Committee for Emergence of a Federal Union (CEFU)-‘We must speak in one voice’

8/7/2019 Committee for Emergence of a Federal Union (CEFU)-‘We must speak in one voice’

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‘We must speak in one voice’

Written by Mizzima News

Tuesday, 25 January 2011 14:49 - Last Updated Tuesday, 25 January 2011 14:56

(Mizzima) - Recently, the Committee for the Emergence of a Federal Union (CEFU) was formed

after a joint meeting of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the Karen National Union

(KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Chin National Front (CNF), the New

Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) in November 2010.

The committee plans to convene a broad ethnic conference, but one that its leaders describe as

different from the proposed second Panglong-type conference that has been proposed by the

National League for Democracy and ethnic political parties.

Mizzima reporter Ko Wild interviewed NMSP General-Secretary Nai Han Thar on what type of

conference is planned and the issues involved.

Q: The CEFU is comprised of six ethnic organisations, and you’re now in an organizing

stage, correct?

A: Yes, we plan to implement our work by coordinating with ethnic alliances such as the

National Democratic Front (NDF), the Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) and the United

Nationalities League for Democracy – Liberated Area (UNLD-LA). These alliance groups will

send representatives to the conference. An organising committee will be formed first and it will

do the preparatory work.

Q: What are the differences between your conference and the conference being initiated

by domestic ethnic political parties and the NLD, which has been described as a second

Panglong Conference?

A: The conference being initiated in Burma is like the 1947 conference [Panglong Conference],

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where Burmese representatives and ethnic representatives met and reached an agreement.

Their intention is to implement an agreement similar to the one reached at that time between

Burman and ethnic people.

Our conference is different. Most of the ethnic people on the border are waging an armedstruggle against the government for our self-defence. Now the military regime is preparing to

wage war against cease-fire and other groups. So these ethnic groups have to defend

themselves in an coordinated effort.

On the other hand, all ethnic people must be united in trying to achieve a federal union. We

must speak in one voice. In this way, we can resist the regime’s offensive in unity. We will be

stronger if we can all unite on the same political platform.

Then we can represent ethnic people in a tripartite dialogue, which we are calling for. So our

conference will work on all these issues.

Q: Previously, you formed the NDF and ENC for these purposes too.

A: Yes, we have had similar intentions before, but these two organisations diverged and

became different entities over time. Their principles are now different from each other, and it is

difficult to reconcile them. Under the circumstances, we need to consolidate ourselves as we

resist a military offensive.

Q: In trying to consolidate all ethnic groups, some argue that Burman (Burmese groups)

should participate as one of the ethnic groups. Do you agree and can you accept Burmangroups as an ethnic group? How do you see the role of the ethnic Burman?

A: We can accept it if an organisation representing ethnic Burmese comes and join us. But

there are no such organisations representing ethnic Burmese. Also there are no ethnic Burmese

organisations fighting for the cause of ethnic Burmese. They are fighting only for democracy

and human rights. This is because of their situation.

They are not suffering from national oppression and facing assimilation issue. They fight against

military dictatorship only. Unlike us, they don’t need to fight for national liberation and national

rights. You don’t have ethnic Burmese organisations fighting for the cause of ethnic Burmese.

Q: Ethnic groups had the Mae Tha Raw Tha Agreement in 1997-98. Is your current plan

related to this agreement or different from it?

A: Yes, they are interrelated. Ethnic people held a seminar in Mae Tha Raw Tha in 1997. At

that time, we held the meeting as a seminar. Now we intend to hold a conference. But the

objective of a federal state will be the same.

Q: Will you include domestic non-armed ethnic political parties in the conference?

A: I think the domestic ethnic political parties cannot come and join us. According to their

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situation, their political movement works only inside the country. They are calling for a second

Panglong conference. They are conducting their movement in this fashion. So their movement

is different from ours.

Q: Even so, among the many armed ethnic groups, you now have only six groups in yourorganization, the CEFU. How will you attract more groups?

A: We will invite all political and armed ethnic organisations when we can convene this

conference by integrating both the NDF and the ENC. Our plan is to unite all the ethnic

organisations on the border into a strong, single organisation.

Q: Is Mae Tha Raw Tha the only effort by ethnic people in consolidating themselves? Are

there others?

A: As far as I can remember, there was one such meeting in 1976 held in Manerpalaw. At thismeeting, 13 organisations attended and formed the NDF. Since then, our sole goal and

objective is the emergence of a federal union, not secession.

Q: Can you describe the ethnic conference held in Taunggyi in 1961?

A: The 1961 Taunggyi conference was mainly for the implementation of the federal principle.

The ethnic people were joined in an independence struggle. The Panglong agreement was

achieved by the ethnic Chin, Kachin and Shan just before regaining independence from Britain.

But this agreement could never be implemented and the ethnic people became, in effect, a

colony under the Burmese people. So the Taunggyi conference was held to look for waysforward and to maintain a unity among all ethnic people. The conference was held to implement

an agreement in building unity and to live as brethren on the basis of equality when we regained

independence. This is also the federal principle.

Q: Your NMSP is a cease-fire group. Now you plan to join with non-ceasefire ethnic

armed groups who are waging war against the regime. Is there more military tension in

your control area because of this?

A: Our cease-fire agreement with the regime has been void since September 1, 2010. They do

not recognise it anymore. We have to stand our own now, and we have to join with allied forces.

Q: How do you see the future?

A: Ethnic people will continue to call for a federal system of government. The regime cannot

resolve the ethnic issues through military means. Military means have been used for more than

60 years and it cannot destroy even one armed group. In 1947, Bogyoke Aung San tried to

resolve the ethnic issues based on national equality and self-determination as the basic

principle of the Panglong Conference. Everybody would be happy if the same attitude and the

same approach could actually be implemented in coordination with the new government.

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Committee for Emergence of a Federal Union (CEFU)-‘We must speak in one voice’