1/2) THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL DEMOCR

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

/* Posted 27 Sep 6:00am 1998 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma
& maykha-l */
/* -------------" Brief History of NDF (1/2)"---------------- */

[Added note: Following document titled " A BRIEF HISTORY OF NATIONAL
DEMOCRATIC FRONT(BURMA)" was received around 1994. Many of those
ethnic nationality organization listed in the document have since
signed ceasefire with SPDC/SLORC; some appears to have formed new
organization and alliances. Only the Karen National Union remains
outside of the SPDC/SLORC's the so-called "legal fold". KNU suffered
defection to SPDC/SLORC side in early 1995 and also early this year.

One thing to be noted that, despite many of those organizations,
under significant pressures from neighboring governments, signed
ceasefire with Burmese military, nevertheless have kept their hope
for establishing a genuine federal union for Burma. Recent
support by many of these groups to the newly formed parliamentary
committee is certainly a good sign for future Burma.

Although SPDC/SLORC leadership, especially General Khin Nyunt, is
in favour of having ceasefire with these ethnic nationality
organizations, to provide a proper political solution in order to
establish permanent peace appears to be beyond Burmese military's
imaginations. Like many of SPDC/SLORC's responses to situation,
the ceasefires with ethnic nationalities are of short term solution.

One of the feature of these ethnic nationality organization, like
in any other movements, is the dynamic of ever changing alliances.
Also significant is that the pressure to survive as an organization
have been much too greater--as we can easily understand.
With best regards, U Ne Oo. ]
***************************

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT(BURMA)

Background History of Burma

Burma is a country inhabited by ethnic peoples such as Mon, shan,
Rakhaing(Arakanese) Burman, Karen, Karenni, Chin, Kachin, Palaung,
Pa-O, Kayang, Wa and Lahu. They are decendents of conglomeration of
races, namely, Mon-Khmer, Thai-Chinese, Tibeto-Burman and Aryan.

Before the 18th century, these ethnic peoples were in different
stage of development. Some of them had developed themselves into
independent kingdoms while others were still in the stage of
independent principalities. During the 18th century, the Burman
feudal kings become stronger than others and colonised the Mon
and the Arakan kingdoms together with the Shan principalities.
Other ethnic peoples such as Chin, Kachin and Karenni still remain
free and independent.

When the British imperialist won over the Burman feudalism in 1885
A.D. All the ethnic peoples came under the British control. The
British administered a large part of the country directly and the
Shan principalities were treated as vasal states. The Karenni State
was regarded as a subordinate ally. All these regions were united
by the British into a single country under the name of Burma.
Burma was incorporated into the British empire and became a
province of India.

Anti-Colonialism and National Freedom Movement

Although it was said that all these ethnic regions had been
annexed by the British, resistance against the British rule
by patriots of some ethnic people lasted till 1910. Up to the
time of World War II, some ethnic people formed their own
political organizations for their aspiration and other united
themselves into one solid country-wide organization to confront
the British Raj for national freedom. During the Second World
War the American President Roosvelt and the British Prime
Minister Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter with eight
articles, guaranteeing the right of all peoples to choose the
form of government under which they live.

While the Second World Was was on, fascist Japan in collaboration
with the thirty Burman comrades fought against the British and
occupied Burma in 1942. Imperialist Japan granted nominal
independence to Burma in 1943 under its fascist administration.

At the closing stages of World War II, ethnic people of the
whole country rose up with intensity. After the Second World WAr
when independence was in the offing, ethnic peoples started
asserting their rights. Realizing the seriousness of the
situation, Gen. Aung San met with Shan, Kachin and Chin leaders
at Panglong on 12th February, 1947 and signed an agreement with
them guaranteeing federal structure of future Union of Burma.
Signifying the place where it was signed the document came to
be known as the Panglong Agreement.

According to article 5 of the agreement, frontier peoples would
have the right to exercise autonomy in their respective areas.

