allied in war, divided in peace

7/29/2019 Allied in War, Divided in Peace

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BRIEFINGPAPERNO.12FEBRUARY2013

ALLIEDINWAR,DIVIDEDINPEACE

THE FUTUREOF ETHNICUNITYIN BURMA

On 20 February 2013, the United

Nationalities

Federal

Council

(UNFC)

an

11

member ethnic alliance1 met with the

Burmese Governments Union Peace

WorkingCommittee(UPWC)attheHoliday

Inn, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The meeting,

supportedby theNippon Foundation,was

anattemptbyGovernmentnegotiators to

include all relevant actors in the peace

process.TheUNFCisseenasoneofthelast

remaining actors to represent the various

armed ethnic groups in the country (for

moreinformation

see

BP

No.6

Establishing

aCommon

Framework)

and

has

frequently

sought

to

negotiate

termsasaninclusiveethnicalliance.

ThealliancewasformedatatimeofseriousconcernamongstethnicceasefiregroupsinrelationtotheBorder

GuardForceissuewhichmanybelievedthreatenedtheirexistence.Consequently,twoformerceasefiregroups

theKIOandtheNMSPalliedwithnonceasefiregroups liketheKarenNationalUniontoformanallinclusive

bulwarkagainsttheGovernmentwhichwastoincludetheformationofasinglefederalarmy.

AftertheRestorationCouncilofShanState/ShanStateArmySouth(RCSS/SSA)helditsfirstmeetingwiththe

Burmesegovernmentonthe19November2011andagreedtoanominalceasefire,anumberofotherarmed

ethnicgroupsfollowedsuit.WhiletheRCSS/SSAhadnotbeenamemberoftheUNFCothergroupsthathad

beenfounding

members,

including

the

Karen

National

Union

(KNU),

Chin

National

Front

(CNF),

Karenni

NationalProgressiveParty (KNPP)and theNewMonStateParty (NMSP),soonmade individualagreements

withtheGovernment.

While theUNFChadagreed,albeitbegrudgingly, individualmemberscouldnegotiateassingleentities, the

variouspeaceprocessesbegan to fracture theunityof theorganisation as individualmembershavebeen

unable to finda trulycommonconsensus inrelation tonegotiationswith theGovernment.While theUNFC

couldhaveassumedthemantleofconsolidationandpromotingethnicunity,ithasprimarilyreliedonissuing

statementssupportiveofethnicunitybuthasfailedtoacttocementit.

1 Editor:LianH.Sakhong|Author:PaulKeenan


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Perhapsoneofitsmostimportantactions,inrelationtounity,wasitsparticipationataconferenceofarmed

ethnicmovementsheld from the2628February2012.Theconference,attendedbymembersof theKNU,

KIO,KNPP,CNF,RCSS,NMSP,andPNLO,agreedtoacommonframeworktoguidemembersinthenegotiation

process.2Theparticipantsagreedathreestagepeaceplan:

1.Ceasefire,

2. Implementationofagreements3. PoliticalDialogue

Itwasalsoagreedthataworkinggroupwouldbeformedtofurtherdevelopacommonsetofprinciplesand

plans for thepeaceprocess.Asa result, theWorkingGrouponEthnicCoordination (WGEC)was formed in

June 2012. TheWGEC consistsof representatives from the 7 statesplus advisers and, following an Ethnic

Nationalities Conference in September 2012, representatives from Civil SocietyOrganizations (2each from

youth,womenand issuebasedCBOs).3Thegroup,which issupported financiallyby theEuroBurmaOffice,

meetsmonthlytoupdatemembersanddiscussthepeaceprocess.4

Asa resultof the variousWGECmeetings,UNFCmembersostensibly agreed, at a September2012ethnic

conference,thatthefollowingsixpointswouldneedtobeaddressedforthepeaceprocesstomoveforward:

1. MeetingofarmedandcivilsocietyorganizationstolaydownpointstobeincludedintheFrameworkforPoliticalDialogue.

2. MeetingbetweentheUniongovernmentandthearmedmovementsrepresentativestoestablishtheFrameworkforPoliticalDialogue

3. Conferencesoftheethnicpeopleinstateandregions4. Anationalconferenceoftheethnicnationalities5. AUnionconferenceheldinthePanglongSpiritandparticipatedbyequalnumberofrepresentatives

fromtheethnicforces,democraticforcesandthegovernment,toagreeandsigntheUnionAccord

6. APrecisetimeframeforthepeaceprocessTheUNFCfinallymetwithGovernmentnegotiatorUAungMinon9November2012inChiangMai,Thailand.

