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Federalism, ethnic conflict and the politics of national reconciliation

  • The Peace Processes

    Individual Documents

    Title: Midwifing a Burmese peace
    Date of publication: 08 March 2012
    Description/subject: "The government of President Thein Sein has had considerable success in wooing Western countries with a flurry of reforms. A transition to peaceful democracy, however, will be simply impossible without overcoming decades of mistrust and acrimony between the state and armed ethnic groups. Third-party mediation, whether through the U.N. or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), is the way forward.Representatives of the government recently signed agreements with the United Wa State Army, the National Democratic Alliance Army, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, the Restoration Council of Shan State, the Chin National Front, the Karen National Union, the Shan State Progress Party and the New Mon State Party. Despite these agreements, and promises by the regime to follow up with development projects and parliamentary discussion, some groups refuse to negotiate and violence continues. Kachin state is currently experiencing its worst fighting in decades in some areas, with continuing reports of gross human rights abuses by the military against ethnic minorities..."
    Author/creator: Eva Kusuma Sundari
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Wall Street Journal" via Burmanet News
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 01 September 2012


  • Ethnic Nationalities Council (Union of Burma)

    Websites/Multiple Documents

    Title: Ethnic Nationalities Council (Union of Burma) website
    Description/subject: "The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) was originally established as the “Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee” (ENSCC) in August 2001. It was entrusted with the task of fostering unity and cooperation between all ethnic nationalities in preparation for a ‘Tripartite Dialogue” and a transition to democracy. The National Democratic Front (NDF) and the United Nationalities League for Democracy – Liberated Area (UNLD-LA) who co-founded the ENSCC, resolved that the ENSCC would: * Undertake pro-active and constructive actions to bring about a peaceful resolution to the political conflict in Burma through a dialogue process involving the SPDC, the NLD led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the ethnic nationalities, as dialogue partners; * Consult widely, cooperate, and work closely with all stakeholders in Burma and with the international community, international bodies and agencies, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations, to resolve the grave humanitarian crisis in Burma, which most seriously effect the ethnic nationality populations; * Strive to facilitate an orderly and peaceful democratic transition in Burma, and to rebuild the country in accordance with the spirit of Panglong, based on the principle of Equality, Self-determination, Democracy, and Justice..." ... publicatoins, statments, fonts, draft constitutione, activities etc.
    Language: English, Burmese,
    Source/publisher: Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC)
    Format/size: html, pdf
    Date of entry/update: 15 August 2006


    Individual Documents

    Title: Discrimination, Conflict and Corruption: The Ethnic States of Burma
    Date of publication: 02 November 2011
    Description/subject: Executive Summary: "Since achieving independence in January 1948, successive Burmese governments, elected and military dictatorships, have sought to address the complex issues involving the country’s many ethnic groups. They have sought to do this primarily through confronting a perceived separatist agenda pursued by the many ethnic groups who have taken up arms against the various governments. However, ethnic groups have called for a genuine federal union based upon the principles of equality for all of the country’s citizens. It is this that is the motivating factor behind the continuation of armed struggle, as central Burmese administrations have refused to concede to the political grievances of the ethnic groups. Now that a new, ostensibly civilian, government has taken over the administration of the country, the time has come for new efforts to fully understand the current problems affecting the ethnic groups and to re-evaluate those previous strategies that have continued to perpetuate armed conflict. While armed conflict has become a dominant factor among the problems affecting ethnic peoples, it is not the only one. Wide-scale discrimination against ethnic groups, prevalent corruption, and human rights abuses have continued throughout the decades of civil war. The Governments of Burma, especially from 1962 until 2010, have pursued only a military solution to what is primarily a political problem, and have consequently given ethnic groups no other option but to engage in armed struggle. Ethnic citizens, therefore, have been regarded as possible insurgents without just cause. They have been discriminated against up to the present day. While the ceasefire agreements of the late eighties and early nineties have characterised some of the achievements that could be found by co-operating with the Military Government’s framework, they still failed to alleviate poverty and inequality for most of the ethnic populations. Many of those groups who had not totally supported the military government’s line found the original concessions that they had been granted gradually eroded. The fact that the previous Military Government’s response to the ceasefire groups call for equal recognition led to the coerced creation of Border Guard Forces (BGF), in which ethnic armed forces accepted Burma Army authority, demonstrated that the military still did not understand what was needed for the ethnic groups to realise their aspirations and did not trust them to be equal members of the union. While the new government has made a number of concessions to reform laws and instil democratic values, it must recognise the equality of all peoples of the country. The failure of the BGF programme, the resumption of war in 2011 in Kachin State and the widening of conflict in Shan and Karen States clearly show that the ethnic issue needs to be addressed not by military force but by political compromise. It is this solution that must recognise and redress the inequality that many of the ethnic minority populati on feel."
    Author/creator: Paul Keenan
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Strategic Studies Department, Ethnic Nationalities Council - Union of Burma
    Format/size: pdf (592K - OBL version; 698K - original)
    Alternate URLs: http://www.encburma.net/images/files/publications/Discrimination-Conflict-and-Corruption-Report-1.pdf">http://www.encburma.net/images/files/publications/Discrimination-Conflict-and-Corruption-Report-1.p...
    http://www.encburma.net
    Date of entry/update: 02 November 2011


  • Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee (ENSCC)
    (now merged into the Ethnic Nationalities Council)

    Individual Documents

    Title: Road map for rebuilding the Pyi-Daung-Su Myanmar Naing-Ngan-Daw Union of Burma
    Date of publication: 02 September 2003
    Description/subject: "... in spirit of Panglong, we are committed to national reconciliation and to the rebuilding of the Union as equal partners in the process. We believe that in order to establish a stable, peaceful and prosperous nation, the process of rebuilding the Union must be based on a democratic process which includes the following basic principles: 1. A peaceful resolution of crisis in the Union 2. The resolution of political problems through political dialogue 3. Respect for the will of the people, 4. The recognition and protection of the rights of all citizens of the Union, 5. The recognition and protection of the identity,language, religion, and culture rights all of nationalities, 6. The recognition and protection of the rights of the constituent states of the Union through a federal arrangement. Therefore, in the interest of the nation, we recommend a two-stage process to generate confidence in the transition to democracy:..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee Union of Burma (ENSCC)
    Format/size: html (13K)
    Date of entry/update: 30 September 2003


