Sagaing Forum

The Sagaing Forum was formed with the aim of building a regional consultative council or grouping that can coordinate, discuss and make decisions among the political and revolutionary organizations in Sagaing Region taking part in the Spring Revolution, in order to end dictatorship, achieve self-determination and self-government, and bring about a federal system.  

The first Sagaing Forum was held on May 30 and 31, 2023, with 173 organizations from 28 townships in the region and 31 observers, and 30 partner organizations sent messages. The forum discussed four main sectors: political, military, local administration and general.

In Letter No. (1/2023) (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/photos/a.107591525689388/107968565651684/), the first Sagaing Forum announced that, in line with the Federal Democracy Charter, it had discussed as urgent regional-level political next steps (a) bringing about regional-level transitional arrangements, (b) drafting regional-level self-determination policies, (c) mutual checks between administrative and military bodies in the region, and (d) strengthening and uniting local defence forces, and that details would be sent only to leaders and groups from the regions that attended.

On June 1, in Letter No. 2/2023, it announced the forum's six spokespersons; the forum operates with five working groups.   https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid02M9RCQSPuUAyoZWiLCcyicYEVtAYf5qTo1WasX3EH9RhVw7wbiVdabco3aKPbHswDl

The forum faced criticism that it aimed to set up a rival to the National Unity Government (NUG), or to establish a separate army or organization. Although the members of the Forum Formation Group have not been officially announced, the NUG Ministry of Defence (MoD) temporarily expelled Ko Nway Oo (Myaung), who was said to be part of the group. The forum's spokesperson group responded to the criticism through the media.

On July 1, 2023, marking one month since the forum, it announced in Letter No. (4/2023) that during the month it had met revolutionary forces and groups inside and outside the country to gather recommendations, and was working to bring together broader forces for discussion at a second Sagaing Forum (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=130872623363662&set=a.130818703369054).

On July 11, it announced that, through meetings and organizing, it had formed the Sagaing Forum, Sagaing People's Mutual Aid Network (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094422409494&mibextid=ZbWKwL). The network was formed after 27 relief groups for displaced people in Sagaing met and set policies, and it announced that it would work in connection with the NUG. After this announcement, the NUG Union Prime Minister's Office invited the Sagaing Forum Formation Group to attend the 76th Martyrs' Day ceremony on July 19.

Besides meetings for the second forum, on July 25 the forum issued an appeal (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid02J79pZLFf5bLfmiowPUnXAhexAoWstP84j8xWZGqXpEofEG5jRKk2HttBHr58mnYfl)  regarding the terrorist junta's issuing of 20,000-kyat notes, saying it regards this as economically oppressing, attacking and killing the people, and urging people across the country not to use them and to oppose them as one.

The Forum Formation Group met forces inside and outside the region to discuss the difficulties, weaknesses and challenges of the first forum, next steps and future political aspirations.

On August 6, it met the NUG MoD and explained its compiled positions on the military sector, and announced (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid02ZLt4DKZwSzFAnFygCDvXnkDYSEJbZ9kMT7qcHpbbMSNDbHL1WxwJb7RAYiqyaiukl) that they agreed on processes for practical cooperation toward a single Chain of Command (CoC) in the revolution.

On September 1, it sent the first forum's three-month report to the ground organizations that attended the forum, and on October 30 it announced (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid0wbCXX4fKZtEqAH7qUbGowC67fJHMZ274unG4h3ZijZSySFUYs2ZTk9aNxTt32UtVl) that it welcomed Operation "10:27", jointly carried out by the three Northern Alliance ethnic brothers, and that revolutionary groups in Sagaing Region would also carry out coordinated movements.

On November 1, it held a full meeting of the Sagaing Forum Formation Group, the forum working committee and the political, military, displaced-people relief and ethnic affairs working groups, and announced (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=208268402290750&set=pcb.208268465624077) that it was arranging to hold a second forum so that a good political grouping for the region would emerge through a more diverse and inclusive meeting. For the second forum, it continued meeting forces inside and outside the region to gather views and advice from various fields, and also met the Committee Representing Sagaing Region Hluttaw, the secretariat of the NUG Federal and State Coordination Commission (FSCC), the Mon Federal Council, the Karenni State Consultative Council and the Ayeyarwady Federal Council.

