Dear all:
We believe that Daw Suu has a very good time to be in the US for our country, the Union of Burma. But one thing people question is whether she speaks only for the Burman territory and Burman people forgetting and ignoring the other seven ethnic nationalities' territories, such as Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kaya (Karenni) Karens and Mons. The reason is we have heard her not using the country name “Union of Burma” or “Pyi-htaungsu Myanmar naing-ngan” in her speeches during her visit now to US. It seems as if she is avoiding to use the term “Union of Burma” and “Pyi-htaungsu Myanma naing-ngan” The two terms are the true names in the constitution of the Union of Burma 1947 which was supposed to be adopted  based on the Panglong Agreement February 12, 1947.

The term “Union of Burma” in English and “Pyi-htaung Su Myanmar naing-ngan” are the names that have been adopted also even in the constitution of the Union of Burma 2008 though the Burmese military regime usually avoid to use those terms as much as possible for they keep on trying to form the constitution of the Union of Burma in unitary form as it is in the constitution of the Union of Burma 2008.

Thus people who listen to her speeches have much question whether she has avoided those terms that reflect unitary form of constitution in following the Burmese militarism stand to create the Union of Burma as a unitary country in which only the Burman only are to totally monopolize the country politics as before leaving no room to play politics for the seven ethnic national states.  Burma or Myanmar is the name only for the Burmans/Burmese territory excluding especially Chin territory, Kachin territory, and  Shan territory  as those three territories  were occupied by the British outside the Burmese kingdom territory and had not been occupied by the British  not as part of  Burma in those days.

But for the reason that those five territories - 1) Chin territory, 2) Kachin territory., 3) Shan territory, 4) Kaya territory and 5) Burmese kingdom territory including Karen territory have joined together forming   the new country known as the “Union of Burma (U.B)” or Pyi- htaungsu Myanmar naing-ngan under the constitution of the Union of Burma 1947 which was supposed to base on the Panglong Agreement dated February 12, 1947.

The territory of “the Union of Burma” has been clearly described in the Section 2 of the constitution of the U.B. 1947 as “The Union of Burma shall comprise the whole of (British) Burma, including (i) all the territories that were heretofore governed by His Britannic Majesty through the governor of Burma , and the Karenni States (today Kaya State).”

As a matter of fact, the territories of Chin, Kachin and Shan were ruled direct by the British Governor for they were annexed as independent territories outside the Burmese/Burman kingdom and ruled them outside the Burmese provincial government throughout the British administration as the three territories were annexed by the British outside the territory of the Burmese kingdom at different periods long after the Burmese kingdom was annexed to the British Empire. Karenni territory was an independent State recognized by the British government itself out side the Burmese kingdom too. That was the reason why Panglong agreement was made to join to be in a federal country in voluntary commitment by all the territories mentioned here.

The term “the Union of” or “Pyi-htaungsu” has legal interpretation in them and they are not like decorated name to make the country name to be just a good one. So to leave those terms out of the country’s name do have its legal interpretation too and Daw Suu is to know what those term mean.

So to leave out the parts of the name “Union of” or “Pyi-htaungsu” means only the Burmese/Burman territory under the Burmese kings. The territories of the seven ethnic nationalities states cannot be ignored as all the seven territories together form 60% of the total whole area of the UB at the time of Panglong Agreement and now and the Burma proper where Burmans settled down in very thick population is only 40% of the total area of the Union of Burma.

The United Nations principle of equality among nations is based on definite territorial boundary and the largeness and the smallness of the Country territory and population has no meaning in nation’s equality. That is why Brunei (Area 2,228 Sq. miles) and Singapore (Area 244 Sq. miles) have equal representatives with the billion populated nations like China and India.

So are China and India not dominating the UN because of the largeness of their population. In reality, Burmans in the UB should not expect to monopolize the country politics just because of the larger population they have than others Union constituent states. The Burmans /Burmese are to control only Burma proper territory and no other ethnic nationalities’ territories.

All the states with definite boundaries of territories within the UB should all have equal power of Legislature, Executive and Judiciary in their respective territories and so will all the constituent states of the Union including the Burman’s State or States should share only some federal Union government ministries in which all the constituent states have common interest or common cause.

This is the clearest idea which all of our fellow citizens the Burmans and others should expect. There cannot be constitutional amendment within the Parliament according to the constitution of the Union of Burma 2008. The reason is: it is the constitution adopted forcibly in Burmese militarism.  Thus Burmese/Burman ethnic members of Parliament from the seven Burmese/Burman Regions due to their tyrannical majority population have the number of MPs three times more than the members of parliament from the other seven ethnic nationalities’  States in the Union parliament.

Thus there can be no justice in which the Burmese tyrannical majority population could vote in favor of the Burman interest when the seven ethnic common interest and the Single ethnic Burmese interest clash in many issues and also could the single Burmans ethnic group dominate to wipe out the existence of other seven ethnic nationalities existence.

Ne Win reason to over throw the constitutional government in 1962 was because he falsely interpreted that Federalism meant the Union to be disintegration and secession. The ethnic nationalities with their respective definite boundary of territories as the ethnic Burmans themselves know clear are that no ethnic nationalities state is to dis integrate the Union in secession. The reason the other ethnic nationalities fought have been for their right to have control their territory in their own interest and to promote every ethnic right including the Burman ethnic rights too. So there is no sufficient reason for the Burmans/ Burmese to try to monopolize the whole country politics to control and dominate over the rest of the ethnic nationalities’ territories and their population against their will. It is only the federal form of constitution which could guarantee to some extent the full rights of self determination to every constituent state in the federal form of constitution.

Else, rather the seven ethnic states are to be united to fight for their inalienable rights leaving the Burman territory alone by themselves as a secessionist ethnic group to freely call their country Burma or Myanmar as they do not want the country to be called the Union of Burma or Pyi-htaungsu Myanmar naing-ngan. That might also be far better for the Burmans as well as other ethnic nationality territories. Thanks, Lnk.