[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Message for the Mon National Day



MESSAGE  FOR  THE  MON  NATIONAL  DAY
(12 February 1998)

The Mon National Day this year coincides with the Union Day or the day on
which the Panglong Agreement was signed between the leaders of Burma and
those of non-Burman lands. The gist of the terms of agreement were that in
the union with Burma, the non-Burman nationalities should enjoy the
following rights: 

Full political autonomy, Full economic autonomy, Democracy and Human Rights. 

The agreement was important because it was witnessed by the British
Government's special representative and moreover, without it, the future of
Burma with or without the non-Burman participation hung in the balance. It
would not be an exaggeration to say that without the treaty, the
non-Burmans would be independent states today.

We believe that the terms agreed by the Kachin, Chin, Shan and Burman
leaders there are the terms desired by all nationalities including Mons,
Karens, Arakanese and the Karennis, if they are persuaded to join a new
union. We also believe that these rights should not be reserved only for
the Shan States and the Karennis, but all, including our Burman brethren.
Let us those who have joined the UNPO encourage and support that the other
non-UNPO states in the now defunct Union of Burma deserve equal rights with
us, and we are confident the cause of all the non-Burman nationalities for
their right of self determination together with the cause of democracy of
our Burman brethren shall be a guaranteed success.

Executive Committee
Shan Democratic Union

Date: 9 February, 1998