    Title: ENSCC: Statement on the Release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
    Date of publication: 09 May 2002
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (10k)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC : The Constitutional Crisis
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: "After the end of the Second World War, the leaders of the various ethnic nationalities met in 1946 in Panglong to deliberate the possibility of a future together after the proposed withdrawal of British protection. General Aung San, the Burman leader of the independence struggle in Ministerial Burma participated in the 2nd Panglong Conference in February 1947. He proposed that the separate ethnic homelands in the Frontier Areas be joined to Ministerial Burma as equal partners in a ‘Union of Burma’ to hasten the process of achieving independence from Britain..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: htmlo (14K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC Mission Statement
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: 1. Background History, Mandate and Mission; 2. Dialogue Strategy; 2.1. Tripartite Dialogue; 2.2. Ethnic Nationalities Conference; 2.3. International Lobby Trips; 2.4.Panglong Initiative: More Concrete Plan (on Humanitarian Aid, Cease Fire, and Political Dialogue); 3.1. Tactics & Strategy : Federalism vs. Independence; 3.2. The Mode of Representation: States- or Ethnic-based?; 4. Statement on the Release of Daw Aung Suu Kyi(Date: 9 May 2002); 5. The ENSCC Committee Members; Appendix: SCC Position on Humanitarian Aid: Decision made at the SCC meeting held in January 2001.
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee
    Format/size: html (77K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC Policy paper: The New Panglong Initiative - Re-building the Union of Burma
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: "Preamble: Over five decades ago, while our leaders were meeting in Panglong to deliberate the possibility of a future together after the proposed withdrawal of British protection, General Aung San, the Burman leader of the independence struggle in Ministerial Burma arrived. He instead proposed that our separate homelands in the Frontier Areas be joined to Ministerial Burma as equal partners in a new ‘Union of Burma’ to hasten the process of achieving independence from Britain. On 11 February 1947, he said: The dream of a unified and free Burma has always haunted me … We who are gathered here tonight are engaged in the pursuit of the same dream.… We have in Burma many indigenous peoples: the Karen, the Kachin, the Shan, the Chin, the Burmans and others… In other countries too there are many indigenous peoples, many “races.”… Thus “races” do not have rigid boundaries. Religion is no barrier either, for it is a matter of individual conscience… If we want the nation to prosper, we must pool our resources, manpower, wealth, skills and work together. If we are divided, the Karen, the Shan, the Kachin, the Chin, the Burman, the Mon and the Arakanese, each pulling in a different direction, the Union will be torn, and we will come to grief. Let us unite and work together. Our forefathers agreed and the Panglong Agreement came into being, providing a legal framework within which the different ethnic peoples would cooperate as equals. The Aung San-Attlee Agreement, which paved the way for Burma’s independence, had called for the “unification of the Frontier Areas and Ministerial Burma with the free consent of those areas.” The Panglong Agreement, therefore, became the basis for the 1947 Union Constitution and the Republic of the Union of Burma gained independence in 1948. We, the representatives of the Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon and Shan peoples, therefore, in the spirit of Panglong, are putting forward our vision of how our peoples can once again work together voluntarily as equals with the Burmans to rebuild the Republic of the Union of Burma, which has been devastated by five decades of war..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (36K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC: Humanitarian Aid
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: "In order to rebuild the Union of Burma, any ‘Transitional Authority’ will face tremendous challenges. It cannot convene a new ‘Panglong Conference’ or ‘Constitutional Convention’, without also dealing with the huge problems facing the nation – both economic and social..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (13K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC: Tripartite Dialogue
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: "A 'Tripartite Dialogue' is usually understood to mean a dialogue amongst three parties: the military government (SPDC), the democracy forces (NLD) and the ethnic nationalities. The notion of 'Tripartite Dialogue', therefore, highlights the indispensable participation of the ethnic nationalities in political transition and national reconciliation processes..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (14K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC: Vision for the Future
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: "The ENSCC firmly believe that the crisis in the Union of Burma today is rooted in a political problem, specifically a constitutional one – the non-adherence to the spirit of Panglong. The ENSCC believes that differences can be overcome through political means, i.e. through political dialogue, negotiations and compromise. The ENSCC, therefore, welcomes the current ‘Talks’ between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (13K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Co-operation Committee [history and composition]
    Date of publication: 2002
    Description/subject: 'The "Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Co-operation Committee" (ENSCC) was formed in August 2001 to co-ordinate the work of the following non-Burman political groupings: § National Democratic Front (NDF), § United Nationalities League for Democracy - Liberated Area (UNLD-LA), § Non-ceasefire groups like the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and § Ceasefire groups...'
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (39K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Law Khii Lah Statement (August 2001)
    Date of publication: 30 August 2001
    Description/subject: Law Khii Lah Statement - Translation ETHNIC NATIONALITIES SEMINAR 2001 (30 August 2001) "Ethnic nationalities leaders from major organizations met at Law Khii Lah, Kawthoolei, in August 2001, and discussed the need for unity and closer cooperation. The leaders agreed on the need to strengthen the unity of the ethnic nationalities and a working committee, the Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee (ENSCC), was established. The Committee was entrusted with the task of fostering unity and cooperation between all ethnic nationalities and to promote a peaceful political settlement in Burma through a ‘Tripartite Dialogue’..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (26K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: ENSCC: Rationale for the New Panglong Initiative
    Date of publication: August 2001
    Description/subject: WHY REBUILD THE UNION OF BURMA?... Introduction: "‘Secret Talks’ between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), and the generals of the State peace and Development Council (SPDC) began in October 2000, and is still on-going. To date, no substantive matters have been discussed. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has in the past said that she will not make decisions without broader consultations and that she supports United Nations General Assembly resolutions calling for a ‘Tripartite Dialogue’ involving the military, the democracy forces and the non-Burman ethnic peoples.1 The international community very much wants the ‘Secret Talks’ to succeed and develop further into a political dialogue, which will bring about change in Burma. The UN Special Envoy has visited Burma four times since mid-2000 and is about to make another visit in August 2001. Most countries agree that a ‘Tripartite Dialogue’ is needed. However, there is the possibility that the ‘Secret Talks’ could break down. The fact that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi did not attend the 19 July Martyrs’ Day Ceremony signals that all is not well despite the SPDC’s assurances to the contrary..."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: ENSCC
    Format/size: html (42K)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


