16.07.2006
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Join Democracy for Burma Alliance
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Interview with Colonel Khun Okkar
(Col. Khun Okkar is General Secretary of the National Democratic Front, NDF)
_ interview conducted by Ko Nay Thwin
_ translated into English by Ko Nay Yu
Q: Firstly, I’d like you to introduce the background history of the NDF to the readers.
Ans: If I have to talk about the NDF, 13 armed revolution groups met in marner plaw on 10th May, 1976 and then we first formed the NDF there (merner plaw) to fight against (the regime) as a coalition force rather than fighting separately.
The most long lasting armed coalition force:
There were a lot of coalition forces before the formation of NDF. But not long lasting ones. We can say NDF is the most long lasting coalition force as it celebrated the 30th anniversary on 10th May 2006 from the emergence of the NDF in 1976. In fact, this coalition is the armed coalition force especially fighting for the ethnic nationalities under privileges and for the democracy campaign as well.
The illuminated history of the NDF
The NDF stood up as a coalition force defending and safeguarding the democratic campaigners from the oppression of the enemy (the military regime). These all are in the historic record. Therefore, the emergence of the NDF, the continuing existence of the NDF and the current campaigning political targets, everything is developing and later on we formed the organizations such as DAB, NCUB and ENC extending from the NDF. And you can see that all the organizations and coalition forces are marching towards the formation of the federal union, the target of the NDF. That’s why we can say that the objectives and the measures of the NDF is illuminating until today although it has been formed more than 30 years ago.
Q: There are speculations that the regime is continuously stubborn for the tripartite dialogue no matter how the pro-democracy groups and the international community calling for. Is there any potentials of the tripartite dialogue in practically?
Ans: It is nothing to do with the junta about the grip of the tripartite dialogue by the NDF. It is the concept of us, all the ethnic nationalities, whether the junta want it or not and if they deny about it.
Why tripartite?
Why we hold the concept of the tripartite dialogue is : According to the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, it pointed out that three forces should be engaged in order to build the future of Burma and addressed the crises in Burma, the so-called Myanmar by the regime. It stated clearly that ethnic nationalities should be one of the three forces and highlighted the importance of the ethnic nationalities in a country. And we believe that the importance of the ethnic nationalities is recognized. Because of the process recognized the role of the ethnic nationalities, we grip this concept that the tripartite dialogue is representing the legalization of the role of the ethnic nationalities.
Settle the political conflict in political way
Another point is that the tripartite dialogue is addressing the national conflict in the peaceful way, the political crisis should be settled in political mean. The national conflict must be addressed in peaceful way. Because of griping this ideology, the NDF, the coalition of the armed opposition groups is not a terrorist group. The NDF is not the group accepting the overruling by holding arms. We are holding arms for self-defense because of the circumstances we are facing. We want to settle the conflict in peaceful way if we have the chance. The tripartite dialogue is the target of the NDF to show our desire in order to settle the conflict through the dialogue and to show that we are holding this concept. We are currently holding this concept as our target. Griping this concept of tripartite dialogue agrees with the ethnic nationalities’ political goals. It is for the sake of ethnic nationalities and the recognition of the ethnic nationalities’ role. It is nothing to do with the junta whether they accept and hard headed about the dialogue. For the NDF, the tripartite dialogue is our firmly-established concept.
Q: What processes need to be performed for the emergence of the tripartite dialogue?
Ans: If we(the NDF) have to say in briefly, there are three points needed to be carry on for the emergence of the tripartite dialogue.
Formation of Mass Movement
Mass movement base on the people inside the country. The junta will be in the crisis if all walks of life in the country are performing the uprisings like 8888. The junta will be weaker and weaker.
Increase the Operation of Revolution
There are armed ethnic groups believed in the junta’s lies about the regional development schemes when they give away the armed struggle but not necessarily the arms, so-called exchanging the arms with the peace. We called them as ceased-fire groups. Although they (ethnic groups) agreed the cease-fire with the aims of the chance for the political dialogue, the junta masterminded the weakness of these groups day by day. They (ethnic groups) have to reflect their situation as they are dealing with the regime. The enemy (the junta) will be in the deadlock if other armed groups not involved in the cease-fire agreement will also increase their attacks with the unity. Although the enemy got more troops than us, they are not good in strong spirit. They don’t have good operational skills. We know that. If they are facing the systematic armed defiance, they will be fallen apart. This is the second point.