Atthismeetinganinformalagreementwasreachedthatstated:

1. Resolvepoliticalissuesbypoliticalmeans2. Governmentshouldholdpoliticaldialoguewitharmedgroupscollectivelyandnotseparately3. DiscussthefollowingtopicsduringtheupcomingformalmeetingintheMyanmarPeaceCenter(MPC)

inYangon:frameworkforpoliticaldialogue,talkingpointsoragenda,timeline,technicalassistance

andlogistics

AccordingtopeacenegotiatorNyoOhnMyint,discussingthemostrecentmeeting,inFebruary2013:


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Primarilytheywilldiscussframeworkforstartingthepeaceprocess,beginningwith:addressingways

toadvancepoliticaldialogue;thedivisionofrevenueandresourcesbetweenthecentralgovernment

andtheethnicstates;andhowtomaintaincommunicationchannelsforfurthertalks.5

KhunOkker,whoattendedthemeeting,suggested thattheFebruarymeetingwasprimarilya trustbuilding

exercise

for

the

UNFC

and

the

Government.

While

individual

armed

groups

had

spoken

to

U

Aung

Min

throughout theirnegotiationprocessesand somehadalreadybuiltup trustwith thenegotiation team.He

believed that theUNFCwouldbemorecautious in itsapproach inrelation to thepeaceprocess,especially

consideringthecontinuingclasheswithUNFCmembersincludingtheKIOandSSPP/SSA

DIVISIONSWITHINTHEARMEDETHNICRESISTANCEMOVEMENT

WhileallarmedethnicgroupshaveparticipatedintheWGECmeetingsandgenerallyagreewithUNFCpolicy,

manyareunwillingtorisktheirownseparatepeaceagreementsinthenameofethnicunity. Sinceitssigning

of agreementswith the government, the ChinNational Front has graduallymoved away from theUNFC.

AccordingtoUNFCJointGeneralSecretary2,KhunOkker,theCNFagreementwasdesignedtobeamodelfor

allethnic

groups,

and,

had

the

agreement

failed,

the

CNFs

strength

politically

and

militarily

would

not

have

beenaserious issue for theGovernment.However,henotes, thatrealistically themodel isnotsuitable for

much larger groups.6 Regardless, the CNF have seen their agreementwith the Government as relatively

successful,and,unlikeothergroups,theemphasisfortheCNF isprimarilytheneedfordevelopmentasthe

state has seen only limited armed engagement with the Burma Army over the past decade.7In fact, no

representativesoftheChinNationalFrontwerepresentattheFebruarymeetingduetothecelebration,for

thefirsttime,ofChinNationalDay.

TheUNFC,andperceivedethnicunityasawhole,wasalsodealtamajorblowattheendofDecember2012at

theKNUs15thCongress.HardlineleaderswhohadbeensupportiveofUNFCpolicieswerereplacedbymore

moderate leaderswhowouldshifttheirpositionawayfromthealliance.TheUNFCsViceChairman2,David

Thackerbaw,who

had

previously

been

Vice

President

of

the

Karen

National

Union,

lost

his

position

in

the

congress,and,whilestillholdingtheportfolioofallianceaffairs,hasnorealpoliticalmandatewithintheKNU.