Article 7 states that the frontier peoples would enjoy fundamental
democratic rights just as in other democratic countries.

Article 8 states that the structure of the Shan State there shall
be no partiality in dealing with financial autonomy.

Article 9 says that states rae entitled to financial allocation
from the national revenues.

There should be no partiality in respect of financial allotment
towards Kachin and Chin hill regions. The Executive Council,
Adviser to Frontier areas and his assistant, while dealing
financial allotments in conformity of Kachin and Chin hill
regions shall also study the financial allotment made between
Burman and Shan States.

In chapter 10 of the 1947 Constitution, right of secession from
the Union after 10 years from the day the Constitution takes
effect was included. This section was included to remind and
review the sincerity of the Burman administrators, at the
resolute insistence of the non-Burman ethnic peoples.

At the Panglong meeting the main item of discussion put up by
non-Burman ethnic peoples was, the secession problem. They
pointed out that unless this item was included in the
Constitution, they prefer to remain under the British rule
rather than sign the agreement. Had the non-Burman ethnic
peoples not sign it, political development in Burma could have
taken a different turn. Full democracy and prosperity would
have been attained under the British protection. Most of the
Burmans did not try to understand this crucial matter, or
concentrate deep enough to realise the seriousness of this
problem. Because they deceived themselves with the notion that
all the regions of Burma belong to them by right from time
immemorial and as such, they believed that they have absolute
rights in dealing with the regions and ethnic peoples of Burma.

After signing the Panglong Agreement the Frontier Enquiry
Commission recommended that equality and right of
self-determination should be given to all the ethnic peoples.
The 1947 Constitution was not in conformity with the
recommendations made by the Commission. The signatories of
the Panglong Agreement took it that they signed the agreement
not to be under domination's of the Burman leadership. The
ethnic peoples hoped that they could freely elect their own
leaders while living together with the ethnic Burman in a true
federal union. At that historic event, they were so promised by
the Burman leaders. The British colonalists withdrew from the
regions of the ethnic peoples of Burma on the independence day
of 4th January 1948.

But in actual fact, Burma happened to become a country where
neo-colonialism is practised by the Burman military government
over the ethnic peoples. The Burman government regarded the
claims made by the ethnic nationalities of their ancestral
homelands with indifference. 1948 independence came to nothing
but the fulfilment of the chauvinistic aspiration of the
Anti-fascist Peoples Freedom Leagues(AFPFL) government. It is
but a restructure for administration of the ethnic regions
annexed by the British. It was a unitary system creating nominal
states on the frontier region and uniting them with Burma
proper to forma a sham federal union.

A Brief Accounto of The AFPFL Government And
The Situation In the Country

The AFPFL government administered the country by dominating
the ethnic peoples under ultra-naitonalism and by exploiting
them economically. The oppressed ethnic peoples asserted their
ethnic rights by democratic means. But the AFPFL government
instead of solving the problems democratically forced its will
through might which escalated into civil war. As the assertion
of their national aspirations were retaliated with oppression,
the ethnic peoples had no other alternative but to take up arms
for the just cause. Because of the effective ness of the ethnic
people's armed struggle, the AFPFL government was confronted
with political and economic crisis. It also lost credibility
for its internal factional dissension. It has come to a stage
when the adopted type of western parliamentary democracy became
no longer workable.

This gave an opportunity for all ethnic peoples to convene a
conference at Taunggyi, in Shan State on 25th February, 1961.
The conference amended the 1947 unitary system of Constitution
to a true federal one and submitted it to the parliament.
Gen. Ne Win, an ultra-nationalist, and an anti-federalist with
the pretext of saving the deteriorating situation, seized power
on 2nd March, 1962, to rule under the single-party system.

