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NDF STATEMENT



                        NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT
                              ***(BURMA)***
                                    
                                    
                     STATEMENT ON THE QUESTIONS OF 
                   THE REPATRIATION OF KAREN REFUGEES


The civil war in Burma has been raging for more than 40 years
since the country's independence in 1948. The armed organizations
of the indigenous nationalities, Karen, Mon, Karenni etc, have
always worked for the settlement of the civil war correctly by
political means. However, as the successive ruling circles of
Burma have not had the desire to resolve the problem of civil war
correctly by political means, negotiations for peace always made
no progress and broke down.

The indigenous forces of Karen, Karenni, Mon, etc, formed the
National Democratic Front(NDF) in 1976 and continued the
resistance with the objective of the establishment of a genuine
Federal Union, based on democracy, equality and self-
determination, in agreement with the aspirations of all the
indigenous nationalities.

The NDF, as well as its individual member organizations, has
always endeavoured by various means to solve the underlying
political problems of the civil war by political means and
continue to do so. Some of the NDF member organization have
departed from the NDF principle of collectively holding dialogue
with SLORC as a Front and, under pressure, have reached cease-
fire agreements with the SLORC. So far, the SLORC has not
addressed, in any manner, the underlying political questions.

It is the firm belief of the NDF that although a decision by Thai
government to repatriate Karen refugees may be beneficial to
Thailand in the short term, since the KNU, a member organization
of NDF, is still continuing its efforts to initiate dialogue
concerning the cessation of the civil war and the establishment
of a genuine and lasting peace, such a decision could, far from
ending the civil war, lead to the escalation of the war with
adverse effects upon the stability of neighboring countries in
the long term. The NDF is, therefore, much concerned by such a
possible course of development.

Though the SLORC has reached ceased-fire agreements with 14 armed
organizations of the indigenous nationalities, there is no
indication whatsoever that it is willing to solve the underlying
political problem, which is the principle cause of the civil war,
by political means. Instead, it has been desperately trying to
gain legality for a provision giving the Armed Forces a leading
role in national politics, contrary to democratic principles.

It should not be assumed that there is stability and peace just
because 14 armed groups have reached cease-fire agreements with
the SLORC and there is a temporary cessation of the shooting war
in the border regions. Until and unless an agreement terminating
the civil war, based on the resolution of political problems, is
reached, the refugees should not be repatriated. Any arrangement
to repatriate the refugees prematurely will cause much distress
and concern and it could affect regional stability and security,
adding further complications and tension to the situation.

The refugees should be protected in accordance with international
principles and practices. Karen refugees have fled into Thailand
not primarily for economic reasons but because of the genocidal
war, extreme atrocities and systemic persecution of ethnic people
by the SLORC and its troops.

The NDF has always tried to solve the problem of Karen, Karenni
and Mon refugees. But the refugee problem cannot be separated
from the effort to bring abut the termination of the civil war
and the establishment of lasting peace in the country. We, the
NDF, would like to urge all concerned in handling the refugee
situation to use the utmost caution and sympathetic consideration
in order to avoid unfortunate consequences.


Central Executive Committee
National Democratic Front (NDF)
5 June 1995