  • Federal and State constitutions
    For the past few years, groups from Burma's seven States have been drafting State Constitutions. These are all in draft form and will be updated in this library when new versions become available. What is important in comparing these texts with the principles produced by the SPDC's "National" Convention is that these drafts are rights-based, including the right to popular participation, and federal in conception. On the other hand, the SPDC "Fundamental Principles and Detailed Basic Principles" which may be considered a pre-draft constitution, are authoritarian and unitary.

    • Federal and State constitutions (texts)

      Individual Documents

      Title: Shan State Constitution (2nd Draft)
      Date of publication: 20 September 2008
      Description/subject: Contents: Foreword for the second draft (A- C)... Preamble... Chapter One Chief Characteristics ... Chapter Two Bill of Rights, Guarantees and Duties ... Chapter Three Member sub-states of Shan State ... Chapter Four Shan State Congress ... Chapter Five Shan State Legislation ... Chapter Six Shan State President ... Chapter Seven Shan State Government ... Chapter Eight Shan State Judiciary ... Chapter Nine Citizenship ... Chapter Ten State Defense and Security Forces ... Chapter Eleven State of Emergency ... Chapter Twelve General Provisions ... Chapter Thirteen Transitional Provisions ... Chapter Fourteen Amendment of the Constitution ... Appendix (1) Shan State Flag (Article 76)... Appendix (2) Shan State Anthem (Article 179) - 3 -... Appendix (3) Structure of Shan State.
      Language: Burmese, English
      Source/publisher: Shan State Constitution Drafting Commission (SSCDC)
      Format/size: pdf (681K)
      Date of entry/update: 06 May 2009


      Title: The Fifth Draft of Chinland Constitution
      Date of publication: 2008
      Description/subject: PART ONE:(1)Preamble..(2)Part One:The territory of Chinland..(3)Part Two:Presiding Ideals..(4) Part Three:Individual Rights..(5) Part Four:Individual Duties..(6) Part Five:Language..(7) Part Six:Chin Ethnicity and Culture..(8) Part Seven:Citizenship..(9) Part Eight:Suffrage.. (10) Part Nine:The Legislature (11)Part Ten:The Executive..(12)Part Eleven:The Judiciary..(13)Part Twelve:Administration..(14)Part Thirteen:The Civil Service Commission..(15)Part Fourteen:Impeachment..(16)Part Fifteen:Local Government..(17)Part Sixteen:Finance, Revenue, and Taxation..(18)Part Seventeen:Public Education..(19)Part Eighteen:Public Health..(20)Part Nineteen:Public Welfare..(21)Part Twenty:Culture and Media..(22)Party Twenty-One:State Armed Forces..(23)Part Twenty-Two:State of Emergency..(24)Part Twenty-Three:General Provision..(25)Part Twenty-Four:Inter-State and State-Federal Relations..(26)Part Twenty-Five:Amendment of Constitution..(27)Part Twenty-Six:Ratification..... PART TWO:Suppression of Chin National Movement for Federalism..... PART THREE:(i)The Chin Forum Managing Board (CFMB)... (ii) Chin Forum Chronology of Events
      Language: English
      Source/publisher: The Chin Forum
      Format/size: pdf (1.11 MB)
      Date of entry/update: 16 September 2010


      Title: Karenni State: Second Draft Constitution
      Date of publication: 2007
      Description/subject: 1. The Emergence of Karenni State Constitution; 2. Introduction; 3. Preamble; 4. The Attributes of the Karenni State; 5. The Basic rights; 6. The Structure of the Karenni State; 7. The Chambers of the State Parliament; 8. The Karenni State Legislation Process; 9. The State Government; 10. The Judiciary; 11. Financial Ordinances; 12. Citizenship; 13. Maintaining Customs its Chieftains; 14. Institution of the Commissions; 15. Amending of the Constitution; 16. National Emergency Law; 17. National Defense; 18. Police Force; 19. National Economy. N. B. the text is undated. We have guessed at a date in 2007.
      Language: English, Burmese
      Source/publisher: Karenni State Constitution Drafting Committee
      Format/size: pdf (522K)
      Date of entry/update: 23 September 2007


      Title: Draft Constitution of Future Rahmonya Mon State
      Date of publication: December 2006
      Description/subject: THE FORMATION OF RAHMONYA MON STATE; THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE; THE STATE PARLIAMENT AND THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENT; ELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HOUSE OF RAHMONYA MON STATE PARLIAMENT; RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RAHMONYA MON STATE AND FEDERAL UNION; RAHMONYA MON STATE GOVERNMENT; LEGISATION (MAKING LAWS); THE JUDICIALSYSTEM OF RAHMONYA MON STATE; PUBLIC SERVANTS; NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT; EDUCATION; WORKERS; HEALTH; FINANCE AND TREASURY; TAXATION AND REVENUES; THE ECONOMY; DEFENCE AND SECURITY; SOCIAL SECURITY; FARMERS (INCLUDING GARDENERS, CULTIVATORS ETC.); ETHNIC GROUPS OR RACES OF RAHMONYA MON STATE; PUBLIC RELATIONS; AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION;
      Language: Burmese and English
      Format/size: pdf (361K)
      Date of entry/update: 18 September 2007


