BurmaNet News, February 14, 2007

[Editor]

February 14, 2007 Issue # 3142

INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Myanmar retires 800 military officers in major shake-up
DVB: Court delays mass defamation case
Xinhua: Two more Myanmar ministries invite complaints about malpractice

ON THE BORDER
Narinjara: Burmese Army forms people's militias in border area
Assam tribune: Militancy, drug menace to top agenda

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Border traders worried about new regulation

HEALTH / AIDS
DVB: Magwe AIDS awareness centre shut down by officials

REGIONAL
Irrawaddy: Pro-junta demonstration reaches Japan
BBC Burmese Service: Have a heart, free Aung San Suu Kyi

INTERNATIONAL
Business Day: UK queries SA's vote against UN Burma resolution - Jonathan
Katzenellenbogen
Bua News: Lekota sets straight SA's voting position on UN Security Council

OPINION / OTHER
Bangkok Post: Drug traffickers still at large
Irrawaddy: What does Union Day mean to ethnic minorities? - Nehginpao Kipgen

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

February 14, Agence France Presse
Myanmar retires 800 military officers in major shake-up

Myanmar's ruling junta has forced some 800 military officers into
retirement, in the biggest shake-up within the armed forces in years, a
source close to the military said Wednesday.

The mostly low or mid-ranking officers were told to retire one month ago,
following the junta's quarterly meeting, and more forced departures are
expected in the next three years, the source said.

"The government is planning the retirement of over 3,000 military officers
around the country as they want to bring the quality of military members
in line with international standards," he said.

Myanmar, which has been ruled by the military since 1962, has an estimated
400,000-strong defence force.

The military regime is under US and European sanctions over human rights
abuses, the ongoing house arrest of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and
its slow progress on democratic reforms.

On Tuesday, the junta extended the house arrest of Tin Oo, the
octogenarian deputy to Aung San Suu Kyi.

____________________________________

February 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
Court delays mass defamation case

A court in Rangoon’s Sanchaung township has postponed its hearing of a
defamation case levelled by activist Naw Ohn Hla against more than 123
editors and publishers in Burma.

The case, calling for defamation charges against 30 publications forced by
the Ministry of Information to run articles linking Naw Ohn Hla to a dead
Rangoon pimp, has been pushed back from February 13 until tomorrow.

Naw Ohn Hla told DVB yesterday she arrived at the court only to be told to
return on Thursday.

“They said the judge would decide on the 15th whether the court should
accept the case or not . . . Quite a lot of people from the journals came
to meet me (at the court) . . . Their position is that they included [the
article] in their journals because they were ordered to,” Naw Ohn Hla
said.

Naw Ohn Hla is widely known for her aggressive pro-democracy stance and
protest tactics. In 2005 she was sacked from the National League for
Democracy for failing to obey party rules.

In January, an article appeared in several Burmese-language publications,
linking her to a pimp who had lived in her home town during the colonial
era. Naw Ohn Hla said the article implied she was a prostitute and that it
clearly defamed her character.

“We have to wait and see how much rule of law there is in our country . .
. I filed this lawsuit so that this kind of unfortunate thing will not
happen again in the future,” she said.

Private publications in Burma are often forced to run pro-military
articles by the government and face closure if they fail to do so.

____________________________________

February 14, Xinhua General News Service
Two more Myanmar ministries invite complaints about malpractice

Two Myanmar ministries have reiterated invitation of complaints from the
public about malpractice of their personnel in a drive to ensure a clean
administrative machinery, official newspaper the New Light of Myanmar
reported Wednesday.

"If any service personnel of any rank of the Ministry of Home Affairs
commit malpractice involving money, property and opportunity and oppress
the people in administrative and economic affairs, making improper use of
the rights which are not in conformity with the existing laws and
procedures, those who suffer personally can complain to the minister,
deputy minister and director-general," said the Ministry in a statement.

