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NCGUB: Statement on Occasion of 51s



		NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA
		---------------------------------------------------

	      Statement on Occasion of 51st Anniversary of Union Day

1. The 12th of February 1998 is the 51st anniversary of the memorable day
on which the historic Panglong Agreement was signed by Gen. Aung San and
leaders of the ethnic nationalities, after reaching the understanding to
obtain independence together, with the might of national unity, at the
conference held at Panglong town of the Shan State.

2. Various ethnic nationalities have been inhabiting together in the Union
of Burma since many centuries past. Therefore, the Union of Burma is the
State commonly owned by the various nationalities indigenous to the land.
The right to self-determination of all the nationalities, their rights to
ethnic and political equality are self-evident and inalienable.

3. After the fall of Gen. Aung San, the architect of the Union of Burma,
the implementation of  Panglong Agreement had been rather weak. The
government elected in 1960 had tried to make amendments for accommodating
the demands of the ethnic nationalities with regard to the Union, after
acquiring the positions of the then opposition parties and leaders of the
ethnic nationalities,. 

4. The military clique led by Gen. Ne Win, with the fabricated accusations
that federalism was secession and an attempt to disintegrate the union,
seized power in 1962, and ruled the country with a unitary system. From
that time on, the unity established by Gen. Aung San and leaders of the
ethnic nationalities, had disintegrated, and the role of Panglong Agreement
had withered. The advent and  domination of military dictatorship have been
one of the main causes preventing the realization of the essence of
Panglong Agreement, up to this day. Under the military dictatorship,
democratic rights, human rights and the  ethnic nationalities' rights to
self-determination and equality, will continue to be deprived.

5. The questions of the ethnic nationalities cannot be resolved by armed
peace. In other words, they cannot be resolved by having temporary
cease-fire agreements. Moreover, they cannot be eliminated by armed
suppression. Accordingly, for the restoration of unity of all the
nationalities, it is necessary to terminate the military dictatorship. Only
if we can, in practice, implement the Panglong Agreement, the spirit of the
Union will live on forever, and the unity of all the nationalities will
remain durable.

6. In conclusion, we firmly believe that we will achieve genuine national
unity and a durable Union, only when a Federation, guaranteeing ethnic
equality and self-determination of all the nationalities, democratic rights
and basic human rights, can be established. Therefore, it is necessary to
hold politically genuine, serious and meaningful dialogue to resolve the
two fundamental political issues of Burma, the ethnic question and the
question of democratic rights for all the people.  

										NCGUB
February 12, 1998