Burma President Warns – “No Secession And No Harm To Sovereignty”
Karen News is led to understand that President U Thein Sein has given directives to his office’s minister not to discuss issues about ethnic states secession and issues that can harm the sovereignty of the country during political dialogue with ethnic groups.
Burma government ministers and political parties met in the Myanmar Peace Center on November 10 where President Office Minister, U Aung Min, mentioned the president’s directives on the two issues.
Padoh Mahn Mahn, the Karen National Union’s joint secretary said that in his view the two issues has been worrying the government.
Speaking to Karen News, Padoh Mahn Mahn said.
“The Ethnic groups have decided to build a federal union in Burma. The government’s so far understands this as secession. The government impression is that they are worried about it.”
Padoh Mahn Mahn said that the goal of ethnic groups including the Karen National Union in establishing a federal union in Burma is not to seek secession and that they understand that sovereignty is related to all of the people of Burma and it is the responsibility of all of the people to protect it.
In the meeting between the government and political parties at the Myanmar Peace center, U Aung Min said that the president has taken the same position as ethnic groups in trying to solve the country’s political problems.
U Aung Min was quoted in the local media as saying, “the president’s policy is that the armed conflict continue as political problems are not solved by political means. Therefore, the president takes and holds onto the policy of solving the conflict by political means.”
Hkun Okker, the joint secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) said that the government had also expressed the president’s directives at the ethnic conference held to discuss the nation-wide-ceasefire, in Kachin State, Myitkyina on November 4-5.
Hkun Okker said.
“We discussed with the government about these two points at the Myitkyina talks but we did not get any decision. As the objective is to work and live together in the country, it was not so important to discuss at the meeting – we will have to wait and see if these issues will emerge again in the future.”