The Ministry also gave the fax and phone numbers and e-mail address of its
office in the new administrative capital of Nay Pyi Taw.

Investigation will be made by the ministry's special inspection team upon
true complaints, the statement said, guaranteeing not to cause people's
grievance.

Also in a statement, the Ministry of Energy called for public cooperation
in combating misconduct, saying "Quick and punitive action will be taken
against staff at all levels for any malpractice including the practice of
bribery and corruption, breaking of rules and regulations or abuse of
power and position for self-interest and official harassment".

Earlier this month, the Myanmar authorities have also invited complaints
for similar practices by judicial personnel in a bid to shape a fair
judicial system that can win trust and reliance of the people. Any
complaint concerning such cases on personnel of the Supreme Court or
courts at various levels, Attorney-General's Office and Myanmar Advocates
Council can be made directly to their respective heads and deputy heads of
the bodies set up in Nay Pyi Taw by the same channels.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister General Soe Win, in a recent meeting with judges
and law officers, stressed the need for the judicial sector to adapt
itself to reform which is being made in conformity with the forthcoming
new state constitution.

Since late last year, as part of the government's first measure aimed at
eliminating malpractice within the government mechanism, Finance Ministry
and Forestry Ministry as well as the Yangon City Development Committee
have invited filing of complaints from the public against any misconduct
by the bodies' staff members.

Earlier official reports said the Myanmar government has suspended the
posts of more than 100 officials and staff from the Customs Department in
a crack down on corruption and bribery since last November. Official
statistics also show that the government punished 1,247 service personnel
for malpractice in 2005 and 2006.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

February 14, Narinjara
Burmese Army forms people's militias in border area

The Burmese Army has been setting up people's militias along the border
area in western Burma since February 5 to defend the country against
foreign invaders and to resist insurgents if they intrude into Burmese
territory.

A Burmese Army team led by Lt. Colonel Maung Maung Lwin has been putting
together the people's militias in all village tracts in Maungdaw and
Buthidaung Townships . In each village tract, the army team has formed a
militia unit with 30 villagers.

The Burmese Army plans to form militias comprising 1000 members in the
townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw bordering Bangladesh. Among the 1000,
about 200 are expected to be solid forces and 800 reserve forces, a source
said.

Many villagers outside the Muslim community are allowed to be a part of
the people's militias and many tribal people such as Mro, Dynet, and Khami
have been forced to join up.

The authorities, however, have no plan to arm the militia members now,
except those in frontier villages. Several militias from the frontier
villages of Badula and Tat Chaung, located on the Burma-Bangladesh border,
have been given guns by the authorities.

Lt. Col. Maung Maung Lwin visited Taungbro, a new sub-township, on
February 9 and met several village leaders about the formation of people's
militias in the border town, a source said.

It was learnt that in 2006, the army authorities formed people's militias
with 1000 members in each of the 17 townships of Arakan State.

____________________________________

February 13, Assam tribune
Militancy, drug menace to top agenda - R Dutta Choudhury

Guwahati: Insurgency and drug trafficking will be two of the major issues
to be discussed in detail during the India-Myanmar talks, which started in
Myanmar today. A high level team of the Government of India headed by the
Union Home Secretary left New Delhi this morning to take part in the
meeting.

Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune today that
insurgency is a major cause of concern for the Government of India as
several militant groups of the North East region have strong bases in the
territory of Myanmar and they operate in India from those bases.

Sources revealed that during the talks, the Indian delegation would
request the Government of Myanmar to take action to evict the camps of the
militant groups. It may be mentioned here that the Government of Myanmar
has already assured India to take action against the militants using the
territory of the neighbouring country.

Sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has prepared a list of
camps of the Indian militant groups in Myanmar on the basis of
intelligence inputs and the confessional statements of the arrested
militants and the same would be submitted to the Government of Myanmar
during the talks.

Sources said that the Government of India would be happy to launch a joint
operation along with the forces of Myanmar against the militant groups
camping in the neighbouring country. But it would be difficult for the
Government of Myanmar to agree to launch a joint operation within the
territory of that country, sources admitted.

