Kachin meets Naypyitaw’s peace delegation
Photo: @KLN
Kachin group and the authorities of Myanmar has come up with three rounds of discussions in previous months in an effort to deal with the warfare and struggle that is existing in the far north.
Last Wednesday, Aung Min who is the Railways Minister together with his staff met with the group of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA), its armed wing as disclosed by Colonel James Lum Dau , KIO deputy foreign affairs chief.
The main objective of the meeting which was held in Maijayang, a rebel infested area is geared to improve and bolster the connection involving the negotiating panels. Furthermore, on the side of the rebel groups they wanted to obtain larger independence for their state, according to AFP report.
An official of the government has verified the meeting even while the President has reshuffled the peace arbitrators last May. With this important move initiated by both parties, progress is definitely indicative.
According to Lum Dau, Aung Min this time learned and realized that just before they are able to acknowledge anything the partnership ought to be strengthened. The meeting between the two concerned parties occurred in the middle of continues stories of intense fighting of the Myanmar army and the insurgents which brought thousands of people seeking refuge since a 17 year ceasefire did not worked this June of last year.
Civil warfare and struggle in different regions of Myanmar came into existence after independence in 1948. As part of the reforms, the government is determined to prioritize peace treaties with various ethnic insurgent communities which began last year. Also foreign nations demand to put a stop to violence, abuse and hostilities.
Situation in Kachin state is continuing even though the President has ordered the army to cease with the fighting. At this point queries were brought up on whether or not the head has complete power and authority over armed service units.
Comments
Comment on Kachin and Burmese military negotiation:-
In making negotiation with the Kachin, Chin and federated Shan state, Karen state and Kaya State etc.., what the Burmese military government should not forget is that British had annexed the Burmese kingdom in 1885 and also annexed as independent territory federated Shan States, Kachin Hills and Chin Hills outside the kingdom of Burma and ruled those three as Burma Frontier Areas (BFA) outside the Burmese Ministerial or the Provincial government of Burma.
The present UN Charter has made a provision that after WWII no country was to rule as colony country any territory that was a distinct people different from the colonist countries. India and Burma under the provision were to take independence from the British 1947/1948. The Burma Frontier Area (BFA) territories did not asked for independence and the British colonist were not to have any colony country under it under the UN Charter provision.
So the British government was to give Burma Frontier Areas (BFA) to the UN Trusteeship system according to the UN Charter. Burmese delegation led by General AungSan even put up to the British government that since the UN was to assign other independent countries as the Trust country of the BFA, Burma which was going to be independent country then was the most suitable country to be assigned by the UN as the Trust county of the BFA. The British and General Aung San, the leader of the Burmese delegation thus made an agreement to held Panglong conference to ask the leaders of the BFA on what they desire for their territories after WWII.
General AungSan promised before Panglong Conference the BFA leaders to form the country constitution in the form of federal Union if the BFA took Independence with the Burma Ministerial and promised them too that they could secede any time if the BFA territories were not happy with the federal Union. That was the reason why there were secession clauses in the Constitution of the Union of Burma 1947.
In trusting him, the BFA leaders signed an Agreement known as Panglong Agreement to be immediately free from colonialism and form a new country including the BFA territories and the Burmese ministerial territories to be known as Union of Burma. Here it is to make clear that a new country formed of BFA territories and the Burmese Ministerial is no longer Burma, but it is “Union of Burma” and the name is adopted up to now even in the 2008 constitution. So if it is thought that to write the name Union of Burma is too long it should be abbreviated as U.B., like UN, UK, and US. It should no longer be Burma as Burma was the name only for the kingdom of Burma historically.
General Aung San was assassinated with all his cabinet members of the Interim government of Burma on July 19, 1947. His successor without following the federal form of constitutional Framework, which General Aung San had made adopted at the ruling AFPFL Party convention then, was discarded and the constitution of the Union of Burma 1947 was adopted in Unitary form in which the three Territories of BFA were made into colony territories of the Burmese Territory with the territories of Karenni and the Karen who ratified the Panglong Agreement after it was signed by the four territories Chin, Kachin, Shan and The Burmese Ministerial to be all dominated by the Burmese ministerial as the ruler of the BFA and the other 2 territories as colonies states of the Burmese ministerial in the constitution of the Union of Burma 1947.
The constitution was proposed in 1962 to be amended according to the constitution amendment provisions provided in the constitution of 1947 itself in federal form according to the Panglong Agreement at which General Ne Win took power from the constitutional Government declaring falsely that federalism was disintegration and secession of the Union. From then onward a socialist one party system constitution was adopted in 1974 in a very rigid form of unitary form of constitution and it was abolished by the Burman /Burmese Military regime themselves in 1988.
The constitution of 2008 has been readopted in which the form of constitution is likened federal form but abolish all the federal nature by making the two chambers of Parliament to pass any law in joint seating and by giving very little of legislative power to the states in the State legislative list in the constitution.
The 2008 constitution was also made to legalize militarism rule in the country in which the Chief of staff of the country armed force, the army, was made to take power legally when he thinks there was no security for the continued rule of the militarism and unelected army officers were made members of Parliament for that purpose both in the Lower House and Upper House of the Parliament in the constitution 2008. This is totally against the democracy Principles and against human rights which all the democratic countries are to oppsed it with the democratic forces of the people of the Union of Burma(U.B).
What we have to make distinguished here also is the Union of Burma is not a Union of mixing distinct people in fluid population of a country from the beginning, but it is the Union of different territories of different people with their respective clear-cut boundaries of territories to form a federal Union country so that each different people should all be self-governing territories within their respective territories.
If the constitution of the Union of Burma is not a federal form of constitution in which the constituent states hare not self-government territories with their respective own constitution of states in harmony of the federal constitution, having enough legislative power, executive power and judicial power as much as they desires for their respective territories, there will not be peace in the country.
Thus no territories of the union constituent states are to give up their full rights to be self-governing territory in their respective territoryies to make realized that the Union of Burma is not a union of different people mixed in fluid population, in the country. But it is a union of different territories in clear-cut boundaries of different territories of different people.
All states are to keep on fighting unless the Burmese military government agree to give to the seven states and other territories each a full self-governing territories of states in the federal Union. and federalism is not disintegration of the Union.
Lian Uk
June 23, 2012 at 10:10 pm