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International seminar on constituti



December 21, 1998
MIZZIMA News Group

"The role of Defence Forces is to be restricted to external threats only
and is not in any circumstances for the maintenance of internal law and
order, or civil functions" - is a guiding principle for the constitution
of future Federal Union of Burma. The two-day international seminar on the
Democratic Constitution of the Federal Union of Burma was held in New
Delhi on 19-20 December 1998. The seminar was organized by the National
Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) and Delhi-based South Asian Human
Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC). Participants, who include Indian and
international constitutional experts and Burma's pro-democracy activists
and ethnic leaders, proposed seven guiding principles for the constitution
of future Burma. Excluding the Defence Forces from the internal law and
order in the country, where military used the reason of "law and order"
for staging coup, is a major issue discussed by the participants. 

Protection of ethnic minorities' rights is another important guiding
principle to be included in the future constitution of Burma where more
than 130 nationalities are residing. The seminar proposed that the future
constitution of Burma should give high priority for the protection of
ethnic nationalities' rights and guarantees "participation of ethnic
nationalities people at all levels of governmental and public life". "The
future constitution should also emphasize on transparency and
accountability of all policy and law making processes as a guiding
principle", suggested the participants.

The NCUB, an umbrella organization of 20 democratic and ethnic resistance
organizations of Burma, has been writing a draft constitution for future
Burma since 1994 after it superseding the process from the Democratic
Alliance of Burma (DAB). New Delhi seminar is the sixth international
seminar whereas similar seminars participated by international legal
experts and Burma democrats were held in Thailand, Philippines, and
Germany in the past. The seminar aims to promote NCUB's proposed drafted
constitution of the Federal Union of Burma with the suggestions from
Indian and international experts.

Following the conclusion of the two-day seminar on 20th December, the
spokesman of National Council of the Union of Burma appealed to the people
of India and the Government of India to support the Burmese people in
their struggle to restore democracy in Burma. The appeal came after the
last minute-cancellation of the planned venue of the seminar by the Indian
authorities. The organizers of the seminar had to shift the venue to a
social institute of Delhi.  Among the renowned Indian and international
constitutional experts, Justice Albert Louis Sachs, Judge of the
Constitutional Court in South Africa and Mr. Shivraj Patel, former Speaker
of India spoke at the seminar.