The Burma Socialist Programme Party(BSPP)
And Situation in The Country

Gen. Ne Win dissolved the Parliament and introduced one-party
system under the Burman Socialist Programme Party exercising
the worst form of military dictatorship. Democratic rights and
human rights were severely violated and indigenous peoples' right
of selfdetermination was denied. The BSPP government received
substantial loans from foreign agencies for its white-elephant
projects. Farmers were forced to sell their products less than
prevailing market prices at government buying centres to give
it marginal profit abroad. The import trade was also monopolized
to gain more benefit of its bureaucrats. Because 60% of the
national budget was consummated by the civil war and the balance
was used up in private enterprises of the army personnel and
repaying debts, the citizenry was reduced to penury. Thus, a
country rich in natural resources became one of the ten Least
Developed Countries of the world.

State Law and Order restoration Council(SLORC)
and Situation in the Country

After 26 years of misrule by the BSPP, the discontentment of
the people exploded into the world-renowned pro-democracy
demonstrations of 1988. When the general will could no longer be
contained by the BSPP, Gen. Ne Win stepped down. State power
changed hands three times and  on 18th September 1988, a mock
coup was made where by Gen. Saw Moung  became head of the
military junta under the name of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council(SLORC). The 1974 Constitution was abrogated
and the dictatorial parliament was dissolved subsequently.

The military junta headed by Gen. Saw Maung came into power
under the name of Law and Order Restoration Council. Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the National League
for Democracy(NLD) was put under house arrest in July 1989.
As a result of international pressure SLORC held the general
elections on 27th May 1990.

Out of the 485 parliamentary seats, NLD won 392 seats and the
Union Nationalities League for Democracy won 65 seats. The
National Unity Party, supported by SLORC won only 10 seats.

SLORC had promised that it would transfer power to the party
that won the elections. But it refused to step down when the
party it supported lost the competition. It arrested and jailed
the NLD and other political leaders after issuing repressive decrees.
To prolong its stay in power the SLORC escalated the civil war
and deceived the people with lame excuses.

The National Democratic Front And Mahn Ba Zan

Pragmatism had shown in Burma that the armed struggle of the
ethnic peoples could be won only through a United Front. Hence,
without mentioning the role of the late President of the Karen
National Union, Mahn Ba Zan, the history of the National
DEmocratic Front would be incomplete. He had been a leading
participant in every United Front that had been formed. It was
he who drafted the aims, objects and programme of the National
Democratic Front(NDF) when it was formed on 10th May, 1976.
He always upheld the principles of ;ethnic freedom, equality
and fraternity. He pointed out that though Burma is a
multi-national country, the ethnic peoples are struggling
unilaterally against the common enemy. He stressed that only
through a united effort could there be victory for the ethnic
peoples. With such a victory-assured deep insight, he organized
the oppressed ethnic peoples into the National Democratic Front
and enlarge it. The deprivation of right of self-determination
under the ultra-nationalist domination prompted the ethnic
people's struggle for equality. The assertion of ethnic rights
was dubbed in a far-fetched vocabulary as separatist movement
by all successive governments since independence, both inside
and outside the country. Whatsoever, the President who could
assess the prevailing situation and opportune moment,
advocated instead for equality and internal  unity in a
peaceful federal union diverting the argument from separatism.
He emphasized and declared that action in accordance to the
diversity of development would be taken. At the press
conference and also to the intelligentsia, he explained the
ideal of true federalism Even in the NDF it was clearly defined
theta equality and right of self-determination of ethnic peoples,
would be practised and respected on the basis of federal union
of states. Any member of the presidium as well as those who
have attended the NDF meetings recognized his selfless endeavours
in building up the NDF.

Formation Of UNited Fronts

Ethnic peoples of Burma namely, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni,
Arakanese, Mon, Shan, Pa-o and Palaung participated in the
struggle for independence along with the ethnic Burma. Negation
of restructure of Burma into a federal union and consequent
suppression of their aspirations by successive governments that
came into power after independence prompted the ethnic peoples
with no other alternative but to take up arms. The AFPFL
government denial of conceding to the right of self-determination
added more members to the ethnic armed resistance.

