The Chin National Front (CNF), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), along with six other ethnic resistance organizations, declared their support for a federal democratic union of Myanmar on Thursday.

This statement followed several meetings, which included the Women’s League of Burma (WLB) and representatives from the Mon, Pa-O, and Ta’ang ethnic nationalities. All have signed a statement vowing to work together to establish federalism from the bottom up, rather than from the top down, in Myanmar.

“Through these consultations, the nine organizations have reached a consensus and outlined a work plan to implement the ‘bottom-up federalism approach’ in pursuance of a strong federal democratic union through strengthened state-level structures,” said the statement released on Sept. 19. 

It also declared that states and federal units will be the “ultimate owners” of sovereignty in a future federal democratic country. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) published its own statement distancing itself from Myanmar’s civilian-led National Unity Government (NUG).