When asked whether the Government of India would provide assistance
including weapons to the Myanmar Army to launch sustained operations
against the militants, sources pointed out that no such proposal has yet
been received from the Government of Myanmar.
“It is a fact that the Government of India provided weapons and training
to the Bhutan Army personnel to launch operations against the militants in
2003, but we believe that the Myanmar Army is strong enough to deal with
the militants,” sources added.

It may be mentioned here that several militant groups of the North East
have established strong bases within the territory of Myanmar. The
headquarters of the Khaplang faction of the NSCN is located in Myanmar,
while, the 28 battalion of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA),
which is responsible for most of the operations of the outfit in the upper
Asom districts, is also based in Myanmar.

Other militant outfits like the PLA and the UNLF also have strong bases in
the neighbouring country. Though the Myanmar Army launches operations
against the militants from time to time, they have not yet been able to
launch a sustained operation to evict the camps of the militants as was
done by the Government of Bhutan in December, 2003. However, the relations
between India and Myanmar have improved over the years and meetings
between the joint working group of the two countries have become annual
features and sharing of information between the two countries also
improved.

Meanwhile, drug smuggling from Myanmar has also becoming a cause of
concern for the Government of India and senior officials of the Narcotics
Control Bureau are included in the team that left for Myanmar today for
the talk. Sources said that this issue would also be discussed in detail
in an attempt to evolve ways to check the menace.

The Government of India is assisting Myanmar in taking up development
projects including construction of a power project and roads and the
progress of the same would be discussed in the meetings.


>From Myanmar, the team would visit Thailand to have meetings on different

issues relating to mutual cooperation before returning to India.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

February 14, Irrawaddy
Border traders worried about new regulation - Sai Silp

Thai currency traders operating in Mae Sot on the Burmese border have to
register with Thailand’s Finance Ministry from next month as part of a
government program to combat illegal financial dealings. The head of the
chamber of commerce in Thailand’s Tak border province warned, however,
that the move would disrupt local trade.

The registration order arose from a meeting between traders, Bank of
Thailand officials and representatives of Tak’s provincial tax office. The
meeting followed the arrest last December of two exporters of garments to
Burma on charges of illegal foreign currency trading, and the seizure of
2.7 million kyat (US $2,070). Their trial is pending in Mae Sot’s
provincial court.

Tak’s Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ampol Chatchaiyareuk said that instead
of arresting traders, Thai authorities should find a way of discussing the
problem with them. Only a few companies would be able to register next
month because of the complicated registration procedure, he said—warning
that the new provisions could destroy local business.

Ampol pointed out that Thai banks did not exchange kyat because of the
difficulty of fixing a stable rate. Currently, the kyat’s black market
rate is around 1,300 to the US dollar.

Traditionally, currency traders in the Mae Sot area accept Burmese kyat
and put the money back into circulation when exchanging money with
purchasers of Burmese goods.

Tak chamber of commerce statistics show that border trade in Mae Sot is
valued at about $330 million a year—nearly half the total value of
Thai-Burmese border trade (nearly $700 million).

____________________________________

February 14, Thai Press Reports
Thailand, Oman seek natural gas, oil in Myanmar

Thailand and Oman will cooperate in exploring for natural gas and oil
fields in third countries, with Myanmar being the first target, Thai
Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said Monday (Feb 12).

The plan is a follow-up step following PTT Exploration and Production's
(PTTEP) commencement in producing natural gas and condensate from Oman's
Shams field last week.

PTTEP is the first Thai company to produce petroleum in the oil-rich
Middle East country.

After the successful cooperation, Thailand has held discussions with Oman
Minister of Oil and Gas Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhy. Both parties
agreed that the time is right to explore natural gas and oil fields in
third countries that could be in the Middle East or anywhere else. They
plan to start the exploration in Myanmar soon.

