Chin National Day Golden Jubilee

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<center>Chin National Day Golden Jubilee

</center>						

					   By


					 Pu Lian Uk

		    [MP-Elect of Union of Burma (1990), USA]


Greetings to all readers of this article!!.  February 20, 1998 is the
Golden Jubilee of Chin National Day.  Some may say that we have nothing
to celebrate  it as many of us are now in exile in foreign land and our
country is under the siege of military dictatorship devoid of democracy
and human rights.  This of course is very true. 


Any how we still have to commemorate it as not only that it is the
dawning of democracy for the Chin people; but the unity among the Chin
people has been deeply founded on this day. We are to take increased
unity, courage and strength  from it in our present struggle for
democracy and self determination.  So it is still a great day which we
can not forget for us, the Chin people.  It is now much appreciable that
the Chin Communities in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Phillippines,
Thailand, Korea, India, Germany, Canada, USA and in several other
countries are commemorating the Jubilee.


Historical background:- Chin State is on the western part of the Union of
Burma bordering India and Bangladesh.  It has an area of not less than
14000 Sq. miles, inhabited uniformly by the Chin population of over half
a million.  There are also Chin population outside the Chin State. They
spread through the western part of Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers from
Patkawi range on the north, to the cape of Negrais on the shore of Indian
ocean in the south. They are one of the eight major ethnic nationalities
in the Union.

	

The Chin State today is only a fraction of the historical Chin homeland. 
The British colonialists invaded the Chin homeland, as an independent
territory outside the kingdoms of India and Burma Despite the fierce
resistance of the Chin people, and because of their superior military
strength, the British annexed the area as a part of the British empire in
1895.

 	

The territory, like Burma, was to be administered as a province under a
British governor. This was established at a conference in Calcutta in
1892 soon after. But the territory was also dissected into three parts
under the policy of divide and rule. Thus the territory occupied from the
west was administered directly by the British governors from Assam and
Bengal, outside the provincial governments of British India.  Similarly,
the territory occupied from the east was administered directly by the
British governors from Burma. 


The Chin native rulers had accepted the terms offered by the British
occupying forces with the understanding that the British would recognize
their continued rule as heads of their respective areas, so long as taxes
were paid and peaceful passage and transport were given to the British
authorities.  


This law was dubbed the Chin Hills Regulation of 1896. This law provided
that no foreigners outside the Chin territory were allowed to enter the
Chin territory without the permit of the authorities concerned. This law
served as an immigration law to the occupied Chin territories. In fact,
it is still used as an inner line permit in some parts of North East
India. This provision of the peace agreement was interpreted by many
people as enabling the British to take the responsibility of preserving
the integrity of the Chin territory and their distinct national
identity.

 

Section 2 of the law defined that the term "Chin" includes the Lushai,
Kuki, Naga, and Chin residing in the Chin Hills and in the adjoining
areas.  Thus the Chin native rulers could continue ruling their
respective local areas in the traditional hereditary system of
administration throughout the British colonial period.


The Chin people in several areas, however, rose in rebellion against the
British administration to be free during the first World War when they
were forced to serve as labour corps at the front-line in Europe, far
away from their homeland.  But the rebellion was severely suppressed by
the British forces. Houses and property were destroyed and burned, and
many people were killed and imprisoned. Some were accused of high treason
and hanged. 

	

Cause for Chin National Day:- With the aim to continue fighting the
British administration for freedom, the first Chin national political
party known as Chin Hills Unity Party, led by Vum Thu Maung, was formed
on 20th February 1928. On the same day, ten years later, the Chin
population at Kanpetlet town in the southern Chin Hills staged a
demonstration at the arrival of a British Commissioner. The British
authorities censored all information about the demonstration to prevent
further rebellion from spreading to other parts of British Burma.  


But General Aung San, who later became the leader and hero of Burmese
independence, learned about the rebellion and made it known in his
anti-colonial campaign speech in a town in the Delta area of British
Burma. It is said that an arrest warrant was issued , but he escaped by
leaving Burma and from where he continued the revolution for Burma's
Independence. Thus there is a saying: "Bamah taw-hlan ye a-sah Chin taung
kah". In English, I believe it means that it was from the Chin Hills that
Burma's independence movement originated".