GeneralMutuSayPo,thenewlyelectedKNUChairman,isseenbysomeasbeingtooclosetotheGovernment,

and, ithasbeen suggested, that theGovernmentmight tryandusehim to swayother ethnic leadersand

thereforefurtherdecreasetheinfluenceoftheUNFC.8AccordingtoaGovernmentstatement,GeneralMutu

hadaftermeetingwiththeGovernmentinJanuary2013:

...expressedKNU'sstrongdesiretobuildpeaceonceasefireandnegotiation,guaranteeingthatKNU

hasnoplantoreverse.9

Inaddition,thenewKaren leadershiphaveactedasmediatorsbetweentheGovernmentandtheKIO.On4

February2013,

ameeting

was

held

in

Ruili,

China,

attended

by

both

KNU

Chairman

Mutu

and

General

SecretaryKweHtooWin.Inaddition,themeetingwasalsoattendedbyBrig.SaiLuoftheRestorationCouncil

ofShanStateandHarnYawnghweandVictorBiakLianoftheEuroBurmaOffice.Whilenosolutionhasbeen

found to theongoingconflict, there isstrongevidence thatarmedethnicgroupsalreadywithin thepeace

processwill act outside of the UNFC to persuade the KIO and SSPP to find an accommodationwith the

government.

Perhapsoneofthebiggestthreatstounityhowever, isthe inabilityand inexperienceofUNFC leaderstobe

abletoadapttonegotiations.Afterdecadesofconflictandmilitaryruleinthecountry,leadershavefailedto

recalibratetothecurrentsituation,andconsequentlyhavefailedto implementnewstrategies inrelationto


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workingwiththeGovernment.WhiletheUNFChasconsistentlybeenabletoputforwardaveneerofunity,

individualmembersarenowbeginningtodistancethemselves.FortheUNFCtoremainrelevantandtoensure

thatethnicunity ismaintained,theUNFC leadershiphastoreassess itsposition.AsUNFCJointSecretary2,

KhunOkker,explains,

Its

always

the

same,

whenever

the

Government

talks

peace;

we

[ethnic

groups]

begin

to

separate.

10


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BACKGROUNDTOARMEDETHNICALLIANCESINBURMA

InNovember1952theZinZanAgreementforaceasefirewasreachedbetweentheCPBandtheKNUandthe

firstsubstantive

alliance

formed

by

the

armed

ethnic

groups

was

the

National

Democratic

United

Front

(NDUF)

whichwascreatedon16May1959.TheNDUFunitedtheKawthooleiNationalitiesUnitedParty,theNewMon

StateParty(NMSP)and,muchtoanumberofrightleaningKNUleadersconsternation,whorefusedtohave

anypartinthealliance,theCommunistPartyofBurma(CPB).

InMay1970,theNationalUnitedLiberationFront(NULF)wasformedcomprisingUNusPeoplesDemocracy

Party (PDP and its armedwing, the Peoples Liberation Army), the KNU, and the NewMon State Party.

ThailandallowedtheNULFtosetupcovertbasesonitssideoftheborderatMaeHongSon,MaeSariangand

MaeSot.However,onemajor stumblingblockwas the fact thattheNULFwasdemandinga FederalUnion

Republic.Manyethnic leaderssaw thisascounter towhat theywere,at thattime,demandingwhichwere

theirownautonomous states. In 1972, afterKarenandMon requests tohave the rightof secessionwere

finallyagreedtobyUNu,heresignedandwentintoretirement,leavingthePLAtofendforitself.

In May 1973, realising that there was still a need for a committed ethnic nationalities resistance the

RevolutionaryNationalAlliance (RNA)was formedby theKNU,ShanStateProgressParty,KayanNewLand

PartyandtheKarenniNationalProgressivePartyatKawmoora,KarenState,Itsaimwastoestablishagenuine

federal union of independent national states based on the principles of equality and national self

determination.Bytheendof1973,italsoincludedtheArakaneseresistancemovement,theArakanLiberation

Party(ALP)whichbasedrepresentativesinKarenareas.TheKNUbegantrainingthenewforcesatKawmoora

where theywouldjoin anotherjoint nationalities organisation, the FederalNationalitiesDemocratic Front

(FNDF). This superseded the RNA in 1975 andwas an organisationwhich specifically promoted separate

nationalitystatesandrefusedanyBurmanmembership.