      Title: The Second Proposed Draft of Future Constitution of Kawthoolei (Karen State)
      Date of publication: 08 August 2006
      Description/subject: Table of Contents: Bill of Rights; General Provisions; Legislature; Executive; Judiciary; Suffrage and Elections; Local Government; Finance and Taxation; Education; Amendments; Miscellaneous.
      Language: English, Burmese
      Source/publisher: Karen State Constitution Drafting Committee (SCDC)
      Format/size: pdf (222K)
      Date of entry/update: 23 September 2007


      Title: Shan State Constitution, First Draft
      Date of publication: 24 May 2006
      Description/subject: CONTENT Forward; Preamble; Founding Provision; Supremacy of Constitution... CHAPTER [1] Characteristics; Name: Shan State; Supremacy of Constitution; Citizenship; National Flag; National Anthem; National Capital; Nation Seals; A multi-ethnic Nation/State... CHAPTER [2] Bill of Rights; Human dignity; Freedom and Security; Religion and belief; Freedom of expression and information; Freedom of Assembly; Freedom of Association; Freedom of movement and residence; Freedom of trade; Labor Rights; Land and property ownership rights; Right to environmental protection; The right to informed choice; The right to be served by the Public Institutions; Rights Abuse Prevention Measure; Human Rights Promotion Measure; The rights to recall and impeachment; Duty and Responsibility of Citizens and Civil Society Organizations; Duty of Media and its Responsibility; Rights of differently able people; Rights of people to initiate legislation... CHAPTER [3] Legislature... CHAPTER [4] Legislative Powers; National Congress; Legislative Powers of National Congress; Formation of House of Nationalities; Exclusive legislative power; Ordinary Bills; Formation of House of People’s Representatives; Legislative Power of House of People’s Representatives; State Constitution (Constituent State); Special Provision; Formation of the State Legislature; Legislative Power [Const State]; House of National Ethnics; Formation of State House of People’s Representatives; Legislative powers provided for the State House of People’s ; Representatives; Legislative powers provided for the Sub-States and ; Autonomous Regions; Local Government; Municipal of Township Administration; Village Tract Administration; Village Administration... CHAPTER [5] National Executive. Federal Union Executive; Constituent State’s Executive... CHAPTER [6] Judicial Power [Judiciary]... CHAPTER [7] General Provisions; Note: Spread out to other chapters/provisions... CHAPTER [8] The amendment of the constitution.
      Language: English
      Source/publisher: Shan State Constitution Drafting Commission
      Format/size: pdf (244K)
      Date of entry/update: 18 September 2007


      Title: Kachin State Constitution (Draft)
      Date of publication: 2006
      Description/subject: Contents: Chapter (1) Kachin State; Chapter (2) Fundamental Rights and Freedoms; Chapter (3) Kachin State Legislative Assembly; Chapter (4) Kachin State Government; Chapter (5) Suffrage and Elections; Chapter (6) Judiciary; Chapter (7) Inter-Governmental Relations; Chapter (8) Emergencies; Chapter (9) General Provisions; Chapter (10) Transitional Provisions; Chapter (11) Amendment of the Constitution.
      Language: English, Burmese
      Source/publisher: Kachin State Constitution Drafting Committee
      Format/size: pdf (513K)
      Date of entry/update: 03 October 2007


