Forty civil society organizations (CSOs), based on Burma’s borders, urged the government to restore their original citizenship and allow them to participate in Burma’s current transition to a democratic federal union and the nation-building process.
The request took the form of an open letter sent to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on Monday [July 25].
“We believe that, with the experience and skills gained on the border, we can support and help strengthen the process of national reconciliation, peace building and the democratic transition, ” said Ma Thwel Zin Toe, a Steering Committee member of the Women’s League of Burma.
Ma Thwel Zin Toe added that the CSOs would like the Government to consider restoring their original citizenship status and safety in the country, and to set the necessary guidelines for this as soon as possible. They also requested the government disclose the names of activists who remain on the blacklist and wish to take part in the nation-building process now that Daw Aung San Suu is leading the country.
“The border-based CSOs have worked to establish democracy and federal union, to free political prisoners, to secure support from the United Nations and the international community, to support refugees and migrant workers in education, health, and capacity building along the border” said Nai Kasauh Mon, Director of Human Right Foundation of Monland.
“We, border-based CSOs, wish to take part in various roles during the transition and utilize the skills that we have been learning for many years to rebuild a better country” he continued.
In the current transition and political reform in Burma, the border-based CSOs held a meeting from May 7-9, 2016, regarding their role and participation along the Thai-Burma border and decided to send the open letter.
The signatory border-based CSOs who sent the open letter to the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are generations of democratic activists involved in ethnic, youth and women’s groups who have crossed the border since 1995 due to political oppression. They have been based along the borders’ liberated areas and are working for human rights, democracy, peace and a federal union in Burma.
