"... The ENC does not believe that the SPDC?s 7-stages ?road map” and its National Convention will lead to democratization and establishment of a federal union. The sole purpose of SPDC?s National Convention is to sustain a military dictatorship and transform itself from De Facto Government to De Jure Government through constitution. The ENC, therefore, issued a statement on 14 May 2004, in support of CF groups? letter to the SPDC. Part of the statement read as follows: (i) The National Convention procedural rules should be discussed and revised; (ii) Objective No. 6 of the National Convention (military role in politics) is not compatible with democracy. It should be discussed and revised; (iii) The 104 Articles adopted by the previous National Convention are not compatible with democracy. It should be discussed and revised. (iv) Law No. 5/96, which was enacted on 7 June 1996 to protect the 1993-96 National Convention, should be repealed. The ENC is willing to cooperate and find ways to bring about a transition if above are met. Politics is about making compromises and the ENC is willing to discuss options if the SPDC considers modifying its 7- points Road Map. And, the ENC still believes that the best means to solve our country problem is through a negotiated settlement; and we, therefore, strongly demands a tripartite dialogue as called for by the UNGA since 1994. In conclusion, I would like to stress again that the right of ?self-determination” that we are struggling for is what we call ?internal self-determination”: which will guarantees our collective rights; the right to rule our homeland by ourselves, the right to practice our religious teaching and culture freely, the right to teach, learn and promote our language freely, and the right to up-hold our identity without fear and live peacefully together with others. I can assure you that we are not separatists. We are for a united Union of Burma, but what we want is a genuine federal union where all ethnic groups in Burma can live peacefully together."... While this is not a formal ENC statement, Lian Sakhong is General Secretary of the ENC as well as of the United Nationalities League for Democracy, UNLD-LA.