10May1976,saw the formationof the longestsurvivingcombinedethnic force theNationalDemocratic

Front (NDF), formed at Manerplaw, the KNUs new headquarters on theMoei River. The front initially

consistedoftheKNU,theNMSP,theKNPP,theALP,theKIO,theShanUnitedRevolutionaryArmy(SURA)*and

anumberofothersmallerorganizations. MahnBaZanwaselectedpresidentwhileotherKNUmembersofthe

NDFsECincludedPadohBawYuPaw,Secretary,Lt.Gen.TamlaBawandBoSanLin.Themainobjectiveofthe

NDFwas toestablishaFederalUnionbasedontherightofdeterminationforallnationalities.11November

1988,sawtheformationoftheDemocraticAllianceofBurmacomprisingtheNationalDemocraticFront(NDF),

andseveralprodemocracygroups thatsupported thearmedstruggleorhad takenuparms (chiefly theAll

BurmaStudentDemocraticFront).

*ActuallyShanStateProgressParty(SSPP)


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Notes

1TheUNFCconsistsof11armedgroups:ChinNationalFront(CNF),KarenniNationalProgressiveParty(KNPP),

KarenNational

Union

(KNU),

New

Mon

State

Party

(NMSP),

Shan

State

Progress

Party

(SSPP)

PaO

National

Liberation Organization (PNLO) Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Arakan National Council (ANC),

PalaungStateLiberationFront(PSLF),LahuDemocraticFront(LDU)andWaNationalOrganization(WNO)2PresentwereGenMutuSayPoe,KNU,ZipporalSein,KNU,NerdahMya,KNU,KweHtooWin,KNU,KhuOo

Reh,KNPP,GenN.Banla,KIO,Dr Laja,KIO,ZinCung,CNF,DrSuiKha,CNF,HkunOkker,PNLO,NaiHanTha,

NMSP,andGenYawdSerk,RCSS/SSA,seeAnsweringquestionsonWGEC,SHAN,9January2013.Inaddition,

alsopresentasobserverswererepresentatives fromtheKloHtooBawBattalion,theKNU/KNLAPC,thenon

BGFfactionoftheMNDAA(PengDaxun,sonofoustedleaderPengJiasheng),theKNLPandtheKNPLF(BGF)

seeDecipheringMyanmarsPeaceProcess,BNI,January20133ResourcePersonsareKhuensai Jaiyen (SHAN),DawShirleySeng (KWAT),SawHtooHtooLay (Karen),Salai

LianH.Sakhong(ENC),Col.KhunOkker(PNLO),CBOrepresentatives,Women:DawMoonNayLi(KWATand

WLB),SawSanNyeinThu (RakhineWomenUnionandWLB);Youth:Naw Seng (SYCBStudentandYouth

Congressof

Burma),

Kya

Yi

Shay

(Nationalities

Youth

Forum);

Environment:

Ko

Shwe

(KESAN

Karen

EnvironmentalandSocialActionNetwork),KoSaiSai(BurmaRiverNetwork).StateRepresentatives:SawMya

RazaLin(Rakhine),SinWah(Kachin),NawZipporahSein(Karen),NaiHanTha(Mon),KhuOoReh(Kayah),Dr.

SuiKha(Chin),Solomon(Shan),Col.PengFa(ShanNorth)4AnsweringquestionsonWGEC,SHAN,9January20135Myanmargovtwantsethnicstoagreethreestepplan,Phanida,Mizzima,19February20136PersonalconversationwithKhunOkker,27February,20137PersonalConversationwithLianSakhong,CNFSupremeCouncilMember,12February20138PersonalconversationwithKhunOkker,27February,20139TheinSeinmeetsnewKNUleadership,Mizzima,7January201310PersonalconversationwithKhunOkker,27February,2013

11KhaingSoeNaingAung,NationalDemocraticMovementofEthnicNationalities.

allied in war, divided in peace

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