June 4, 2008

Burma

Burma map

STATISTICS

Territory: 676,578 square km
Population: 55 million
Religion: Predominantly Buddhist
Languages: Burmese, and many ethnic minority languages, including Shan, Karen and Mon
Website of the NCUB: http://www.ncub.org/

UNPO REPRESENTATION

The National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) is a coalition organization. The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) is the government of the NCUB. The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma must submit it's report to the National Council through a group of representatives of the Peoples' Parliament. The constitution, and the rules and regulations to form the NCGUB, must be approved by the NCUB. The NCGUB was formed by the full support of the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the National League for Democracy-Liberated Area (NLD-LA). The Prime Minister of the NCGUB, Dr. Sein Win, is the Member of the Presidium of the NCUB.

After the military take-over of Burma on September 18, 1988, through a coup d'etat, the DAB was formed on November 1988. New democratic organizations such as the All Burma students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), and All Burma Young Monk Union (ABYMU) had emerged and cooperated with armed ethnic forces. With full support of the National Democratic Front, NDF, and the Democratic Alliance of Burma, DAB, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, NCGUB, could be formed on December 18, 1990.

Even though the Democratic Alliance of Burma, DAB, had been formed as a United Front, the emergence of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, NCGUB, in 1990 and the National League for Democracy, Liberated Area, NLD-LA, in 1991, had made it necessary again to form another United Front that included leaders from both democratic forces and ethnic nationalities, to struggle against military dictatorship in order to realize the democratic rights and human rights of the masses of people and the rights of equality and self-determination for ethnic nationalities. In order to fulfill and realize this political demand, the National Council of the Union of Burma, NCUB was finally formed on 22 September, 1992, in accordance with the constitution.

The NCUB is a member of the Council of Asian Liberal Democrats (CALD). The NCUB has also worked with the Soros foundation and other NGO’s that promote democracy and human rights.

OVERVIEW

Geography

Burma is the largest state in mainland South-east Asia. Its geographical area is 676 thousand square kilometers. Burma has long borders with China, India, Laos and Thailand and has a tropical and sub-tropical climate. The military rulers changed the name of the country from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. This name-change was not recognized by all countries, among which the US and Britain, who continue on naming the country by its former name of Burma.

People
The population of Burma is about 55 million and consists of many ethnic groups, of which the Burmese make up about two-thirds of the total population.


UNPO MEMBER PERSPECTIVE

The representatives of the four organizations which are now members of the NCUB, after a thorough discussion in the 5th Conference, having full intimacy, a mere consolidated organization called the National Council of the Union of Burma was formed, having equality, mutual understanding and respect among it's members.

After these alliance member organizations having integrating themselves into the NCUB, it could substantively lay down the following four objectives:

(1) The abolition of military dictatorship;
(2) The struggle for internal peace;
(3) The struggle for Democracy; and,
(4) The establishment of genuine Federal Union.

These four objectives are the aspiration of the masses of people of Burma and are also the basic principles for the establishment of the future Federal Union. It is also a basic policy to build a new, prosperous and peaceful Union. These objectives are mutually-dependent, and are also integrated. One cannot exist, without the existence of the other. At the same time, they are inseparable from one another.
 
The aims of the National Council of the Union of Burma

Under the prevailing circumstances of political, economic and social crisis in Burma, the plenary meeting of the 7th Conference of NCUB, has laid down its main aims, unanimously agreed upon, that look forward to the national reconciliation, the emergence of a dialogue between ethnic forces and democratic forces, and the emergence of the peoples' Parliament based on the 1990 general election result.

The National Council of the Union of Burma is basically formed by comprising the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), the National Democratic Front (NDF), the National League for Democracy (Liberated Area) (NLD-LA) and the Members of Parliament Union (MPU), as members. The members of Parliament Union (MPU), was formed in 14, 15 June, 1996 comprising of Peoples' Parliament representatives, who won the 1990 General Election, who came to the liberated area, as well as those who are in exile, that include the ministers of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma.

The conference of the NCUB is the highest body of the NCUB. The composition of its members from 4 allied organizations, as decided by the plenary meeting of the 8th conference of the NCUB, is as follows:

(a) Representatives from DAB   - 33Persons
(b) Representatives from NDF   - 10Persons
(c) Representatives from NLD-LA  - 10Persons
(d) Representatives from MPU   - 17Persons
                                   Total    -  70 Persons
 
The Presidium of the NCUB is comprised of 2 members each from its member organizations, DAB, NDF, NLD-LA, and MPU, to add up to 9. Officials designated in the Presidium are (1) President, (3) Vice-presidents, and (5) presidium members, one from each member organization.
 
The Secretariat of the NCUB is formed with 2 representatives from each member organization, DAB, NDF, NLD-LA, and MPU, totaling 10. The General Secretary and 4 Joint -Gen Secretaries are democratically elected among the 11 secretariat members. The 8th conference of NCUB successfully elected the members of the Presidium and Secretarial of the NCUB to implement its political program.

Website of the NCUB: http://www.ncub.org/ 

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