      Title: THE FOURTH INITIAL DRAFT OF CONSTITUTION OF CHINLAND
      Date of publication: May 2004
      Description/subject: á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းဖွဲ့စည်းပုံအá€á€¼á€á€¶á€™á€°á€€á€¼á€™á€ºá€¸(á„): "အပိုင်း(á)á€á€»á€„်းအမျိုးသားများáနောက်á€á€¶á€žá€™á€­á€¯á€„်းများ" (á)á€á€»á€„်းအမျိုးသားများáနိုင်ငံရေးနှင့်လူမှုရေး နောက်á€á€¶á€žá€™á€­á€¯á€„်းအကျဉ်း (á‚)နိုင်ငံရေးနောက်á€á€¶á€žá€™á€­á€¯á€„်း (áƒ)á€á€»á€„်းလူမျိုးá€á€­á€¯á€·áလွá€á€ºá€œá€•်သောနိုင်ငံá€á€Šá€ºá€‘ောင်ပိုင်á€á€½á€„့် (á„)ပြည်ထောင်စုမြန်မာနိုင်ငံ ဖွဲ့စည်းမှု အဖွဲ့á€á€„်အဖြစ်á€á€»á€„်းလူမျိုးများပါá€á€„်á€á€¼á€„်း (á…)အင်္ဂလိပ်အုပ်á€á€»á€¯á€•်မှုမá€á€­á€¯á€„်á€á€„်လွá€á€ºá€œá€•်သော á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းနှင့် ယနေ့á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်း (á†)á€á€»á€„်းလူမှုရေးနှင့်ယဉ်ကျေးမှုနောက်á€á€¶á€žá€™á€­á€¯á€„်း "အပိုင်း(á‚)ဖက်ဒရယ်ပြည်ထောင်စုပြန်လည်á€á€Šá€ºá€†á€±á€¬á€€á€ºá€›á€”် á€á€»á€„်းအမျိုးသားများáá€á€±á€¬á€„်းဆိုá€á€»á€€á€ºá€™á€»á€¬á€¸" (á)ပြည်ထောင်စုမြန်မာနိုင်ငံအားဖက်ဒရယ်ပြည်ထောင်စုအဖြစ် ပြန်လည် ဖွဲ့စည်းá€á€¼á€„်း (á‚)ဖက်ဒရယ်ပြည်ထောင်စုပြန်လည်ဖွဲ့စည်းနိုင်ရေး အá€á€¼á€±á€á€¶á€žá€˜á€±á€¬á€á€›á€¬á€¸á€™á€»á€¬á€¸ (áƒ)á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းဖွဲ့စည်းပုံအá€á€¼á€±á€á€¶á€¥á€•ဒေနှင့်အစိုးရဖွဲ့စည်းပုံများ "အပိုင်း(áƒ)á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းဖွဲ့စည်းအုပ်á€á€»á€¯á€•်ပုံမူကြမ်း" (á)á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းဖွဲ့စည်းအုပ်á€á€»á€¯á€•်ပုံအá€á€¼á€±á€á€¶á€¥á€•ဒေနိဒါန်း (á‚)á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းပိုင်နက်နယ်မြေ (áƒ)á€á€»á€„်းပြည်သူá€á€­á€¯á€·áဆန္ဒ (á„)á€á€žá€®á€¸á€•ုဂ္ဂလအá€á€½á€„့် အရေးများ (á…)á€á€žá€®á€¸á€•ုဂ္ဂလá€á€¬á€á€”်များ (á†)á€á€»á€„်းနိုင်ငံသားဖြစ်မှုနှင့် အမျိုးသားရေး (á‡)ရွေးကောက်á€á€„်မြောက်á€á€¼á€„်း (áˆ)ဥပဒေပြုရေး (á‰)အုပ်á€á€»á€¯á€•်ရေး (áá€)á€á€›á€¬á€¸á€…ီရင်ရေး (áá)အုပ်á€á€»á€¯á€•်ရေး (စီမံá€á€”့်á€á€½á€²á€›á€±á€¸) (áá‚)ပြည်သူ့á€á€”်ထမ်းကော်မရှင် (ááƒ)ရာထူးမှဖယ်ရှားá€á€¼á€„်း (áá„)ဒေသန္á€á€›á€¡á€…ိုးရ (áá…)ဘá€á€¹á€á€¬á€›á€±á€¸áŠá€¡á€€á€±á€¬á€€á€ºá€á€½á€”်နှင့် ဘá€á€¹á€á€¬á€á€±á€¬á€º (áá†)ပြည်သူ့ပညာရေး (áá‡)ပြည်သူ့ကျန်းမာရေး (ááˆ)ပြည်သူ့လူမှုဖူလုံရေး (áá‰)ယဉ်ကျေးမှုနှင့် လူထု ဆက်သွယ်ရေး (á‚á€)á€á€»á€„်းလဲန်းလက်နက်ကိုင်အဖွဲ့ (á‚á)အထွေထွေဥပဒေများ (á‚á‚)ပြည်နယ်များနှင့် ပြည်နယ်ဖက်ဒရယ်ဆက်ဆံမှု (á‚áƒ)ပြင်ဆင်ဖြည့်စွက်á€á€¼á€„်းáŠá€¡á€á€»á€€á€ºá€•ို (á)
      Language: á€™á€¼á€”်မာဘာသာ/အင်္ဂလိပ်ဘာသာ
      Source/publisher: The Chin Forum
      Format/size: pdf (434 KB)
      Alternate URLs: http://www.chinforum.org/cfconstitutions/4th_cc_eng_bur.pdf (Burmese&English)
      http://www.chinforum.org/cfconstitutions/4th_chin_con.pdf (English)
      Date of entry/update: 15 September 2010


      Title: Arakan State Constitution (The First Proposed Draft)
      Date of publication: 2004
      Description/subject: Preamble: The Constitution of Arakan State is instituted for the preservation of a united and durable Arakan Nation; and for every citizen to be fulfilled in justice, life, liberty, prosperity, respect, dignity, kindness, tradition, and faith... Part One: Bill of Rights; Part 2: Formation of the State;Part 3: Provision of citizenship; Part 4: Provision of Voting Rights and Creation of Constituency: Part 5: Administrative power; procedure for the transfer of power; Part 6: Legislative Power; Part 7: Judicial; Part 8: State Government Administration.
      Language: Burmese, English
      Source/publisher: Arakan State Constitution Drafting Committee (Arakan National Council)
      Format/size: pdf (662K)
      Date of entry/update: 03 October 2007


  • Federalism, ethnic conflict and the politics of national reconciliation - general studies and sources

    Websites/Multiple Documents

    Title: Burma Lawyers' Council website
    Description/subject: Contains a number of Burma law-related documents including the BLC journal of "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" (English) and "Journal of Constitutional Affairs" (Burmese) as well as texts in English and/or Burmese of laws/decrees, constitutions and associated documents. The BLC site is down at the moment (permanently?) but the BLC archive is acessible to 2011 in Archive.org via the primary link here.
    Language: English, Burmese
    Source/publisher: Burma Lawyers' Council (BLC)
    Format/size: html
    Alternate URLs: http://www.blc-burma.org/
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Council for Democracy in Burma
    Description/subject: "The next generation of leadership for a truly democratic Burma."
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Council for Democracy in Burma
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 17 May 2012


    Title: The Forum of Federations,
    Description/subject: "The Forum of Federations, “an international network on federalismâ€, seeks to strengthen democratic governance by promoting dialogue on and understanding of the values, practices, principles, and possibilities of federalism..." Includes a link to the International Conference on Federalism, St Gallen, Switzerland, August 2002.
    Language: English
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Individual Documents

    Title: From Kings, Colonies and Nations: Lessons from Ethiopia in Building Multination Federalism in Burma
    Date of publication: 2009
    Description/subject: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Studies, the University of Auckland, 2009....Abstract: "This study evaluates whether the adoption of an ethnic-based federal system in Burma, as proposed by core opposition groups, could lead to a sustainable peace after the end of the military dictatorship. This is approached through a comparison with Ethiopia. Ethiopia was chosen because it is the only recent example of an attempt to establish a fully ethnic-based federal system after a civil war. A critical examination of Ethiopian and Burmese histories highlights key problems arising from competing narratives of state and nation, which question the basis of the two countries. An inability to address this crisis of state identity and history is a key factor in sustaining separatist conflict in Ethiopia, despite the remaking of the state into a multination federation that provides constitutional guarantees for ethnic self-determination. A similar problem seems likely arise in Burma during and after a democratic transition if questions of history and state identity are not addressed. Another key lesson from the Ethiopian experience is the possibility of territorial federalism contributing to a further ethnicisation of conflicts over land and resources, a problem that might be alleviated through non-territorial autonomy. Multination federalism may offer an alternative solution to the problem of protection for minority groups in countries like Burma and Ethiopia that have already experienced the trauma of failed nation-building projects. But lessons from the failings of Ethiopian federalism suggest the need for further measures to prevent violent disintegration in Burma if this direction is pursued there."
    Author/creator: David Fisher Gilbert
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: University of Auckland
    Format/size: pdf (2.1MB)
    Date of entry/update: 11 August 2012