Mr. Piyasvasti said that the project reflects the significant progress of
cooperation between Thailand and Oman in addition to their existing trade
and investment relationships.

He added that future oil prices in Thailand will be lowered when
condensate produced by PTTEP is delivered to Thailand and the country's
burden of petroleum imports is thereby reduced.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

February 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
Magwe AIDS awareness centre shut down by officials

A locally run HIV/AIDS awareness centre in Pakhutku, Magwe division was
shut down by officials yesterday, according to organiser Ko Tin Ko.

Ko Tin Ko, a 31-year-old AIDS sufferer from Kan Ma township, opened the
small centre opposite a busy market on February 10, in an attempt to
increase the community’s understanding of the disease.

“I started handing packs of condoms to young men who are over 18. I put
out HIV/AIDS educational books and leaflets I collected from the UNAIDS
office in Rangoon . . .,” Ko Tin Ko said.

“I did what I thought I should do as an AIDS victim. This is not a form of
political movement. But today they are asking me to stop,” he said.

Pakhutku Township Peace and Development Council secretary refused to
comment yesterday, saying he did not know the details of the closure.

Ko Tin Ko said the authorities did not realise that what he was doing
could help the government.

“I think there is a misunderstanding . . . NGOs are conducting HIV/AIDS
educational programs in our country because they are needed,” he said.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

February 14, Irrawaddy
Pro-junta demonstration reaches Japan - Shah Paung

Demonstrators supporting the Burmese government have gathered outside the
US and British embassies in Tokyo, denouncing the two countries’ effort to
adopt a resolution against the military junta in the UN Security Council,
according to a report in the state-run press.

The New Light of Myanmar said on Tuesday about 25 members of the Myanmar
Friendship Association in Japan protested the efforts of the US and
British governments "to interfere in Myanmar’s [Burma’s] internal
affairs.”

The US and Britain jointly sponsored a resolution before the UNSC in early
January. The proposal failed 9-3, with China, Russia and South Africa
casting vetoes. Indonesia, Qatar and the Republic of Congo abstained.

Protesters carried placards saying “Don’t make UNSC your puppet” and
“Myanmar needs not pressure but understanding.”

The report said protesters submitted letters calling on the US and British
governments to abandon efforts to submit such resolutions to the Security
Council.

Dr Min Nyo, director of the Burma Office in Tokyo, said the demonstration
was organized by pro-junta Burmese in Japan. The group's name initially
belonged to the Japan-Myanmar Culture Association, founded in the 1970s by
Japanese World War II veterans in the Osaka and Tokyo area. The group
changed its name in 1988 to the Japan-Myanmar Relationship Association.

Similar demonstrations were also held at the US and British embassies in
Rangoon in late January.

____________________________________

February 14, BBC Burmese Service
Have a heart, free Aung San Suu Kyi

Some fifty protesters celebrated St Valentine's Day in Manila by
demonstrating in front of the Burmese embassy to set free of Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi.

They carried heart-shaped baloons, placards and pictures of Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi.

The protesters said they want to show their love for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and the Burmese people including their commitment for freedom and
democracy in Burma.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

February 14, Business Day (Johannesburg)
South Africa: UK queries SA's vote against UN Burma resolution - Jonathan
Katzenellenbogen

The UK's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has questioned why, in view
of SA's apartheid past, the country did not vote to support a UN Security
Council resolution to condemn the military junta in Myanmar (Burma) for
abusing human rights.

The UK voted for the US- sponsored resolution along with most countries on
the council. SA was the only country to side with China and Russia in
voting against the resolution.
Western Union

Speaking yesterday, Sir Emyr Jones Parry said: "The UK did not walk on the
other side when it passed sanctions against the internal apartheid
policies of the then South African government.

"We are not prepared to walk on the other side of an appalling situation
in Myanmar."

SA said that the situation in Burma could not be placed on the security
council's agenda as the council's mandate was limited to matters that
threaten world peace.

