UNDC STATEMENT

[brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

UNITED NATIONALITIES' DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
 
STATEMENT
Dated New Delhi, the 4th January, 1997
 
"UNION OF BURMA" is an amalgamated state of multi 
nationalities.
 
        The leaders of Kachin, Chin and Shane, believing that the 
freedom would be more speedily achieved by the frontier nations 
through the co-operation with the Burmese: based on the right to 
secede after attainment of freedom from confederation with Burma if 
an when they chose, signed PANGLONG AGREEMENT on 
February 12, 1947. Due to this agreement obtained from British 
Rule on January 4, 1948.
 
        From 1948 until 1962, the country was ruled by a 
parliamentary democratic government by the  constitution drafted on 
2nd September 1948. According to article 201 of the said 
constitution, the nationalities had, in theory, the right to secede from 
the Union, but under article 202, this right was not to be exercised 
within ten years from the date on which that constitution came into 
operation. Proper Burma, where the Burma the Burma resides was 
recognized as the " Mother Country ", which was more powerful 
than the state and had the privilege of forming the Union 
Government. And the Burmese Leaders sought to amend the Union 
Constitution in 1961. These causes have drawn the non Burma 
Ethnic-groups into insurgency.
 
        On March 2, 1962, the elite of Revolutionary Council led by 
General Ne Win over governance through a coup d'etat and installed 
its " Burmese way to Socialism" . The country was then governed 
without a constitution until 1974. The country plunged into 
economic chaos under the totalitarian party so called " Burma 
Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).
 
        In 1988, once again, nation-wide demonstration, which 
reflected the rejection of the oppression of military-dominated BSPP 
party, was trampled down by the military in the form of State Law 
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
 
        In this way, nationalities have lost their fundamental rights 
and self determination now and then. The people of Burma have 
been deprived of all civil and political rights. Economic negligence, 
turmoil and war-weary have plagued the people for over four 
decades.
 
 
Recognizing above factor, the UNITED NATIONALITIES' 
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS:-
 
DEMAND  the SLORC to abandon its terrorism, and to respect 
human rights, the real desire of the people, equal & individual rights 
of nationalities which is prerequisite to the establishment of a federal 
union.
 
CALL ON the SLORC for urgent tripartite - dialogue between 
the leaders of Nationalities, Democratic Groups led by Aung San 
Suu Kyi and the SLORC.
 
URGE            peace loving international community to exert 
pressure on the SLORC to suspend its atrocity, and to support 
democratic activities inside and outside Burma.
 
The member organizations of UNDC:
 
1.      Arakan League for Democracy (in Exile), ALD
2.      Chin National Council, (C.N.C)
3.      All Burma Young Monks' Union (Arakan), ABYMU
4.      Arakan, Chin and Kachin Students' Joint Committee.
        a)      All Arakan Students and Youth Congress (AASYC)
        b)      Chin Students Union (CSU)
        c)      All Kachin Students and Youth Union (AKSYU).
 
UNDC.