    Title: Federalism and Ethnic Issues in Burma: Selected Political Writings, 1988-2008.
    Date of publication: 2008
    Author/creator: Lian H. Sakhong
    Language: Burmese
    Source/publisher: Chiang Mai: Wadina Press
    Format/size: pdf (1.3MB) - 389 pages
    Date of entry/update: 15 April 2010


    Title: How not to Grant Autonomy
    Date of publication: June 2006
    Description/subject: A remote republic within Russia provides a lesson to Burma on how not to federate along ethnic lines... "Of the many oddities that Russia inherited from the erstwhile Soviet Union, this must be the most peculiar: the Jewish Autonomous Region of Birobidzhan. Located in a remote corner of the Russian Far East, it’s as far from the Land of Canaan as one could possibly get, but there it is, wedged between the Chinese border and the mountains of Khabarovsky Territory. And strange as it may seem, there may be a distant parallel with Burma’s ethnic minority situation..."
    Author/creator: Bertil Lintner
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 14, No. 6
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 29 December 2006


    Title: Divide or Rule
    Date of publication: April 2005
    Description/subject: "As the recent arrest of key Shan figures casts a cloud over the National Convention’s attempts at national integration, ethnic minority in-fighting continues to play into Rangoon’s hands Shan leaders gathered in Taunggyi on February 7 (Shan State Day) to discuss the formation of a united Burma, a “genuine federal union†in which all ethnic groups would enjoy equal rights. Also attending the meeting were prominent Burmese and Shan politicians, together with members of various quasi-political bodies including ceasefire groups. SNLD members at the National Convention in 1993 Long suspicious of Shan breakaway movements and anxious not to distract from the constitution-drafting National Convention’s reconvening on February 17, the military government moved in and over the next few days arrested several key figures. Among those taken into custody were 82-year-old leading Shan politician Shwe Ohn, Sao Hso Ten, president of Shan State Peace Council, and Hkun Htun Oo and Sai Nyunt Lwin, chairman and secretary respectively of the Shan National League for Democracy, the second largest vote getter in the 1990 election..."
    Author/creator: Nandar Chann
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 4
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 27 April 2006


    Title: Ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung? Das Nationale Versöhnungsprogramm.
    Date of publication: March 2005
    Description/subject: Die Initiative ethnischer Oppositionspolitiker von 1999 zielt auf die verstärkte Zusammenarbeit von bewaffneten und politischen Minderheitenorganisationen in Burma ab. Die Autorin fragt, ob sie die Chance hat, dem Ver-söhnungsprozess eine neue Qualität zu geben. National Reconciliation Programme, co-operation between ceasefire, non-ceasefire groups and political parties
    Author/creator: Ulrike Bey
    Language: Deutsch, German
    Source/publisher: südostasien Jg. 2005, Nr. 1, Asienhaus
    Format/size: pdf
    Date of entry/update: 10 June 2005


