The lofty aim, the concern of entire national people

“Our national goal is to build a peaceful, modern, developed democratic nation with flourishing discipline. It is the lofty aim all the people who love the motherland should accept unanimously, and it is the concern of the entire national people”.

(Head of State Senior General Than Shwe)

The essence of Our Three Main National Causes that the Myanmar Tatmadaw upholds is non-disintegration of the Union. The common wish of the national races living in Myanmar is perpetuation of the Union. The National Convention is discharging the duties for ensuring an everlasting Union.

Once the territory, which is now called the Union States, was the native land of the people called Red Indians. Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, Italy, discovered the continent which we now call America while sailing on the seas to find new territories for the King and the Queen of Spain.

Three sailing boats from England arrived and anchored at the coast of North America continent in April 1607. As the people on board the ships were attracted by the prairies, tall trees, the fertile soil and lush environment of the land they had found, they decided to make it their home. But the area was already inhabited by Red Indians. Three-ship-full of English pioneers began to settle on the American soil in May the same year. The population of settlers in Virginia was less than 2,000 in 1619 and because of the increase in the number of people going to find a home in the new world, the shipping companies that were transporting them were making a fortune. Beginning 1642, people who were in not good terms with the British king came in flocks to the new world, joined by other European peoples, including Germans, Scots, Irish, Swiss, Spanish and French. The English king permitted the establishment of new territories with the royal decree which ensured equal rights for the children born in the new land as those born in England.

The king also sent governors to administer the new territories, where the parliament had to consult with the governor for decisions, and only the land-owners had the right to vote. In 1750, about 1.5 million settlers were living in the 13 colonies that were formed as 13 states. The settlers accepted themselves as subjects of the English king. The 17th century saw the trading of Negroes living on the western coast of Africa as slaves. Many of the White settlers bought those Black slaves as labourers for their plantations.

The White settlers started to oppose the imposition of taxes on them by the English government soon after accepting themselves as Americans. English settlers bought New Amsterdam from Dutch settlers and renamed it New York. America witnessed the eruption of war between the Whites and Red Indians in 1675, and Americans started to oppose all the orders and the law and tax imposition of the British government in 1760.

The situation became worse, when riots broke out between the British soldiers and American civilians after ten years on 3 March. Americans convened their first Congress in Boston from 5 September to 26 October 1774, at which they decided to launch an open expression of their discontent over the British policies towards American colonies. Americans launched their war of liberation against the British occupiers in 1775, and proclaimed independence of the US on 4 July 1776 with 13 states.

The history of US and that of Myanmar are totally different from each other in both form and essence. As for Myanmar, she has been the native land for all the national races since time immemorial. Her people are not the settlers trying to find a new land with promising resources. They have been living in weal or woe in the Union since yore.

Hence, Myanmar’s efforts for her perpetuation cannot be the same as America’s. Now I am going to present some points of the US history. The US that was founded as an independent nation with 13 states incorporated Hawaii into it as a new state on 21 August 1959. It bought Alaska at a price of US $ 7.2 million. Some of its states were territories it got through military means. The number of states reached 50 in US, 200 years after the independence was gained. The US ratified its constitution on 17 September 1787. Vermont, the 14th state, signed the ratification on 10 January 1791.

Disunity broke out between the states in 1786, and the State of South Carolina seceded from the US on 20 December 1860.

The Southern States — Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina — formed the parallel government with Jefferson David as the president. The then US government was Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War broke out between the North and the South from 1861 to 1865 in which the Southern troops surrendered. The US introduced the military rule to the South on 2 March 1867 and enacted laws to reestablish its civil administration. In this way the US crushed the parallel government. It had to sacrifice lots of blood, sweat and lives for its existence as the United States of America.

After regaining her independence, Myanmar experienced internal armed conflicts for more than four decades. Despite the capability to eliminate the armed insurgents, the Tatmadaw discharged military duties just in defence of the motherland in grappling with the internal armed insurgency. In reality, the people of the Union are the brethren living in the same land, not the ones who entered the nation from other nations.

Hence, after assuming State duties, the Tatmadaw carried out the tasks for perpetuation of the Union by restoring peace. On 28 April 1992, the Tatmadaw suspended its military operations launched across the nation for ensuring non-disintegration of the Union. Since 1992, it has placed emphasis on the holding of the National Convention that would be able to guarantee the perpetuation of the Union.

On 9 January 1993, the National Convention came into operation. And the NC laid down 104 basic principles to be included in the formulation of the State Constitution. During the period from November 1995 to 30 March 1996, the NC adopted the basic principles on legislation, execution and judiciary for the drawing of a State constitution.
The delegates representing NLD at the National Convention held from 9 January 1993 until March 1996 walked out of the NC at the instigation of the person who was under the thumb of certain big nations.

The chairman of the National Convention Convening Commission in his speech on 30 March 1996 said, “With lessons taken from events of the past, and with vigil kept against the danger from reactionary elements subservient to colonialism and imperialism and subscribing to sectarianism, as is being seen and heard today, endeavours must be made to bring about a situation where only the people of our country can determine all their affairs in the future State that is truly free from any dependence and free from any stunting eclipse”.

After the National Convention was temporarily adjourned, the government launched its drive for building infrastructures the length and breadth of the nation in the long-term interests of the nation. In August 2003, it laid down the State’s seven-point Road Map. The National Convention, the first step of the Road Map, resumed on 17 May 2004. Altogether 1,076 out of 1,088 delegates attended the National Convention.

It can be witnessed that the number of present NC delegates is more than that of previous NC — over 700. And 60 per cent of the delegates are people of national races. More than 100 delegates represented 17 major ex-national race armed groups and small groups. Of them, three or four groups attended the previous NC as observers

In the first session of the National Convention held in 2004, discussions focused on the division of power between the government and states. Respective legislative and executive bodies will be established separately in the states to transform from the centralized system into union government system in Myanmar. The first session of the NC was completed successfully even though the discussions were very delicate and broad.

The NC continued from 17 February 2005 to 31 March 2005. The delegates approved the section of legislation and laid down the principles on executive and judiciary with one voice.

Now, the National Convention, the first stage of the Road Map, is in progress. Arrangements are being made to resume the convention on 5 December 2005. In the NC, the delegates will have to approve the principles on executive and judiciary and deal with the remaining headings to be discussed.

Myanmar is called a Union, but its union system is much different from that of other nations. Thus, the political infrastructure of Myanmar is required to be strong with national unity. No doubt, a political party or an individual alone cannot shape the future of the nation.

The State’s seven-point Road Map is to be implemented stage by stage in compliance with the guidance. Upon completion of the National Convention, the first step as well as the most important one, the national goal will be within the reach.

All are therefore urged to make their way with decisive determination for ensuring successful completion of the National Convention in a bid to pursue the national goal, the concern of the entire national people.

Author : Chingya (Maubin)