Burma:Fake Federal Union and Undemocratic Parliament, How Government Proceeds for Civil War

April 27, 2011


April 27th, 2011

After 6 decades of struggle for ethnic minority rights or establishment of Federal Union of Burma, various ethnic minorities from the entire frontiers areas have been crushed by the troops of Burmese Army.

In order to satisfy the demands by the ethnic minorities, the former regime, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), drew a militarized constitution with some articles faking as Federal Union of Burma. But it is not based on the equality among all the ethnic groups in the country including Burman.

In Constitution, the country administration was divided to 14 regions under 7 Divisions and 7 Ethnic States. All Divisions have the majority Burman people and 7 ethnic States are belonged to Kachin, Chin, Shan, Arakanese, Karenni (Kayah), Mon and Karen. This is inequality for the ethnic minorities because they have demanded racial equality, and Burman people must have one State, whether it is larger than other ethnic State.

However, the regime has pretended giving more authorities to ethnic State, by creating up Division/ State Parliament and their governments. If we looked from outside, it is like a federal union and the States have full administrative, legislative and juridical powers in their parliaments. This is just cosmetic and the State powers are absolutely controlled by central government. The ethnic State government has no power but to take all administrative powers from the central government.

Similarly, the Union Parliament, which includes House of Representatives and Senates (Upper House), have the majority winner of the election, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), it does not allow any growth of opposition parties. The oppositions (pro-democracy party like National Democratic Force – NDF and ethnic political parties) belong less than 15% of the entire seats in the parliaments and their voices are always limited.

All ruling in central and Division/State level governments are formed with USDP leaders and in some ethnic States, they also invited some representatives from other parties to be in the government ministerial positions and silenced down the voices. By this way, the governments in both central and local level prevent the criticism or opinions put by opposition parties and ethnic minority people.

Since the constitution and the current USDP have not granted equal rights to ethnic people, and do not have plan to initiate ‘peace talks’ toward various ethnic armed groups, the civil war in Burma will continue. The ethnic armed groups will hold up their arms in their respective areas and challenged the powers of USDP government and its armed force ‘Burmese Army’. Since USDP government was born from Burmese Army, the ruling government will support the army under a slogan of equipping the Burmese Army, as modern army. As a result, an unwanted civil war in Burma will be prolonged.