    Title: Burmese Politics and the Broken Unity
    Date of publication: May 2002
    Description/subject: "Recognizing Burma's diversity is the first step to achieving real unity. "I have always wanted to see unity," declared Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a recent interview with The Irrawaddy shortly after her release from house arrest. She was addressing the notion of unity among opposition groups within and outside the country, which in her eyes, are in disarray. Certainly, the current fragmentation among opposition groups does not bode well for democracy in Burma..."
    Author/creator: Aung Naing Oo
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 10, No. 4, May 2002
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Burma's Ethnic Problem is Constitutional
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "...Has Burma really been on the brink of fragmentation since independence? Are the ethnic nationalities and the politics of ethnicity the root cause of the problem? Was General Ne Win correct when he claimed in 1962 that he had to seize state power to prevent Burma from disintegration? The current State Peace and Development Council also claims that there are 135 languages and 8 major races in Burma requiring a strong centralized military to keep the country together. Is this true? ..."
    Author/creator: Harn Yawnghwe and B. K. Sen
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: The original and authoritative version of this article may be found in "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 at
    http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism and Self-Determination: Some Reflections
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "Federalism has, for many decades now, been seen an answer to the challenges posed by multi-ethnic societies the world over. In some cases, the idea has worked, while in others it manifestly has not. Where it has failed, the reasons have often lain as much with human deficiencies as with systemic shortcomings..."
    Author/creator: Venkat Iyer
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: The original and authoritative version of this article may be found in "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 at
    http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism as a Solution to the Ethnic Problem in Burma
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "From January 4, 1948, the day the Union of Burma came into existence as an independent nation, the people and their leaders have been divided over how to achieve national unity and structure their state. Until 1988, it was federal in name and theory, but unitary in practice. After five decades of political discussion, peaceful movements for secession or autonomy and warfare, the majority Burmans and most of the ethnic minorities remain disunited. From time to time efforts have been made by the Government of Burma and the minorities, either alone or in groups, to end revolt and disunity, but none have succeeded. Today, the basic problem is the same as the one the nation's founding fathers faced fifty years ago: how to construct a political system wherein diverse peoples feel free and equal, able to govern themselves in their own areas, protect and preserve their languages, cultures and traditions, while at the same time give their political loyalty to the nationstate..."
    Author/creator: Josef Silverstein
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: The original and authoritative version of this article may be found in "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 at
    http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism With A New Twist: Burma's Only Option
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "The author of the article "The Panglong Spirit Lives On" (Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe in The Irrawaddy, July 2001) argued that the guiding principle of the Panglong Accord is "unity in diversity". He raised the question as to whether there is a formula for ending Burma's decades of ethnic strife, and answered it himself with "Yes, and it is none other than the political vision that brought modern Burma into existence half a century ago". This is begging the question: what is this political vision, which is abstract in terms of people's understanding? The meaning of terminology such as "unity in diversity" is academically attractive, but in the understanding of the activists it helps little. However, Yawnghwe retrieved much of the ground lost in the struggle evolving a viable concept for the establishment of a stable Burma by stating that the major goal is the establishment of a democratic, federal Union of Burma, to be composed of self-determining states living together in equality and peace. It is argued that core issues must be addressed, and the debate has to be brought to a fruitful end..."
    Author/creator: B. K. Sen
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: The original and authoritative version of this article may be found in "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 at
    http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism, Burma and How The International Community Can Help
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "International Community can help via systematic study and consideration of the world's federations, in pursuit of an understanding of what federalism can achieve when presented with a range of entrenched political and/ or ethnic problems. The international community thus provides and becomes the backdrop, and the actor/ participants can research, inform, educate, and consider whether and in what ways federalism can provide some solutions to the crisis of governance in which they flounder. Burma has never progressed past the polarised and prevailing view of federalism, yet for so long an aspiration of many of Burma's leaders, notably the National Democratic Front (NDF) since its formation in 1976, and still today. 1 The United Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD) an umbrella political organisation of non-Burman nationalities that formed in 1989 likewise embraces federalism as a path to political, therefore constitutional settlement, that will bring peace and prosperity. 2 Until the political actors in and of Burma have this debate, its ability to resolve its political differences by political means to effect a constitutional settlement will elude them. National reconciliation will remain a catch cry..."
    Author/creator: Janelle Saffin
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism: Putting Burma Back Together Again
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "This paper deals with the absence or the non-existence of a functional relation between the state in Burma and broader society which is also made up of non-Burman 1 ethnic segments that inhabit the historical-territorial units comprising the Union of Burma. 2 Introduction: Putting the Country Back Together Again The paper looks into the problems related to the task, as yet to be accomplished, of "putting the country back together again", in contrast to the claim of the military and its state is "keeping the country together". It is here argued that although the military has, in a manner of speaking, "kept the country together", it has also distorted the relation between the state in Burma and broader society by monopolizing power and excluding societal elements and forces from the sphere of the state and from the political arena. The military's centralist, unitary impulse, informed by it ethnocentric (Burmanization) national unity formula, has contributed to a dysfunctional state-society relation, that has in turn brought about the present crisis of decay and general breakdown, making Burma a failed state..."
    Author/creator: Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 15 July 2010


    Title: In Search of a Constitution for Burma
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: "Constitution can be a strong foundation for every country to be established as a just, free, peaceful and developed society. Burma is in the process of producing a new constitution. By amalgamating lessons from previous historical experiences and current practical situation of the country, it is hoped that a proper constitution for future Burma might be produced. Major concern is that without finding ways and means to resolve the underlying issues of a country, production of constitution superficially is meaningless and constitution might not be effective from positive aspect in our future society. In this account, the constitution making process or the way, how a constitution will be produced, is of paramount importance. In attempting to produce a constitution, onesided or unproper guidance to the people should be avoided. In a genuine constitution making process, the people, regardless of race, social origin, gender and etc, should be allowed to uncover their sufferings frankly, propose possible solutions positively, and express their will to restructure the society freely thereby leading the process to be more and more participatory. Any kind of discrimination should not be exercised within a genuine constitution making process whether be it federal or state constitution making processes..."
    Author/creator: Aung Htoo
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Interview With Sao Seng Suk
    Date of publication: April 2002
    Description/subject: Federalism in Burma: (Sao Seng Suk is the Chairman of the Shan State Constitution Drafting Committee. Following is a literal transcript of the interview he had with U Aung Htoo and B. K. Sen). "Do you consider the constitution to be the core issue in a peaceful political settlement in Burma?" Sao Seng Suk: "Yes, I certainly do. Because all problems arose since Pyidaungzu was established in 1947 from the then constitution. If all accept democratic constitution, historical problems can be settled peacefully and the country rebuilt according to constitution, as there will be many kinds of freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of activities, etc." "What type of Constitution will be viable?" Sao Seng Suk: "Federal type constitution, federal is suitable for us..."
    Author/creator: U Aung Htoo, B. K. Sen
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: PDF
    Alternate URLs: The original and authoritative version of this article may be found in "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 at
    http://www.blc-burma.org/activity_pub_liob.html
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Burma and National Reconciliation: Ethnic Conflict and State-Society Dysfunction
    Date of publication: December 2001
    Description/subject: It is maintained that Burma’s ‘ethnic conflict’ is not per se ethnic, nor that of the kind faced by indigenous peoples of, for example, North America, but a conflict rooted in politics. Following the collapse of Burma’s General Ne Win’s military-socialist regime in 1988, the issue of ethnic conflict has attracted the attention from both observers and protagonists. This attention became heightened following the unraveling of the socialist bloc and the emergence of ethnic wars in those hitherto (presumed) stable socialist nation-states.
    Author/creator: Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 10 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Alternate URLs: The original (and authoritative) version of this article may be found in http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/Legal_Issues_on%20Burma_Journal_10.pdf
    Date of entry/update: 03 August 2004


