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OUR DECLARATION FOR PROMULGATION
OF A DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION IN BURMA
The
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) of Burma has
publicised a directive designated as (13/92) on October 2,1992,
and embarked on a course of action to convene a gathering
dubbed 'The National Convention' with an aim to promulgate
a 'constitution'.
The SLORC has used strong-arm
tactics in the said convention with the motive of perpetual
subjugation of Burma. An explosive constitutional crisis has
been engineered in place with an avenue for the armed forces
to intervene in the politics of the country.
As in such a scenario,
we would sincerely like to present our view on the promulgation
of a democratic constitution for the future of our country
based on the experiences of the past nine years.
The Right to Promulgate the Constitution
The SLORC has ignored
the will of the people as shown in the polls under its auspices
in May 1990. The elected people's representatives of the winning
party, the National League for Democracy led by Do Aung San
Suu Kyi (1991 Nobel peace Laureate) have the right and responsibility
of creating the democratic constitution for future Burma.
The State of the Country and the Obligation
of the Citizenry
The civil war in the country
is still raging since the declaration of the country's Independence
a culmination stemmed from the controversial constitution.
The solution to this problem plays a vital role in the promulgation
of a democratic constitution. Burma's patriots and political
aspirants have the obligation to decide and undertake their
respective roles, taking due consideration and into account
the bitter rigours and traumas of the civil war itself.
The Civil War
Today, Burma has adequately
endured the stresses and pains of the bitterness and trauma
of the civil war, irrespective of ethnic or political reasons
given. The controversial constitution and the embryonic state
of democracy then in Burma after the independence, has largely
offered an unobstructed avenue for the armed forces to dictate
and dabble in the country' politics. Hence, Burma came under
the mercy of the manipulative power of the armed affiliations
and its fate subjected to superiority on armed might, as a
result of the civil war.
Military Dictatorships
Military dictatorships
will exist as long as they are given an opportunity to hold
monopoly on the use of arms to solve the issues. Controversies
in the constitution fan the civil war blaze which erupted
in the emergence of the privileged military dictatorships,
which monopolise the arms and use the hardware as force in
the issues, citing the stability of the union as the cause.
The SLORC military dictatorship
is one of the primary culprits in ridding Burma's politics
with the scars of the civil war and it is in constant vigilance
to escalate the civil war for power.
SLORC's Antics
The SLORC is bent on solving
Burma's political issues by armed might, as befitting a military
dictatorship clique, rather than via a constructive dialogue.
- It has denied all offers of negotiating in solving Burma's
political woes politically.
- It has entered into cease- fires with armed ethnic minorities-
only a ploy- to create an armed-alert peace hiatus, in its
favour.
- Using force, the SLORC is promulgating a constitution
with an aim to establish an idiosyncrasy Parliamentary Militarism.
The Will of Burma's Citizenry
The most violent eruptions
to dislodge the military dictatorship and show of pro-democracy
aspirations occurred in 1988, which were reflected again in
the constitution promulgation headed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Despite being burdened and pressured by the survival and facts
of life under the military, the people' desires to dislodge
the military dictatorship are ever ingrained in their heart
and always at a readiness to follow a genuine cause and viable
leadership.
Internal Democratic Forces Led By Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi
- The National League for Democracy Party led by Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi has opposed and boycotted the SLORC manipulated
and unnatural constitution promulgating National Convention.
- NLD led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has called for a convention
in the vein of a parliament, participated by the elected
representatives that will lead to the promulgation of a
constitution, to address Burma's issues in a natural and
realistic light.
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led NLD has lectured and distributed
the essential of democracy in the midst of the people to
enhance their democratic awareness and general knowledge
and led the people on the road to civil disobedience, in
the face of unjust laws and decrees.
The National Coalition Government of the
Union of Burma (NCGUB) and the Democratic Alliance of Burma
(DAB)
The view of the majority
of the ethnic minorities, before and after entering into the
SLORC's armed-alert peace hiatus sham cease-fires, is on par
with the SLORC- promulgation of a constitution for self-determination
only.
- The Constitutional Seminar was held in Manerplaw on October
12-20, 1995.
- The National League for Democracy (Liberated Area), NCGUB,
DAB and NDF have put their signatures in consensus at Manerplaw
to the basic principles to be included in promulgating a
constitution in future.
In the pact, there is no mention of specific
number of territories in the union and the structure, but
there is definite mention of a resolution to establish armed
contingents in all respective states and territories in the
union.
OUR VIEW
We earnestly profess the
view that it is essential to put in place a democratic constitution
in our future Burma, as per our experiences of the past 9
years, that we have strived unceasingly for Burma's democracy
and human right. We firmly believe that, this democratic constitution
is the only answer to the above mentioned traumas of the civil
war in Burma, the stability of the union and the drive to
oblivion of the military dictatorship in Burma.
The National Convention
- SLORC's constitution promulgating body - is the military
dictatorship's principal tool for fathomless perpetual dictatorial
hold on Burma. The publication of the decree dubbed "
the law to protect opposition and successful convening of
the National Convention " a directive numbered (5/95)
testified to SLORC's apparent intention to use force to achieve
its objectives.
In section (2) Clause
(C) and (D) warning to refrain from criticising the National
Convention held by SLORC and mentioning of its sole right
to convene the gathering, bared its egoistic attitude. In
other words, it ushers in the introduction of the armed forces'
monopoly on Burma' s political landscape and the military's
peremptory rule.
As such,
- We profess the NLD boycott of SLORC's constitutional
convention as the will of the entire populace of Burma.
- We fully support the right of the elected representatives
of the people, to promulgate the democratic constitution
of future Burma.
- We earnestly urge the democratic affiliations, inside
and overseas, and all democracies world - wide to welcome,
cooperate and collude in the endeavours led by Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, in a bid to promulgate a democratic constitution,
as a historical obligation for freedom and democracy.
- Demise of military dictatorship in
Burma is ......... PRIMARY
- Democratic cause in Burma is ...............................
VITAL
- Democratic constitution in Burma is
................... FUNDAMENTAL
Central Executive Committee
All Burma Students' Democratic Organisation (ABSDO)
Australia.
Date. August 1 , 1997 .
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