Karenni State was the first state or region in Myanmar to establish a provisional government, known as the Interim Executive Council (IEC), in its efforts to establish federalism from the bottom-up. 

Over the last two years, the IEC has been an example for the rest of the anti-2021 coup resistance movement in Myanmar by setting up a functioning governance structure. 

DVB freelance reporter Kunikazu Arai sat down with Khun Bedu in Karenni State in January to discuss how the IEC is achieving its federalism and what to expect next.

DVB: It has been four years since the uprising to the 2021 military coup began, could you explain what challenges are being faced in Karenni State?

Karenni is the smallest state in Myanmar. It includes Kayah state (on Myanmar maps) and Pekon (Township of southern Shan State). 

Out of a population of approximately 500,000, the number of displaced people ranges from about 150,000 to 200,000. People from urban areas are forced to stay in rural areas.

We formed the [Karenni State Consultative Council after the 2021 military coup] which led Karenni for two years. 

In 2023, we decided that the KSCC was not enough and that we needed to form a government, so we organized the [Interim Executive Council]. 

The IEC has approximately 1,000 staff members working on education, health, and humanitarian issues. We plan to have 13 ministries, but so far we have 10. We will soon form a ministry of defense, ministry of youth, and ministry of the environment.

The IEC requires approximately $35 million USD in annual funding. Although we are not able to provide full support, we work with nine hospitals to provide basic medical assistance. We also provide basic education to 40,000 students.

And the IEC commands the army. If the KNDF (Karenni National Defence Force) and the KA (Karenni Army) were combined into a state army, it would have about 20,000 soldiers. 

Then Karenni State could be protected from attacks by the [Burmese] army. 

DVB: How is the Interim Executive Council progressing in federal governance in Karenni State?

We have been able to provide comprehensive assistance to civilians, and they are satisfied with the fact that IEC is able to provide this basic welfare. 

It’s still difficult to measure how much trust we have gotten, but first of all, civilians recognize us and our public support.

In 2026, we will organize an election. Through this election, we will make changes. 

DVB: What are the current challenges in Karenni State?

We have many challenges.

First of all,we need to have territorial control in this state. Therefore, the public can travel and live freely, rebuild their lives from scratch. 

Secondly, we have to rebuild all the infrastructure. Roads and civilian homes have been destroyed, We must use forest roads. We can’t use landlines and the internet as well. 

Finally, and most importantly, the economy must be rebuilt. The most pressing issues are food and medicine. People depend on these every day to consume, so we urgently need support.

Also, the banking system needs to reopen so that the business owners will be able to resume their operations. 

These are all things we want to do. Even though there is still a regime [in Naypyidaw], we need to do what we can to rebuild in areas under our control.  

Human rights are not something that we can withhold, we will give what we can give right now and in the future we will try to give more.

DVB: To what extent do you see the Interim Executive Council as a role model for other states and regions?

In Karenni State, there are many armed forces. In total, there are around seven armed forces. 

There is also the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic parties. These people are fighting for their political beliefs, so when we aggregate all these forces together, the best approach is [federal] democracy. 

Civilians also welcome this system because in addition to the six traditional ethnic groups living in Karenni, there are various ethnic groups such as Burmese, Shan, and Intha.

For example, creating a Kayan or Kayah government for each ethnic group, like the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) administrative system does in Kachin State, will not work [for us]. 

That’s why [federal] democracy became the most suitable for all the ethnicities in Karenni. 

And together with this democracy, we seek funds by collecting taxes. There is transparency to citizens as to where financial resources are used. We would like to share this situation with other ethnicities and civilians.

On the other hand, other states and regions have their own administrative systems. For example, in the Kokang region the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) manages and administers its own way. 

This means that each state and region has a different system. However, most states support and prefer our system of governance and leadership.

The future of Myanmar will be determined by the various ethnic groups. I believe that all states and regions with different styles of governance will accept democracy gradually.

DVB: Is there anything you would like to tell the international community about Myanmar and Karenni State?

There are conflicts in many parts of the world, such as Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, and there are social and economic problems all over the world. 

People pay attention to them and there is a certain balance of power. People don’t say anything about Myanmar, they forget about it. The Rohingya issue is also ignored. People don’t support democracy in Myanmar and our fight for it anymore.

Now, the people of Myanmar have a good chance of winning, and victory is imminent. We are fighting hard and I believe we can build the federal democracy we believe in. 

Currently, other countries can sell arms to the regime [in Naypyidaw]. But nobody has supported the resistance. The civil war is being prolonged and the Myanmar people are facing bombings every day. 

People are dying. If we want to end this quickly, please support us, Myanmar people, our ethnic forces, and the National Unity Government (NUG). This is the most important message I want to convey.

Kunikazu Arai is a Japanese journalist, war photographer, and a member of ASIA PRESS in Japan.

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*This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.