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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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2 Editor:LianH.Sakhong|Author:PaulKeenan
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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3 Editor:LianH.Sakhong|Author:PaulKeenan
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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4 Editor:LianH.Sakhong|Author:PaulKeenan
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.
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5 Editor:LianH.Sakhong|Author:PaulKeenan
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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6 Editor:LianH.Sakhong|Author:PaulKeenan
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.