ENC plea ignored

The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) issued a statement at the 6th congress in June, urging the newly elected Burmese president, U Thein Sein, to stop military attacks in ethnic areas, to hold a nationwide ceasefire and to start peace talk.

So far the ENC request has made no impact on the Burma government. Fighting in Kachin, Shan and Karen State has intensified in recent days.

A total of 40 participants in the congress including representatives from each ethnic state, advisory board members and special guests of the ENC met for three days, from June 9-11 at an undisclosed location in eastern Burma.

ENC secretary general Dr. Sui Khar talked to Karen News and said.

“We urge them [Thein Sein government] to stop their military offensives and start peace talks. This is what they should be doing for the country and for all the people.”

Dr. Sui Khar said an important topic at the congress was unity.

“We worked on the principal of ‘Unity in Diversity’, we want to highlight that different ethnic nationalities must come and work together. During this ENC congress, we analyze our political situation.”

The ENC’s statement sent to the Burmese government welcomed the stand of the newly reformed United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) to resolve political issues by political means. The ENC accepted the reunification of the Shan State Armies – SSA north and SSA south as it would now be able to protect its people with their combined forces.

The ENC statement highlighted ethnic political parties who push for ethnic languages to be taught in state schools.

During the 6th ENC congress, delegates elected Padoh Kwe Htoo, as a Chairman, Dr. Sui Khar, as a secretary general and Naing Kasot Mon as joint general secretary.