ETHNIC CEASE-FIRE GROUPS URGE SPDC

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Media Release
September 4, 1998

                                    
    ETHNIC CEASE-FIRE GROUPS URGE BURMESE MILITARY TO ENTER DIALOGUE

Three cease-fire groups based in Kayah and Shan States in eastern
Burma have called on Burma's military authorities to enter into a
dialogue with opposition groups.

The call was made in a letter to the Chairman of the State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC), Senior General Than Shwe, by the
Karenni Nationalities Peoples' Liberation Front (KNPLF), the
Kayan Newland Party (KNP) and the Shan Nationalities Peoples'
Liberation Organization (SNPLO).

The letter was signed by chairmen of the three groups, all of
which signed cease-fire agreements with the military in 1994. The
letter was sent to the SPDC on August 11, 1998, and it supported
moves by the National League for Democracy (NLD) to convene
parliament. In the letter the three groups state that they: 

"sincerely believe that the NLD's call to convene Parliament is
just and in accordance with the law, and that there is already a
provision which empowers the Pyithu Hluttaw (Parliament) to draw
up a Constitution."

Presidium member of the National Council of the Union of Burma
NCUB, U Tin Maung Win, says the letter is an encouraging sign for
the peaceful settlement of Burma's political crisis.

"We understand that this is the first time any cease-fire group
has called for a dialogue with pro-democracy and ethnic
organisations.

"The military should now take this opportunity to gather the
country's leaders together in a tripartite dialogue and solve
Burma's problems peacefully. We know that on September 1
representatives of the military regime met with leaders of the
three groups in the Shan State capital, Taunggyi, however details
of the meeting are not known," U Tin Maung Win said.

The letter from the three groups also states that the National
Convention, set up in 1993 by the military to draft a
Constitution, is no longer relevant to the current political
climate in Burma. The groups go on to state that they believe now
is an opportune time to build a new Union of Burma where all
nationalities enjoy equal rights and equal representation.

The NCUB is an umbrella organisation representing some 19 ethnic
and pro-democracy groups.

National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB)

For more information please call 01 828 3741, 01 253 9082.