days, the SCEF held separate online meetings with representatives from the Mandalay Region and the interim Sagaing Federal Unit—both located in Myanmar's central heartland.
During these second-round discussions, the SCEF outlined its organizational structure, operational framework, and membership proposals.
Following a meeting on August 14, the Mandalay Region formally agreed to join the coalition.
The SCEF also confirmed it received an official response from the Sagaing Federal Unit agreeing to membership, following successful talks earlier in the week to iron out unresolved details.
The SCEF was established on March 30 of this year by the NUG, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH—a body of ousted lawmakers), and four major ethnic armed groups: the Karen National Union (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).
With the integration of the Sagaing and Mandalay units, the coalition's core membership is expected to grow to eight organizations.
The coalition is actively seeking to broaden its network further.
In July, the SCEF initiated preliminary discussions with the Arakan Army (AA), Mon and Pa-O ethnic armed groups, the Spring Revolution Alliance (SRA), and other resistance factions.
Nai Mon Sai, chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Mon State Federal Council (MSFC), told Than Lwin Times that Mon State resistance groups are actively coordinating among themselves to join the SCEF as a unified representative body.
The coalition has also solidified its leadership. During an August 7 meeting of the SCEF’s Strategic and Policy Leadership Group, two co-chairs, one secretary, and two joint secretaries were elected.
The KIO and KNU will co-chair the council, with the NUG serving as secretary.
In tandem with political consolidation, the resistance is shifting its military strategy. During an August meeting of senior commanders from the People’s Defence Force (PDF)—the armed wing of the NUG—plans were formalized for the PDF to take a strategic role in the SCEF’s Military Strategy Coordination and Command Committee.
Commanders are drawing up comprehensive plans to collaborate with allied ethnic armies across various military regions, marking a formal transition from "people’s defensive resistance warfare" to a "strategic offensive."
The overarching goal of the SCEF, announced in mid-July, is to end military junta rule, address the root causes of Myanmar's decades-long conflicts, and navigate a political transition toward a fully federal democratic union.
The KNPP, a founding member, recently emphasized in a public statement that strengthening trust and cooperation among all resistance forces remains the critical foundation for the revolution's success.