In balance with the international pressure
The third point is the pressure of the international community. The United Nations, the Security Council and the ASEAN, our neighbours including India, all of them should exert more pressure on the regime. The regime has to face the consequences of the pressures if they (the international community) put the pressures for the dialogue and the termination of the armed oppression in balance. Therefore, if we are fighting the regime with these three forces, the mass movement inside the country, the increased armed operations and the international pressure at the same time, the regime has to shift to the dialogue process for their last breath, as it is the only remedy for the crisis they are facing. We strongly believe that. I want to say that the NDF will be following this process as our stance.
Q: We know that NDF is one of the pillars for the NCUB. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Ans: Actually, the NDF emerged from May, 1976, is quite strong until 1986. We got several achievements. The student leaders, the monks and other activists formed DAB after 1988 uprising. After 1990 election, the leaders of the winning party though the power is not transferred, came to the border. Then, we formed the NLD-LA, NLD-Liberated Areas. Later, we successfully formed the National Coalition Government, the government we can’t form inside the country, with the elected MPs. We formed these organizations one after one based on the NDF and these organizations became the pillars for the National Council. However, when we first formed the National Council, our original target is: while it is a coalition we shall drafting the constitution, legislation and the measures of the interim government, as the de facto . We shall have the connection with the international community and get the international support. Like these objectives, we form the National Council with this great target, the de facto parliament. Nevertheless, we couldn’t carry on the de facto parliament process. We found out that one of the pillars, the coalition government had weak coordination in the parliamentary way towards the National Council, then in 1996 Convention of the National Council, we agreed that we will abolish the parliamentary concept in the formation. We adopted the resolution that NCUB is the coalition, the political coalition. That’s why the NDF is in the NCUB as a pillar so far. However, the coalition government formed the MPU in1996 and substitute the MPU instead of them and they left the NCUB. So, there are four pillars in the NCUB: NDF, DAB, NLD-LA and MPU and the NDF still carry on in the NCUB.
Q: We know that the NDF is also working together with other ethnic organizations in the ENC which are not the members of the NDF. How much improvements you got so far?
Ans: Like I’ve said before, along the actions since the NDF formed we cooperated with 1988 pro-democracy activities and winning parties of the 1990 election. However, we found out that the targets of the equalities of ethnic nationalities, home rule and the formation of the federal union far left behind while we taking actions for democracy. Then, we laid out a project to get back the initial force and the reunion.
Wild Jasmine Project
The main purpose of the Wild Jasmine Project is for the collective force of four groups. We will form a great force base on the four primary forces such as the members of NDF, other armed groups which are not NDF members, the ceased-fire groups and the ethnic political parties and the winning parties of the 1990 election like UNLD. We presume that the only force of NDF is not enough for our campaign and we organized these four forces and carried on our actions under the Wild Jasmine Project. Then, we achieve mutual understanding with ceased-fire groups and we have more cooperation.
Founding the ENC covering all ethnic nationalities
At the same time, we continue fighting against the enemy. But, non-members of NDF, like Karenni group, Shan group and Kachin group, some Kachin groups not in ceased-fire agreement cooperated with NDF and it’s not that easy for them to be members of NDF. As a result, we established the cooperation committee, ENSCC and then we formed the steering committee, Ethnic Nationalities Council, ENC in order to carry on actions covering all ethnic nationalities.
Substitute with State Base
We, NDF also contribute as a primary force in the ENC after its formation. But it is difficult to participate as a coalition force in the process of pursuing the formation with state base concept for the legislation of ENC. Then, we agreed that members of NDF would cooperate separately in the ENC rather than as a coalition. The NDF members take part in the ENC measures on their own group. The formation is: NDF members go back to their states and participated in state-bodies and then come back to the ENC. When we reorganized in this way, ENC became the council formed with the state base representatives. The NDF integrated in the ENC again but all members took part separately not as a coalition.
