ENC: The Will of The People To Decide Legitimacy of Burmese Government
The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) held a three-day conference last week, saying it can not endorse the SPDC’s ‘Road Map’ or the 2010 General Elections unless the process becomes more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all the peoples of the Union of Burma.
The statement by the 5th ENC conference said: “The will of the people must be the basis for deciding the legitimacy of a government. Unless and until the people of Burma can freely and fairly express their true will, there can be no legitimate government.”
“True legitimacy can not be bought by coercion, trickery or bribery. A truly legitimate government must be of the people, elected by the people, and work for the people,” continued the statement of the border-based ENC.
The conference accused the SPDC of consistently excluding the winners of the 1990 general elections, ignoring constitutional recommendations made by the ethnic nationalities and having no independent judiciary.
Given the coercive nature of the SPDC, the people will have no option but to participate in the 2010 elections, the conference of 26-28 August believed. It urged the people of the Union of Burma to organise themselves to be able to effectively express their true will in the 2010 elections.
The ENC’s statement also said that the military’s constitution, concentrating power in the hands of the President and the army chief, will not lead to a democracy, ‘disciplined’ or otherwise.
The 5th Ethnic Nationalities Conference called on the SPDC to initiate dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic nationalities leaders, and the United Nations to ensure that the people of Burma express their will without intimidation and fear.
And the conference also called for multi-party talks on Burma with neighbouring countries and other key nations under the auspices of the UN.
The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) with newly elected Hte Bu Hpe as its Chairman and Duwa Mahkaw Hkun Hsa as General Secretary, was originally established as the “Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee” (ENSCC) in August 2001. It was entrusted with the task of fostering unity and cooperation between all ethnic nationalities in preparation for a ‘Tripartite Dialogue” and a transition to democracy.