STATEMENT OF THE ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANISATION ON THE 63RD UNION DAY OF BURMA

ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANISATION

Arakan, Burma

12th February 2010

STATEMENT OF THE ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANISATION ON THE 63RD UNION DAY OF BURMA

12^th February marks the 63^rd Union Day, a very important day for the people of Burma. On 12^th February 1947 the Union Treaty was signed at Panlong, Shan State, between father of the nation Gen. Aung San and leaders of the nationalities to take the independence together from the British and to form Burma a Federal Union on the agreed upon principle of ‘unity in diversity’.

Thus the Panglong spirit of ‘unity in diversity’ is the basis for the unity of the ethnically diverse peoples of Burma. It is equally important for the development of federal democracy and perpetuation of peaceful democratic Burma. It was recognition that we respect, tolerate and uphold the differences of culture, language and life style that exist among the different peoples of Burma. Never the less, we were and are united for building a strong Union, the Union of Burma that ensures national self-determination equality, justice and sustainable development. This Union is to be free from any sort of discrimination on grounds of culture, religion and ethnicity. It is not to accommodate domination of one people by another and the emergence of ‘prime nation’ or ‘sub-nation’; but every people is equal in the Union. It is to be noted that diversity is not a weakness, but strength.

Since Burmese independence the union spirit was not fully respected. Particularly, under military rule from 1962, the Panlong spirit has been hijacked; the union treaty and the union structure have been destroyed. Inter-conflicts and intra-conflicts have been systematically created, so that peoples are not united for continuation of military rule. Resentment developed among the diverse national groups that gave rise to civil war continuing till today.

For many years Burma was without a constitution. The SPDC has given a strange constitution in 2008, which is distortion of democracy, and it does not match with any known constitutional system of the world. It looks like as if sovereignty belongs to the military, not to the people. To them people are not trustworthy, while they claim they are the saviours of the country. It is to legitimise their illegitimate military rule. They are now going still unscheduled election this year. But the election based on this undemocratic constitution cannot give us federal democracy, human rights and culture. So we strongly oppose and condemn it.

Last not least, at this trying situation, let us revive the union spirit of Panlong and resist the conspiracy of the military dictators in full unity, with unity of mind, unity of purpose and unity of dedication.

Nurul Islam

AFK Jilani