    Title: Secession and Self-Determination in the Context of Burma's Transition
    Date of publication: December 2001
    Description/subject: "The word 'secession' has originated from the concept of 'self-determination'. Apart from its historical context, 'self-determination' can also be seen in its plain meaning. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'self-determination as, 'The right of a nation or people to decide what form of government it will have or whether it will be independent of another country or not'. The second part of this definition is easy to understand. A nation or people has the right to be independent of another country when under subjugation of that country. But sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a nation striving for selfdetermination is actually a nation..."
    Author/creator: B.K. Sen
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 10 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Alternate URLs: The original (and authoritative) version of this article may be found in http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/Legal_Issues_on%20Burma_Journal_10.pdf
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism and Burma
    Date of publication: August 2001
    Description/subject: "Despite the fact that Burma has a highly centralized unitary government system, the issue of federalism has been a major source of debate for decades. Ever since the formation of the independence movement, the various ethnic groups in Burma have wanted to transform the country into a federal union based on equality. The Panglong Agreement1 provided the basic foundation for this, but post-independence Burma did not become a federal union in spite of the urgent need for this. The non-Burman 2 ethnic groups in Burma have not given up their demands for federalism. Most of them are still engaged in insurgency movements against the central government,3 which has been dominated by Burmans since 1948. The ethnic insurgency movements emerged as a result of the government’s failure to deal with the demand for federalism peacefully. The non-Burman movement for federalism and political equality (the ‘Federal Movement’) has consistently tried to resolve the issue peacefully. The non-Burman ethnic groups even participated in the 1990 elections, with federalism as their main motive. In the elections, the UNLD (United Nationalities’ League for Democracy, the alliance of ethnic parties in Burma) occupied the second largest number of seats after the NLD (National League for Democracy). However, federalism does not mean anything to the non-Burman groups unless the right to self-determination, including the right to secession, is part of it..."
    Author/creator: Khin Maung Win
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 9 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Alternate URLs: The original (and authoritative) version of this article may be found in "Legal issues of Burma Journal" No. 9 at http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/Legal%20Issues%20on%20Burma%20Journal%209.pdf
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Issues of self-determination in Burma
    Date of publication: April 2000
    Description/subject: "This paper seeks to provide an introduction to the concept of self-determination, and to suggest the importance of this concept in Burma. A comprehensive analysis of either topic is beyond the scope of this paper, which is aimed at readers without great familiarity with either area. Suggestions for further reading may be found in the references. The paper begins by discussing the concept of self-determination, and its varied meanings. A brief history of the development of the concept follows, in which the meaning of self-determination beyond decolonisation is touched upon. The situation of minorities within a state is then considered. The second section of the paper is a discussion of the particular case of Burma..."
    Author/creator: Louise Southalan
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Legal Issues on Burma Journal No. 5 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism and the Protection of Minority Rights: Some lessons for a new democratic Burma
    Date of publication: October 1999
    Description/subject: "...federalism offers the best hope of creating a more stable and harmonious polity, especially in societies such as Burma that are deeply divided along ethnic lines. The architects of a new democratic Burma would do well to embrace this concept - with all its promise and all its challenges - but they need to work very hard to ensure that any future Burmese federation lives up to the high expectations of the Burmese peoples. Not only will the balance between unity and diversity have to be struck with a great deal of pragmatism, but every effort will have to be made to secure the widest possible consensus on the terms of the new federal settlement. More importantly still, no one should be left in any doubt as to the continuing price that every man, woman and child across the land would have to pay - in terms of patience, vigilance, tolerance and co-operation - to make federalism a success..."
    Author/creator: Dr. Venkat Iyer
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Legal Issues on Burma Journal No. 4 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: Federalism: The best option for national reconciliation and peace in Burma
    Date of publication: October 1999
    Description/subject: "...Federalism has made democracy more viable by providing a way for ethnic, religious, racial and linguistic communities to benefit from political and economic union while retaining considerable autonomy, self-government and communal identity.1 Our history has proven that a unitary or quasi-federal system is inefficient in bringing about peace and prosperity. Genuine federalism is the best option to bring about national reconciliation and pave the way for rebuilding Burma as a modern nation..."
    Author/creator: Dr. Thaung Htun
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Legal Issues on Burma Journal No. 4 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Date of entry/update: 03 June 2003


    Title: The Pyidaungzu, Federalism and Burman Elites: A Brief Analysis
    Date of publication: May 1999
    Description/subject: Drafting a constitution in Burma. "Federalism is not quite understood in Burma. In fact, it would not be wrong to say it is grossly misunderstood by -- among many others -- the Burman population segment, or at least by its armed elites (or elites in uniform). To armed Burman elites, Federalism is synonomous with the destruction or the disintegration of the Union. The Burman-dominated military led by General Ne Win introduced and entrenched this idea when they usurped power in 1962..."
    Author/creator: Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe
    Language: English
    Source/publisher: Legal Issues on Burma Journal No. 3 (Burma Lawyers' Council)
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 03 August 2004


    Title: Shan Federal Proposal, 1961
    Date of publication: 25 February 1962
    Description/subject: Document containing proposals For the REVISION of the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNION OF BURMA submitted by THE SHAN STATE, translated by Sao Singha. This document was ratified by the Convention, attended by delegates from the entire Shan State, which was held in Taunggyi on Saturday, 25th of February, 1961.
    Language: English
    Format/size: html
    Date of entry/update: 08 December 2010


    Title: HISTORISCHE ENTWICKLUNG DER ETHNISCHEN KONFLIKTE IN MYANMAR / BURMA
    Description/subject: Vor der Ankunft der britischen Kolonialmacht waren die burmanischen Königreiche zwar die dominierende politische Kraft, ihre Herrschaft über die Minderheiten blieb aber beschränkt. Zu keinem Zeitpunkt in der vorkolonialen Geschichte bemühten sich die Monarchen darum, die Minderheiten unter Zwang zu assimilieren. Politisch relevant wurde die ethnische Zugehörigkeit erst unter der britischen Kolonialherrschaft, als das Land in das direkt verwaltete Burma proper (Burma an sich) und in die indirekt verwalteten frontier areas (Grenzgebiete), das vornehmliche Siedlungsgebiet der Minderheiten, geteilt wurde. Karen (KNU); Panglong-Abkommen; Waffenstillstandsabkommen; History of ethnic conflicts in Burma; Karen (KNU); Panglong-Agreement; Ceasefire Agreements;
    Author/creator: Heike Löschmann
    Source/publisher: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
    Format/size: Html (25k)
    Date of entry/update: 19 October 2007