1.  Since 1948, after independence from Great Britain, for over 45 years, the people in the Union of Myanmar never gained their desired freedom, instead they only received hardship. Moreover, the country became poorer, natural resources have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people have fled into neighbouring countries. The root of this problem is the coup-d’etat that took place on March 02, 1962. Since then the country has been ruled by the successive dictators for 46 years now. Also, the today’s State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) rules the country with the same form of dictatorship. After the suffering from World War II, the people of Myanmar suffered again with more hardship from the cruel acts of the SPDC.

2.  Those cruel and inhuman acts are carried out by the SPDC since decades and are witnessed and acknowledged by the people of Myanmar. Political parties and armed resistance forces are politically trapped and cheated. Back in 1948, we had a good foundation for peace, which was granted in the historic Pang Loung Agreement. This historical agreement still exists and no one can forget it. As we were cheated the first time and were defeated, we learned our lessons that now make us smarter. If we are cheated a second time, both political parties and the armed resistance forces must be silly. The root of the problem comes from the Pang Loung Agreement, which was ill-treated by the dictators. Seeing this in the light of the sun, we have to come back to our table and solve the root of our problem: to discuss and solve the right point: the historically important Pang Loung Agreement must be brought to light again to be questioned and discussed on the table.

3.  The today’s National Constitution drafted by the SPDC was not written with the will of the people of Myanmar and it was not created out in a democratic system. In addition, political parties such as the Nation League for Democracy (NLD) and the Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), which won the general elections in 1990, were not able to participate in it. The SPDC itself drafted the very constitution only to prolong in their power. If people, political parties and armed resistance forces support this new Constitution and the upcoming elections, it is just like they directly support the SPDC to keep on ruling the country. Cease-fire groups are one of the most important parties to make a great change in Myanmar. If they support the new Constitution by the SPDC, it means that they are politically trapped again. In the end, they will be forced to lay down their weapons too. To set up political parties and to negotiate in a future-parliament is also invisible for them and just a dream.

4.  It is high time for all the 25 armed resistance groups in Myanmar to declare war on the SPDC, all political parties to join hands and all people and monks to put an end to the dictatorship by showing their disproval toward the Constitution.

5.  The up-coming general elections 2010 are just a game to cheat the international communities not to put further pressure on the SPDC. By this, a genuine democracy is invisible and impossible.

Therefore, everyone should better join the solidarity against the improper acts of the SPDC in Myanmar and support the current sanctions made by United Nation on the SPDC in order to hand over the power to the people of Myanmar immediately. So we would like to persuade all people of Myanmar to join hands for the fate of Myanmar itself and for everyone and everything.

Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)