Realising the only by forming united front could victory be
attained, anumber of united fronts were formed one after another,
viz:
        1. The Democratic Nationalities United Front was
        formed in 1956
        2. The National Democratic United Front was formed in 1959
        3. The National Liberation Alliance was formed in 1960
        4. The United Nationalities Front was formed in 1965
        5. The Nationalities United Front was formed in 1967.
        6. The United Nationalities Libertion Front was
        formed in 1970.
        7. The Revolutionary Nationalities Liberation Alliance
        was formed in 1972 and
        8. The Federal National Democratic Front was formed in 1975.

Lacking in a common acceptable policy, these united front did not
survive long. But on 10the May 1976, basing on popular policy and
programme, the National Democratic Front (NDF) came into existence.

Formation of The National Democratic Front

Under the sponsorship of the Federal National Democratic Front,
a consultative meeting was held on the 10th May 1976 and a
consensus was reached to form the National Democratic Front under
a common programme. The participating ethnic parties were,

1. The Arakan Liberation Party(ALP)
2. The Kachin Independence Organization(KIO)
3. The Karen National Union(KNU)
4. The Karennni NationL Progress ve Party(KNPP)
5. The Kayan New Land Party(KNLP)
6. The Lahu National Unity Party(LNUP)
7. The New MOn State Party(NMSP)
8. The Union Pa-O National Organisation(UPNO)
9. The Palaung State Liberation Organization(PSLO)
10 The Arakan National Liberation Party (ANLP)
11. The Shan United Revolutionary Army(SURA)
12. The Shan United Army(SUA)
13. The Shan State Progress Party(SSPP)

At that meeting the KNU President sounded out the prevailing
ideas of all the parties and blended with his ideas to draw
up a common programme acceptable to all the participants in
forming the National Democratic Front. Members of NDF were,

1. The Arakan Liberation Party(ALP)
2. The Kachin Independence Organization(KIO)
3. The Karen National Union(KNU)
4. The Karennni NationL Progress ve Party(KNPP)
5. The Kayan New Land Party(KNLP)
6. The Lahu National Unity Party(LNUP)
7. The Union Pa-O National Organisation(UPNO)
8. The Palaung State Liberation Organization(PSLO)
9. The Shan State Progress Party(SSPP)

The NDF Executive Members at the Formation of the Front

1. Mahn Ba Zan (KNU) Chairman
2. Khun Ye Naung (UPNO) Vice Chairman
3. Pado Baw Yu Baw (KNU) Secretary)
4. Major General Tamala Baw (KNU) member
5. Padoh San Linn (KNU) member
6. Sai Thi Ha (KNPP) member
7. Major Saw Mon Na (KNPP) member
8. Win Naing (KNPP) member
9. Khaing Soe Naing Aung (ALP) member
10. Khaing Yee Linn Aung (ALP) member
11. Col. Bon Taing (SSPP) member
12. Major Sai Han (SSPP) member
13. Major Lah Dweh (KIO) member
14. Major Joe Zet (LNUP) member
15. Kyaw Kyaw She (LNUP) member
16. Capt. Kyaw Hla (PSLP) member

The union Pa-O national Organisation had for private reasons
left the NDF not long after the NDF was formed. The vice C
hairman Khun Ye Naung therefore was considered automatically
removed from this post. Col. Bon Taing was appointed in his
place as the new Vice Chairman of the NDF.

When Chairman Mahn Ba Zan retired on account of his health
in December 1976, General Saw Bo Mya was elected as the chairman
of the NDF in the presidium held in January 1977.

The NDF was formed on 10th May, 1976, with 9 members and in
1991 its members increased to 12 m3mbe4rs. The New Mon State
Party mjoined the NDF on 2nd June 1982, Wa National Organization
joined NDF in 1983, while the Chin National Front joined the
NDf in 1990.

/* End Part 1 of 2 */