New parallel government to include armed ethnic groups
Posted on January 28, 2010
Filed Under Burma news | 1 Comment
Burma’s government in exile could soon be merging with several armed ethnic groups to form a new parallel government.
The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) is drafting a new constitution that will integrate ethnic leaders. The Washington based NCGUB is made up of politicians elected during the 1990 elections, who were not allowed to take their seats.
DVB quotes Khun Myint Htun, a NCGUB minister as saying there were six criteria for the ethnic group to join, they must have a political party, their own territory, their own public support and must have education and medical programmes for the public and a resistance wing.
The new group would seek a federal union in Burma, an idea several ethnic groups have supported for sometime.
Among the four armed groups that have reportedly pledged to join the coalition is the Karen National Union (KNU).
Saw Hla Ngwe, joint-secretary of the KNU told DVB, “We have always planned to form a parallel government even prior to the election members of parliament in 1990 [Burma’s last elections]…so this is just shaping an old idea.”
“If the negotiations [with the NCGUB] turn out well, then we will form a parallel government to compete with the [ruling junta],” he added.
The new parallel government is to be formed ahead of lections planned by the junta for later this year.
Critics of the elections say the new military backed constitution under which they are being conducted is intended to strengthen the junta’s grip on power.
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