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Statement On The Forthcoming SPDC’s Referendum
http://www.tai-nation.org/en/articles/165/1/Statement-On-The-Forthcoming-SPDCas-Referendum/Page1.html
Ethnic Nationalities Council
 
By Ethnic Nationalities Council
Published on 04/8/2008
 
The current political crisis in the Union of Burma is not just a common ideological conflict, rather it is a constitutional problem instigated by failing to implement the Panglong Agreement signed by General Aung San and leaders of ethnic nationalities on February 12, 1947.



ENC Statement No. 2008-3
1.        The current political crisis in the Union of Burma is not just a common ideological conflict, rather it is a constitutional problem instigated by failing to implement the Panglong Agreement signed by General Aung San and leaders of ethnic nationalities on February 12, 1947.

2.        Constitution is a covenant between the people, who have Sovereign Power of the country and the government, which govern the country on behalf of the people. In other word, it is a contractual agreement between both the government as ruler and the people as being ruled.

3.
       The SPDC is planning to hold a referendum to adopt the constitution that has written without the participation of the people’s representatives. Ignoring the people’s role is an insult to the people, who own the sovereign power of the country.

4.
       The effort of writing and ratifying a constitution unilaterally by a clique of military dictators without the desire of the people is nothing other than trying to protect the military dictatorship by means of constitution.

5.
       The attempt to protect the military dictatorship by means of a constitution is a breach to the “Panglong Agreement.” It is an act of diversion from General Aung San’s principles and the Union’s spirit. It is an attempt by the military cliques, who held a “Burmese Chauvinism,” as a systematic strategy to annihilate the non-Burman ethnic nationalities in the Union.

6.
       The attempt to adopt a constitution to lengthen the military dictatorship will escalate more problems to the political crisis of the country. It will also lengthen the 60 year long civil war caused by breaching the self-determination rights of the ethnic nationalities. It will increase political oppression, economic recession, and social crisis including all kinds of human rights violation.

7.
       Therefore, we would like to urge all citizens including students, youth, monks, etc. who esteem democracy, human rights, equality and peaceful co-existence among all nationalities, to vote against the coming SPDC’s referendum by casting an absolute ‘Vote No’.

Contact persons:

Dr. Lian H. Sakhong                 David Taw
General Secretary                     Joint General Secretary
Tel: +66-081-029-6100           Tel: +66-081-306-4351

2008-04-07

ENC Information Team
P.O. Box (49)
Chiang Mai University P.O
Chiang Mai 50202
Thailand
http://www.encburma.org/enc/enc_info.htm