Statement of Ethnic Nationalities Conference

Statement of Ethnic Nationalities Conference


20 Feb 2011

Ethnic Nationalities Conference
February 12 – 16, 2011

Statement

1. Fifty one out of the fifty six delegates invited from the CNF, KNPP, NUPA, PNLO, WNO, LDU, KNU, PSLF, KIO, NMSP, KNO, ALD, UNLD-LA, KNLP and SSPP attended the Ethnic Nationalities Conference, which was held for five days, from February 12 to 16, and keenly discussed for greater unified action of the ethnic nationality forces, in the future.

2. The Conference was able to organize for the emergence of an umbrella organization representing

BGF Issue Remains Major Challenge in 2011

- - - those concerned nationally and internationally with peace and democracy in Burma should actively engage with the ethnic armed groups and involve them in discussions about political change.
- - - the world has focused on the struggle of the democratic opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who has become an international icon, but almost completely ignored ethnic minority issues and the relevance of the cease-fire agreements.

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Burma ethnic groups seek talks with junta - World Net Daily

Leaders of the ethnic Karen in eastern Burma, who have been fighting for autonomy from the country's military dictatorship since 1949, say the recent election results and government policies put the regime on a collision course with failure.


The statement was issued after the KNU's 14th annual congress.

The KNU said that while it's thankful for the release from house arrest of pro-democracy advocate and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the fraudulent November elections show that the military regime – which calls itself the State Peace and Development Council, the SPDC – has no intention of moving towards a democratic Burma.

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Inside KNLA Brigade 5 with the Free Burma Rangers

Inside KNLA Brigade 5 with the Free Burma Rangers

Refugees Again Pour Into Thailand after Fighting Resumes

Refugees Again Pour Into Thailand after Fighting Resumes

After Burma Poll, Conflict Looms - The Diplomat

While the election may provide the basis for the creation of regional parliaments that could allow some degree of ethnic representation, observers say that most of the ethnically-affiliated parties have close links to the regime and will do little to advance minority interests.

MAE LA CAMP, THAILAND—Aside from the checkpoints, it could be any village in Thailand. The bamboo houses, bisected by dirt lanes and picturesque streams, are well-tended and strung with brightly-coloured laundry; in dirt-floored cafes, men in Burmese longyi (sarongs) chat over shots of sugary tea and chew betel nut, while nearby stalls stock the latest Thai cosmetics and DVDs. Children, their cheeks daubed with swirls of traditional thanaka face paint, chant lessons in Burmese and English in well-equipped bamboo classrooms. Read more

Burma's Nuclear Adventure—The Real Threat - Irrawaddy

 For several years reports have been emerging from Burma about its nuclear ambitions, supported by claims of varying provenance about equipment purchases and overt attempts to buy nuclear technology from Russia.

Now a brave military officer, who defected from the secretive state, has provided photographs of specialized machine shops building chemical equipment that is almost certainly designed for processing uranium chemical compounds to enrich uranium.

The only reason for Burma to be taking this secretive path is to embark on a weapons program. There is no other logical fit for the pieces.

The good news is that the technology is far too complex for Burma to master easily. The photos and information provided by the defector show a dysfunctional program. It has made terrible technology choices and the quality of the workmanship we can observe is primitive.

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