At the weekend President Thabo Mbeki said had the resolution gone ahead,
it would have blocked intervention by the UN's Human Rights Council to
deal with such matters.

Parry returned to the UK last night after talks with senior South African
officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

In his address yesterday to the South African Institute of International
Affairs in Johannesburg, Parry said renewed efforts were needed to
revitalise efforts to reform the security council and ensure Africa had
permanent seats.

One of the issues the UK would be pushing on the council was the need for
an urgent international response to climate change, he said.

____________________________________

February 14, Bua News (South Africa)
Lekota sets straight SA's voting position on UN Security Council

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System

Cape Town: At a briefing on the programme of action of government's
International Relations, Peace and Security cluster on Wednesday, Defence
Minister Mosioua Lekota moved to set the record straight on South Africa's
voting position on the United Nations Security Council.

Filling in for Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - who he
said had flown to France for a key Franco-Africa summit - Mr Lekota sought
to explain the reasoning behind South Africa's recent "no" vote -
alongside the veto by China and Russia - on the matter of human rights
abuses in Myanmar that were placed on the Security Council agenda last
month.

"There is absolutely no hesitation on the part of this country to condemn
the abuses of human rights, such as in Myanmar," Mr Lekota said.

"South Africa condemns totally and without reserve the abuse of human
rights [in Myanmar] and the arrest of outstanding democrats [referring to
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held under house arrest in
the country's capital for more than 15 years]."

"The issue of the vote in the UN has to do with affording more nations of
the world to be able to have a say on it, instead of just a few of them,"
he added.

"This is actually in the interest of the people of Myanmar, that more
nations in the world are participants in the decision as to what has to
happen there [in Myanmar] because when they own that decision there will
be greater support for it."

"If it is a decision of a few, you might find that you have fewer
countries supporting the decision."

Outlining some of the principles that underpin South Africa's position as
one of 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, a seat it
assumed six weeks ago, he said: "We cannot support a situation in which
issues which need to be considered by bigger proportions of the members of
the UN are hived off, and become a special preserve of a few privileged
nations."

"At this time of a unipolar world it is increasingly more important than
more nations are heard on issues rather than fewer because that in itself
weakens democracy at an international level, and it's a very dangerous
formula when it's like that."

And yesterday, President Thabo Mbeki addressed a conference of senior
South African diplomats who converged at a hotel in Cape Town for talks on
South Africa's foreign policy priorities.

The conference brought together 114 Heads of Mission, including
ambassadors, High Commissioners and consul-generals and senior managers of
the Department of Foreign Affairs and comes at a time when South Africa
has been coming under pressure to explain its foreign policy positions,
which tend to be in favour of a wider multilateralism and of the integrity
of the institution of the United Nations as a whole, an institution which
South Africa is working to reform.

Earlier today, Mr Lekota called for greater democracy in the United
Nations as a whole and the Security Council in particular through reforms
that will widen the Security Council especially, while defending the
importance to the world, and integrity of, the UN as a global institution.

South Africa, he said, will use its position on the 15-member Security
Council to strengthen global governance based on multilateralism.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

February 13, Bangkok Post
Drug traffickers still at large

The depressing news in recent days that drug traffickers are again
stepping up activities in and near Thailand should come as no surprise.
Winning the war against international drug merchants takes time, requires
commitment and must have international cooperation. The sad fact is that
eliminating the cross-border gangs that cause illicit drug problems cannot
succeed without the full determination of all the governments concerned.
So long as one regime remains on the sidelines of the battle, the drug
traffickers will persevere.

There are formidable hurdles to ridding our region of the drug trafficking
gangs. Some of these are at least partly out of the control of Thai law
enforcement. A major obstacle on the road to a drug-free society is the
demand for drugs from Western nations. A resurgent addiction to heroin in
Europe, America and Australia is feeding the demand for this terrible
narcotic from the Golden Triangle.