Q: What do you think of current stance of NDF and the armed struggle as NDF is a coalition formed with armed forces against the regime.
Ans: As I said earlier, if we want the regime move into the track of dialogue, we need to increase the armed campaign as part of the three forces needed to be carry on and it is our, NDF responsibility. It’s our concept and if we have to divide the duties, the NCGUB which achieve the international support has to carry on for the international pressure against the regime. While the force who can initiate the mass movement carry on the measures inside and NDF will be working hard for the armed campaign.
The ceased-fire groups should reflect with care
We constantly urging the ceased-fire groups to redefine their position. We try to contact them with all the ways we can and remind them for their security and at least they should be able to defend for themselves and not becoming unstable. Because, for example, the Palaung, we found out the Palaung State Liberation Organization, the PSLO and the Palaung State Liberation Army, the PSLA became difficult to maintain their stance and regional unity and authority became weaker later on. It is as a result of giving away the arms. The cease-fire groups should realize the first course of armed struggle. They are in the crisis when there is no armed struggle and no arms after they give away their arms under the scheme of relinquishing the armed struggle but not arms. After we request them to face these difficulties with care, we found that the enemy reduced the pressure on the other groups, Shan groups and Wa groups for dismantling arms. Anyway, we believe that it is the way we can secure the ethnic forces as much as we can. We believe that armed groups will be able to reflect in a transition period. If we can create the deadlock for the junta with the understanding between the forces inside and outside and the armed groups who can defend, if the junta face difficulties of controlling the power and balance of their position, we hope the phase of dialogue will be reached although they don’t want to.
Q: What do you want to say more as a General Secretary of NDF?
Ans: I want to make one or two explanations in this time.
Firstly, I want to explain that it is absolutely not true about the NDF separated with other democratic forces and doing our own business. Like other democratic forces have done their responsibilities, we want to tell that NDF is also carry on their duties for democratization. When we were in the Wild Jasmine Project, the forces called democratic forces concerned little bit about us. They concerned that we would go in our own way after we formed the coalition with DAB, NCUB and NCGUB. Actually, it is not true. Democracy campaign and the ethnic issues are together. These two issues have to be sorted out at the same time. We accept that. We sort out that. The victory will be closer if we divide the workloads as it is the responsibility of ethnic nationalities, as it is the responsibility of democratic forces depends on their efficiency. The Wild Jasmine Project is for the unity of ethnic nationalities and the preparation for the tripartite dialogue. The ENC and ENSCC emerging after the NDF initiative. I want to explain that all these processes are approaching towards the victory not going far from the democratic forces. I can assure for that.
Misunderstanding
Secondly, the emergence of Pinlon Initiative. We took actions for the ethnic initiative after the Pinlon Initiative. In that case, some causes for misunderstanding rose from the democratic forces. They thought that ethnic initiative would be leading the whole society, the whole opposition action by force. In reality, the ethnic initiative is for ethnic unity. Ethnic initiative is for tripartite dialogue. It is the initiative for the ethnic actions from their role for the emergence of tripartite dialogue. The democratic forces are also doing what they can and at the same time we are approaching with the ethnic initiative for the dialogue. We believe that addressing the Burma’s political crisis in the political way is easier and faster. Therefore, I would like to summarize that everything about the ethnic initiative and the Wild Jasmine Project is not for the separation with democratic forces and we are using the tactics for the higher achievement in our campaign. We want to explain that we are going in the same course towards the victory.
Abbreviations:
DAB - Democratic Alliance of Burma
END - Ethnic Nationalities Council
ENSCC – Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee
MPU – Members of Parliament Union
NCUB – National Council of the Union of Burma
NCGUB – National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
NDF – National Democratic Front
NLD-LA – National League for Democracy-Liberated Areas
PSLA – Palaung State Liberation Army
PSLO – Palaung State Liberation Organization
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