On November 11, 2023, the forum issued "Announcement on the Ongoing Developments of the Sagaing Revolution" (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=213842038400053&set=pcb.213842158400041). The statement said that, in a coordinated operation with "10:27" in Sagaing Region, NUG MoD Military Region (1) command, allied forces, PDF battalions, People's Defence Teams (PaKaFa) and local defence forces (Local PDFs) launched simultaneous offensives and took full control of Kawlin and Khampat; that political progress is also especially needed during region-wide coordinated operations (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=213842038400053&set=pcb.213842158400041); and it urged regional forces to listen to and accept each other's diversity in line with public will and to work together.

On November 18, the Forum Formation Group issued its position (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=217641708020086&set=pcb.217641758020081) on the fourth regular session of the Sagaing Region Hluttaw approving and enacting the law on preparations for drafting the Sagaing Federal Unit interim constitution.

The statement urged (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=217641741353416&set=a.112902181827373) that preparing to draft an interim arrangement is a matter of making the region (or state) a federal unit, and that the process of building the grouping, such as drafting laws and a roadmap, should continue only after the political negotiation process among revolutionary forces in the region has first been carried out broadly to reach mutual understanding; and that transparent processes with equal participation, consistent with the revolution's realities on the ground, should be adopted.

After this, on November 22, the Forum Formation Group met the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) and discussed preparations relating to the federal unit. On the same day, together with 107 revolutionary forces in the region, it issued a joint statement (https://scontent.frgn2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/404390520_220067074444216_8544554689569805520_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=hqP5RIPkk70AX8eclr0&_nc_ht=scontent.frgn2-1.fna&cb_e2o_trans=t&oh=00_AfBFoP2U8ls7HJicIRqfBQUhNzHChBGS5vEd31KqlDkGdg&oe=65D657B3) saying that the law unilaterally enacted by the Committee Representing Sagaing Hluttaw (CRSH) lacked the will of the region's revolutionary forces and so had only created more difficulties for building trust on the ground, and that, under the Federal Democracy Charter (FDC), it should be negotiated in the NUCC and an understanding reached only after coordinating with the FSCC formed by the NUG.

Beyond political activities, the Sagaing Forum Formation Group's military working group also ran basic military strategy courses, such as security, urban guerrilla warfare, internal infiltration and mass mobilization, for armed revolutionary forces in the region and friendly revolutionary forces from inside and outside the region.  (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid02A4VqqLGgACn3ZLTJiQpAeUQTBqmrMHTPc4yq3b7wpC6G1DCcy59wqTAqcDnVurzwl)

On December 20, it issued a further statement, "Sagaing Forum's Position on Partner Conflicts in Sagaing Region" (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid02rouy7GVP1Dnq5QNtB5QaGfyCMqxPB4UTk51c6hLWB19pG7gaqp8tMmzLXiC8AJpSl)  . The statement noted conflicts among armed forces in the region fighting the terrorist junta, highlighted that they must be resolved with greater magnanimity and tolerance, and urged quick resolution through political, round-table means. It further recommended that a region-level federal council must be built to resolve similar problems and partner conflicts that may arise in future.

On January 1, 2024, it announced (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=243653328752257&set=pcb.243653388752251) that the second Sagaing Forum would be discussed in five groups, "the political sector group, the military sector group, the displaced-people relief sector group, the minority ethnic sector group, and the 2020-elected group", aiming to create a revolutionary shift in the region.

Then, the second Sagaing Forum was held from January 3 to 5, attended by 164 revolutionary forces from within the region and 45 representatives of partner forces from outside, with some 2020-elected representatives taking part only as observers. In Letter No. (1/2024) (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=246075578510032&set=pcb.246075628510027), it announced that, implementing the political goal from the first forum's compiled positions of bringing about a regional grouping of the region's political and revolutionary forces, it had approved the framework for forming the "Sagaing Federal Council (Forerunner)" with amendments and recommendations. The statement said the second forum formed and assigned the council (Forerunner) with 35 representatives from five groups, and that the 2020-elected group was not yet able to take part for now.

On February 1, marking three years since the terrorist junta's illegitimate coup, it issued a position stating (https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum/posts/pfbid02vkpRU4Qzs9We4sNR8uLSQjng2PRA9r2i32BhygoD1TkXpbfWfDgYCZDx9DNN2foXl)  that, while revolutionary forces hold the military advantage in Sagaing, groups in some areas are divided and finding it hard to unite, so they have not grown as strong as they should; that a political vacuum is emerging along with some political friction; that an inclusive political force is therefore especially needed, making it ever clearer that the people of Sagaing must shape their own region's destiny; and that efforts must be made together to increase practical engagement toward a common political agreement in the region, building from political unity to military unity.

References

https://www.facebook.com/sagaingforum