Statement on initiative for change through a broad based unified movement.

Below is an article published by: National Council of the Union of Burma

On the 1st of January 2009, NCUB issued a New Year statement that was aimed at supporting the call by the National League for Democracy and all the political forces within Burma for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners. The statement was a political initiative for all organizations working outside of Burma to be working in a cohesive manner. It was a political projection by the NCUB aimed at developing a broad political leadership through a unified movement.

NCUB has received comment and supports on the New Year statement. It is difficult to present in one statement the complex political situation of Burma and we assume that the New Year statement gave grounds for misunderstanding and differences in opinion. We welcome all these papers, bearing criticisms and support, as we believe that all were sent in earnest and with good intention for the sake of the people of Burma.

The initiative on the emergence of a De-facto Parliament based on the 1990 election results and a National Unity Government is not the concept only of the NCUB alone. The NCUB took the initiative based on the successive, broad based meetings of the Strategic Consultation Meetings and the Fourth Congress of the Members of Parliament Union held in February 2008 that had resolved to expand the NCGUB with the leaders of the ethnic nationalities and appropriate persons. NCUB took the initiative to develop a dynamic people's government representing all the people and spearheading the struggle for removal of the SPDC military junta.

The NCUB understands that political parties, democratic organizations, ethnic organizations that have entered into ceasefires with the junta, ethnic organizations that have not entered into ceasefire, all work under very different conditions in many different approaches within the democratic movement. In accordance with its role as a broad based political alliance, the NCUB once again affirms its resolve to join hands with all the democratic, ethnic, non cease-fire, cease-fire etc. organizations to bring about change in Burma, to work on the political initiatives, develop a people's movement within Burma and raise awareness within the international and diplomatic community.