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CHIN NATIONAL FRONT
General Headquarters, Chinland
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The Statement of CNF on the 52nd Anniversary of Union Day


Today, the 52nd Anniversary of Union Day, is a continued reflection of 
the historic Panlong Agreement signed by national leaders of Chin, 
Kachin, Shan and Burman on February 12, 1947 in Panlong, Shan State, 
Burma, which led to the founding of a Unionized Burma composed of 
different ethnic groups. Based on mutual respect, recognition and 
appreciation of each other's differences and equality, this agreement 
was able to speed up the gaining of independence from British Colonial 
rule.

However, as Burma became an independent country, some Burman supremacist 
politicians had managed to drag the country into direct opposition of 
the spirit of the Panlong Agreement, causing economic and political ruin 
in the country. To materialize the kernel of the Panlong Agreement which 
is to establish a Federal Union and to solve the economic hardship of 
the people of Burma, national leaders (leaders of all ethnic groups) 
held a conference in February of 1961, in Taungyi, Shan State, Burma, 
intending to submit demands in the Parliament. However, before any 
resolution was able to be passed in the Parliament, General Ne Win and 
his army staged a coupd'etat, placing the democratically elected 
government and the country under the military dictatorship that remains 
in place today.
     
Although ethnic groups in Burma have lived under the oppression and 
discrimination of some of the Burman supremacist politicians and the 
Burmese military dictatorship, never have they attempted to disunite the 
unity wrought by the Panlong Agreement, but rather have tried to find a 
way to establish a true Federal Union which is based on equality.
      
The problems faced today in Burma are of the ethnic issues and democracy 
as well and to solve them needs a meaningful and true dialogue between 
the parties concerned. 

As all the ethnic groups including ethnic Burmans look forward to 
establishing a Federal Union of Burma based on the Panlong Agreement 
with the spirit of equality, at this 52nd Anniversary of Union Day, the 
CNF would strongly urge that we must all join hands to increase our 
effort to muster unity to march into a peaceful world.



February 12, 1999                                               
Central Committee
Chin National Front


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