What can we expect from the 3rd People’s Assembly?

The People's Assembly

The People’s Assembly is led by the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) under the Federal Democratic Charter, a constitutional document in the revolutionary period. The People's Assembly has been held twice during the revolution, and the first People's Assembly was held from January 27th to 29th 2022, and the second People's Assembly will be held for 5 days from April 4th to 9th, 2024. According to the agreement, the conference is to be held once every (6) months, but it was only after more than (2) years that the second People's Assembly was held. The Second People's People confirmed again that the conference will be held once every six months, so the Third People's Conference will likely be held soon.

The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) was established with the initial organizing on March 8th, 2021. NUCC released the Federal Democracy Charter Part (1) and Part (2) on March 31, 2021, and formed the National Unity Government (NUG) on April 16, 2021. Then, it is stated that to reflect the revolutionary goal of the entire people, the revision process of the charter will be started on May 24, 2021, and the People's Assembly will approve it.

The First People’s Assembly

At the first People's Assembly, there were a total of 388 participants, and there were eight decisions, the ratification of the Federal Democracy Charter Part (1) and (2), the formation of NUCC with 33 organizations, the reaffirmation of NUG, the adaptation of NUCC and NUG reports, and the review and revision of the Terms of Reference and the procedures between NUCC and NUG were included in the decisions.

The NUCC stated on October 2022 that the second People’s Assembly which to be held every six months, could not be held in July 2022 due to the need to review to strengthen the effectiveness of the Spring Revolution according to the political developments. The status of the People’s Assembly decision to review the ToR and procedure between NUCC and NUG was also not mentioned.

On February 1, 2024, at the Townhall Meeting for the 3rd Anniversary of the Spring Revolution, NUCC revealed that the 2nd People’s Assembly was scheduled to be held on March 2024, however, NUCC has announced that it was postponed again in order to have enough time to carry out the preliminary negotiations and preparation and rescheduled the People’s Assembly to April 4, 5, and 6, 2024.

The Second People’s Assembly

It was stated that the second People's Assembly was held for 5 days from April 4th to 9th, and 204 delegates of the Assembly, 104 special invitees, and 128 observers attended. The local administration, the law enforcement issues, the conscription law of the terrorist military regime, and the abolition of the Myanmar Citizenship Law (1982) were discussed and approved. In addition, it was reaffirmed that the People's Assembly will be held once every 6 months. It also released a record of 21 proposals and recommendations of the assembly.

In addition, CRPH and NUG were not present on the last day of the assembly, and at the press conference held on April 11 after the People’s Assembly, the NUCC council members were criticized by the public because of the tense conversations between them.

On September 27, 2024, the NUCC issued an appeal to the public that the 2nd Town Hall Meeting could not be held even though it made every effort to hold it in July or August 2024, just before the 3rd People’s Assembly.

The Third People’s Assembly

October 2024 is the time for the 3rd People’s Assembly to be held as per the decision to hold it once every six months, but the date of the People’s Assembly has not been announced yet.

If there is a third People’s Assembly in the near future, the previous assembly, in particular, it is expected that the implementation of the decisions of the 2nd People’s Assembly will be reviewed.

There may be a round of reviews of local administration, defense and security issues (Three “Pas” Mechanism), and the abolition of the citizenship law, and the previous proposals and recommendations may also be included as proposals in the third People’s Assembly. There may also be a round of proposals for the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and sexual violence, taxation matters in the revolutionary period, policy formulation and implementation of Rohingya people, and the strengthening of fiscal accountability.

Similarly, according to the political developments of the revolution, it is expected that the Bottom-Up Federalism issue, the transitional Constitution issue, the arrangement issue, and the efforts to reach a common political agreement which was announced by NUCC and NUG and also included in the proposal of the second People’s Assembly, can be discussed. Moreover, the new proposal such as the military achievements and advantages, the external pressures, the ground operations facing more pressures, the preparation of the military regime for the Sham election along with the fake census, may still emerge.

Although the date and agenda of the third People’s Assembly have not been announced yet, as the time for the assembly is approaching, the third People’s Assembly is a situation that should be monitored during this period.