YANGON (BIV) — Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has not released an official update on its weekly cabinet meetings for more than nine months, raising questions about its transparency during a critical phase of the country’s anti-junta resistance.
The NUG’s last public cabinet statement was issued on July 29, 2025, detailing its 19th weekly meeting of that year. Since then, the shadow government—which used to publish near-weekly accounts of its high-level briefings—has completely halted updates regarding its regular cabinet sessions throughout 2026.
When pressed by BIV on whether the lack of updates meant the meetings had stopped or if the administration had simply withheld information, NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt insisted that government operations remain on track.
“Our cabinet meetings are being held regularly every week,” Nay Phone Latt told BIV. “Lately, we have been conducting not only online meetings but also meetings on the ground. Beyond just cabinet sessions, we are continuously engaged in field and online meetings with various federal units and the SCEF.”
The spokesperson, however, declined to comment on why the shadow government has significantly reduced its public reporting on these weekly gatherings.
Shift in Public Focus
Prior to the blackout, the NUG’s weekly press releases served as a key window into its administration, detailing ministerial activities and highlighting speeches by the Acting President and the Prime Minister regarding the ongoing revolution.
Formed on April 16, 2021, under the Federal Democracy Charter just over two months after the military coup, the NUG relied heavily on its official Facebook page to telegraph its progress to the public. However, that stream of information began drying up in mid-2025 and has completely stopped this year.
Despite the silence on internal cabinet meetings, the NUG has shifted its public communications toward collaborative efforts with ethnic revolutionary organizations.
On Thursday, May 21, the NUG released photos showing Union Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann meeting with cabinet members to discuss operational progress under the newly formed Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF).
The Rise of the SCEF
The SCEF was officially launched on March 30, 2026—marking over five years since the military coup. The council represents a major coalition that bridges the NUG with powerful ethnic armed organizations, including the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO/KIA), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF), and Karenni representative groups.
While the NUG has actively publicized SCEF developments since March, the complete halt of its independent weekly cabinet updates continues to contrast sharply with its early years of high-volume public diplomacy.