When India and Burma were to be given independence by the British, the
Chin homeland territory was not to be handed over either to India or
Burma, especially as it was not annexed and administered by the British
as a part of either country. The Chin territory was had, in fact, signed
an Agreement widely known as Panglong Agreement with the other Panglong
Agreement signatory nationalities to co-operate with the Ministerial
Burma led by General Aung San to achieve immediate freedom from British
colonialism.  


The act of signing the Panglong Agreement was to continue preserving the
integrity of their distinct national identity as a people and their
homeland.  Some people even interpret the agreement as enabling each
signatory to form their respective independent state in their territories
after achieving freedom from British colonialism. Thus, it was accepted
as a quarantee of equality among the Panglong Agreement signatories. This
was reflected in the secession clause of the 1947 Union constitution. But
the procedure was made too complicated to actually implement.   	

Immediate cause of Chin National Day:-Soon after the independence of the
Union in 1948, there were questions whether the Chin territory
administration should be run by the traditional hereditary system of
chieftainship or by the elected representatives of the population. So, a
conference was held at Falam to decide this question.  The conference
held in February, 1948 was attended by 500 Chin delegates from all parts
of the Chin heartland which now forms the Chin State. 	


On the last day of the conference on February 20, the hereditary
chieftainship system with all forms of despotism was abolished through an
overwhelming majority of votes.  The conference also adopted a resolution
that the elected representatives of the Chin population will administer
the Chin Hills.    


Accordingly, the Chin Affairs Council, elected by the Chin population,
constituting the legislature of the Chin Affairs in the Union Parliament,
passed a law known as Chin Act or Chin Special Division Act 1948
replacing the Chin Hills Regulation 1896. This was the first time a
democratic system of administration was adopted in the long history of
the Chin society reflecting the Chin people's profound admiration for
freedom.


Chin Hills was renamed the Chin Special Division and, since then, the
administration of that Division was run in accordance with this law. When
Burma was under parliamentary democracy, no law of the Union could be
enforced within the Chin Special Division without the consent of the Chin
Affairs Council.


Hence, the significant points of the day is that it commemorates the
dawning of democracy for the Chin people and also marks the holding of
the historic Conference that introduced democratic principles to the Chin
people.  The conference not only dissolved the hereditary chieftainship
system of administration, but also built unity among the Chin tribes
which welcomed the independence of the Union and opted to live in
peaceful co-existence with all the constituent units of the Union of
Burma.


The Chin Affairs Council thus proclaimed 20th February to be observed as
the Chin National Day by the Chin people every year. 


The Chin National Day has been observed as an official holiday by the
successive governments of Union of Burma because it makes the Panglong
Agreement and the Union more meaningful. When Burma was under
parliamentary democracy, Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Union
always sent felicitations to the Chief of the Chin people on Chin
National Day.	


It has by now become one of the most celebrated traditional festivals for
all the Chin people which reminds them to be conscious of their oneness
as a people wherever they are. 


It is also the day on which they reflect the existence of their distinct
national identity as a people and extend their wish to live in peaceful
coexistence with all the races and religions of the world.


However, even under the 1947 Union Constitution, freedoms granted to the
Chin people were very limited vis-a-vis the spirit of Panglong Agreement.
This was because the Union constitution was unitary even though it
supposed to be in a federal form. Two thirds of the representatives in
the Union Parliament was from the Burma proper while the rest of the
Union territories shared the remaining seats.

 

The system gave the members of parliament from the Burma proper absolute
power and to amend the Union Constitution even if the rest of the
representatives from the territories did not consent to it.


There was no balance of power in the Union legislature and the
signatories of the Panglong Agreement did not have the legal sway to
protect their respective rights. The representatives from the Burma
proper was so overwhelming in the Union Parliament that it did not matter
if the Chin, Kachin Shan and their fellow national States had or did not
have any representatives in the Union legislature.


The situation led to discrimination against ethnic nationalities and a
feeling of mistrust for the Burmans. It also deprived the ethnic
minorities, including the Chin people, of the right to self-govern and to
have rights and status on the basis of equality and justice.