America's authoritative Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says
that unintentional fatal drug overdoses _ not suicides _ in the United
States have nearly doubled in the past five years, to 19,838 in 2004, the
last year for which data are available. The agency was still breaking down
the figures last week. But scientists said about half the deaths were from
narcotics and hallucinogens, heroin, cocaine and prescription painkillers.

All authorities agree, and are concerned, that heroin addiction is
climbing among adults, those who swore off such drugs less than half a
generation ago. But it would be unwise to put all the blame for the demand
for narcotics on faraway countries. The demand for heroin in Thailand,
virtually wiped out except in remote areas just a decade ago, has
increased, noticeably in Bangkok and in other cities in the region. Police
Maj-Gen Amaresrit Wattanavibool, who commands the Bangkok region's
anti-drug activities, said he has seized "hundreds of kilogrammes of
heroin" in the past year.

Many of the anti-drug programmes of the 1990s came to an end in 2003, when
then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra declared victory in his nasty and violent
war on drugs. That not only cleared the way for surviving drug peddlers _
meaning all the big shots and most of the street sellers _ to resume their
activities after the murderous but inconclusive "war".

It also meant the end of many anti-drug programmes, including those aimed
at young people. Most projects aimed at gathering information about drug
use, demand and supply also were stopped, in case anyone might think they
were questioning the ex-premier's claim of victory.

One of the most important demands for drugs now comes from China. In
Yunnan province, which borders the Golden Triangle, the underground sex
trade and the illicit narcotics market are feeding off each other in a
terrible way.

Researchers believe the rampant Aids epidemic in Yunnan is worse than
anyone previously thought. Heroin use, of course, spreads the HIV through
shared intravenous needles.

The nub of the drug trafficking problem in our area is Burma. Authorities
can and must step up education efforts among young people, and work to
decrease the demand for illicit drugs, both heroin and methamphetamines,
as well as imported "recreational drugs" such as cocaine and Ecstasy.

But the key to ending the drug trade lies almost entirely in matching the
international contacts of the drug gangs with tight, cross-border
cooperation among governments.

If law enforcement agencies are empowered, or better still are ordered to
merge their information, they will prevail over the gangs.

The countries around Burma all are agreed on the need for action. The
military dictators have long dragged their feet on a meaningful crackdown
on big-time drug traffickers. As a result, the trade flourishes within
Burma, which is not just one of the world's largest opium producers. By
going easy on the drug traffickers, Burma is effectively enabling a trade
that kills, addicts and spreads Aids as well.

____________________________________

February 14, Irrawaddy
What does Union Day mean to ethnic minorities? - Nehginpao Kipgen

Burma’s 60th Union Day was celebrated inside and outside of the country,
but many people question why the event is celebrated at all, since the
ideals expressed in the Panglong agreement have never been achieved.

Union Day history starts at Panglong in southern Shan State on February
12, 1947, when 23 representatives from the Burman government, Chin Hills,
Kachin Hills and Shan States signed an agreement in the presence of
representatives from the executive council of the governor of Burma, to
form an interim government.*

The emergence of Union Day initially, though, did not include all the
ethnic nationalities of present day Burma, yet it has served as a
threshold for a unified Burma. The agreement was aimed at establishing a
federal Burma on the basis of socio-political equality and
self-determination for all ethnic nationalities.

Had not Aung San promised political equality and self-determination to
ethnic minority groups, the Union of Burma might have never been born.

During the drafting the Union of Burma’s constitution, hopes were abruptly
shattered with the assassination of Aung San, along with six of executive
councilors on July 19, 1947. Aung San was the architect of the Panglong
Agreement, and his departure dashed the dream of having a federal
government: the constitution was hastily created on the model of a
quasi-federal organization, categorically downplaying the visions of the
Panglong signatories. This mischievous turn of events has become a source
of lingering distrust between the Burman government and ethnic minorities
of today.

