Min Thu Tha – United Nationalities Federation Council (UNFC) released a statement calling for a new federal union constitution with an inclusion of Bama/Myanmar State. The statement came after the 3 day long UNFC organized Ethnic Nationalities Conference (ENC) in Chiang Mai last week. The UNFC is an umbrella group for eleven ethnic armed groups.
The joint-general secretary-2 said that “organizations working for democracy in Burma” also support these initiatives. These groups included: All Burma Student’s Democratic Font (ABSDF), Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB) and Network for Democracy in Burma (NDB).
The UNFC also continued to advocate for a nationwide ceasefire with the ethnic armed groups and the government stating that only such an arrangement will ensure sustainable peace.
Another issue that was discussed was the formation of a Federal Union Defense Force. The UNFC is advocating for a national ethnic armed force but the idea has not been well received by Naypyidaw
“We have prepared ahead for the future… We just laid down it as a policy, just in case we have to discuss about that since President U Thein Sein’s roadmap reveals that there is only one Tatmadaw,” said Hkhun Okkar.
The UNFC also suggested for National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be an observer in future peace process discussions.
The conference was attended by 122 delegates that represented 18 ethnic armed groups, the United Nationalities Alliance, 4 ethnic political parties, and civil society groups both international and local overseas ethnic organizations.
A 6-points peace roadmap was agreed during the first Ethnic Nationalities Conference in September of last year also held in Chiang Mai.
The following positions and decisions were included in the UNFC’s recent statement:
(a) To form the present Union of Burma/Myanmar into a Federal Union of national states and nationalities states, having national equality and self-determination.
(b) To practice federal democracy in this Federal Union.
(c) To form Federal Union Defense Forces that will defend the Federal Union from external dangers.
(d) The current 2008 Constitution practiced by U Thein Sein government is not accepted, as it is devoid of democratic essence and not in accordance with the principles of federalism. A new Constitution based on genuine federal principles will be drafted and promoted for practice.
(e) The UNFC and UNA will lead in drafting the new Constitution, and a drafting committee consisting of representatives from the democratic forces, women organizations, youth organizations, CBOs and other organizations will be formed, as part of the realization of the aim.
(f) In political dialogue and negotiation, the 6-point political program, laid down by the Ethnic Nationality Conference held in September 2012, will be followed. In political dialogue and negotiation, all the resistance organizations are to be represented as a bloc, and not individually.