The Supreme Council of the Hill People (SCOUHP), including the
representatives of the Chin people, therefore convened a conference in
the Shan State in late 1961. The conference recommended that the 1947
Union Constitution be amended to reflect a true federal Union in which
the Chin territory would become one of the constituent States. The
Constitutional Government of the Union led by the late Prime Minister U
Nu expressed its willingness to amend the  Union Constitution. 


But, the Union Constitution was abolished and its constitutional
Government was overthrown one day before the amendment procedure was
about to be introduced in March, 1962. A group of military generals
resorting to brute force illegally took over the country. The Union
Constitution, which included the amendment clause on the federal union,
has remained defunct for almost four decades now.


The pro-democracy uprising in  the whole of the Union against the
military regime in 1988 logically implied the restoration of 1948 Union
Constitution and its accompanying constitutional amendment in accordance
with the spirit of the Panglong Agreement.


When the elections were called in 1990, members elected to the parliament
hoped to revive the constitutional amendment. But the military regime has
refused to honor the election results and to hand over the power to the
elected parliament.  The prolonged despotic military rule has dragged the
country down to the worst level.  


Burma today is one of the poorest countries in the world and the people
in the Union are undergoing all sorts of hardships and difficulties. The
situation in the Chin State today has also worsened. Successive military
regimes have launched programs that directly and indirectly contributed
to the destruction of existence of the Chin people as a distinct national
race.


The Chin people are not allowed to learn their language even in
elementary schools.  No permission is given to publish books and
literature on the Chin social life and history. 


The generals have sent in a large number of troops and armed personnel to
the Chin State and are systematically committing all sorts of atrocities.
The Chin people are going through severe repression under the military
regime.  The Chin State remains neglected by successive military regimes
with no effective development programs implemented in the region.


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in part says, "Whereas it is
essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last
resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights
should be protected by the rule of law". Without the rule of law there is
nothing to protect the rights of the Chin people.  Hence, in accordance
with the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Chin
people have taken the recourse of resisting the tyrannical military
regime in order to restore the rule of law that will guarantee their
rights.


The Chin people had been the mainstay of defending the Panglong Agreement
and the 1947 Union Constitution when Burma was on the brink of falling to
communism.  Today, they are also one of the main forces in the western
part of the Union struggling to restore democracy and the rule of law in
the country.


The political crisis in the Union begins with the abolishment of the
Union Constitution and the overthrow of a legally elected government by
successive military regimes.  The goal to amend the Union Constitution to
reflect federalism has also not yet been achieved today.  The political
crisis in Burma today therefore is not only an ideological crisis between
democracy and dictatorship but also a constitutional crisis.  


UN General Assemblies for the past six years have unanimously passed
resolutions urging the ruling generals to implement the result of 1990
general elections, which is to take a step towards democracy, and to have
a tripartite dialogue with the democracy movement led by Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi and the representatives of the ethnic national groups, which in
essence is a call to resolve this constitutional crisis.


Whenever there are problems between members of a family, it is common
practice to get friends and well wishers to help the conflicting
relatives negotiate and reconcile. Therefore, it is certainly most
appropriate and proper for the international community to provide
assistance in helping the warring parties of the Union to come together
for negotiation and reconciliation. Only through reconciliation can the
Union develop and prosper and only then will the people in the country
live harmoniously in peaceful existence and contribute to peace in
general.


As a people who are committed to restore democracy and the rule of law in
the Union, we should from now on vow to increase our commitment to the
struggle and pray that the intervention by the international community
would lead to a serious and constructive dialogue for a peaceful solution
to the crisis.


>From here, we call for an end to the violation of human rights, including
the suppression of  political freedoms, arbitrary detention, torture,
rape, extrajudiciary killings, racial and religious  oppression, and the
use of forced labor, all of which are taking place in the Chin State and
the other parts of the Union today.  


We further demand 


	- that the SPDC implement the result of general election freely
expressed in the  democratic elections of 1990, 


	- that it releases all political prisoners  immediately and
unconditionally, and 

	

- that it opens a genuine  political dialogue with the representatives of
NLD and  ethnic  national groups.


Thanks,


Sd/



Lian Uk