With the adoption of the amended constitution on September 24, 1947,
ethnic minority groups realized that the quasi-federal constitution did
not guarantee their equality of rights and self-determination, as agreed
upon at Panglong. Subsequently, the non-Burman ethnic nationalities, after
a series of consultations and meetings amongst themselves and with Burman
government leaders, demanded changes to the 1947 constitution to include
the principles of political equality and self-determination. Article X of
the 1947 constitution states: “every State shall have the right to secede
from the Union
.”

Partly due to the discontent of the non-Burman ethnic nationalities during
1951 to 1961, the civilian government was confronted with many
constitutional challenges. At the same time, there was a leadership crisis
within the ruling Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League—the party splitting
into two factions—AFPFL-clean and AFPFL-stable in May 1958.

Consequently, U Nu, the prime minister, asked the army chief, Ne Win, to
form a caretaker government and conduct general elections. During the 1960
election, U Nu’s AFPFL-clean faction returned to power. Sticking to their
demands, leaders of ethnic minorities demanded discussions with Prime
Minister U Nu about amendments to the constitution. This demand was
reasserted at a conference when the Ethnic States Unity and Solidarity
Organization convened in 1961.

Construing the political maneuver as a threat to the integration of the
country based on a federal model, Ne Win seized power by military coup on
March 2, 1962, which led to the arrest of U Nu and other leaders,
including Sao Shwe Thaike, the first president of independent Burma.

The non-Burman ethnic nationalities largely saw the military regime as the
Burman government. Having little hope for any peaceful agreement with a
military-dominated government, many ethnic minority groups resorted to
armed struggle.

Under Ne Win’s Revolutionary Council government, the 1947 constitution was
replaced by the 1974 constitution which stressed a unitary federal form of
government. On September 18, 1988, the military-led government transformed
itself into the State Law and Order Restoration Council and then to the
State Peace and Development Council on November 15. 1997. The name is
expected to change again the ongoing process of the military regime’s
seven steps toward a “disciplined democracy.”

In remarks on the 60th anniversary of Union Day, SPDC chief Snr-Gen Than
Shwe, said: “Certain powerful countries desirous of gaining dominance over
the Union of Myanmar are stirring up racial conflicts to break up national
unity and cause the recurrence of armed conflicts."

Our view, however, is that successive Burman military governments have
dominated the ethnically diverse country with very little tolerance and
absolute, dictatorial control.

Despite the observation of Union Day for the past 60 years, the true
spirit of the day has never been honored by the Burman government:
guaranteeing the ethno-political equality and self-determination of ethnic
nationalities.

This does not, however, give a clean chit to secessionism, but rather
stresses the intrinsic importance of establishing a unified Burma under a
federal system. History tells us that prior to the British conquest and
the subsequent Panglong Agreement, all nationalities of present day Burma
had already established themselves, in one organizational form or another.

As long as the present and future leaders of Burma fail to recognize the
principles of the Panglong Agreement, the true spirit of Union Day will
never be realized.

Therefore, every nationality in the Union of Burma has the right to claim
or proclaim its pre-independence status.

This fact needs to remain as a focal point of all political stakeholders,
regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliations. The emergence of a
unified and peaceful country rests on the shoulders of all the peoples of
Burma. To achieve political equality and self-determination, all ethnic
groups must work together.

Nehginpao Kipgen is the general secretary of the US-based Kuki
International Forum and a researcher on the rise of political conflicts in
modern Burma (1947-2004).

*[Burman representative: Aung San; Chin representatives: U Hlur Hmung, U
Thawng Za Khup, U Kio Mang; Kachin representatives: Sinwa Nawng, Zau Rip,
Dinra Tang, Zau La, Zau Lawn, Labang Grong; Shan representatives:
Tawnpeng, Yawnghwei, North Hsenwi, Laika, Mong Pawn, Hsamonghkam and
representatives of Pawnglawng, Tin E, Kya Bu, Sao Yapa Hpa, Htun Myint,
Hkun Saw, Hkun Htee.]

Ed, BurmaNet News