CONSTITUTION

SuuKyi,EthnicAllianceAgreetoPush3PointAgenda
()

AnumbrellagroupofethnicpoliticalpartiesmeetswithAung
SanSuKyiandagreestoworkwiththeoppositionleaderto
pushathreeitemagendaforBurmaspoliticalfuture.
by

NOBEL ZAW & LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY

| 19 Jan 2015

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(http://www.irrawaddy.org/election)
RANGOON An umbrella group of ethnic political parties known as the United
Nationalities Alliance (UNA) met with Aung San Su Kyi on Sunday and agreed to work
ELECTION2015
with the opposition leader to push a three-point agenda for Burmas political future.

The two sides agreed that amending the 2008 Constitution, ensuring free and fair
elections later this year and the convening of genuine political dialogue among
Burmas political stakeholders should be centerpieces of a reform program that began in
2011 but, critics including Suu Kyi say, has stalled of late.

2011 but, critics including Suu Kyi say, has stalled of late.
The discussion was held on Sunday at the Naypyidaw residence of Suu Kyi, who serves
as chairwoman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Gin Kan Lian, secretary of the Zomi Congress for Democracy Party, attended the meeting
and said the joint three-point position would be formally announced within weeks.

We didnt discuss in detail and we agreed to discuss these three matters in the future.
Both of us will discuss with our respective groups and will issue a joint agreement.
Suu Kyi and UNA representatives last met to discuss constitutional reform in September
2013, and this weekends meeting comes less than a week after President Thein Sein
convened a 48-party dialogue that was criticized by some as ineffectual windowdressing.

Gin Kan Lian called the 48-party meeting chatter dialogue, with participants only

afforded three to five minutes to state their positions and attendees failing to engage in
substantive discussion or reach significant agreement.
He did not take a position on whether the UNA would back the six-party talks that Suu
Kyi has endorsed, saying only that the alliance supported genuine political dialogue.

The UNA has separately called for a tripartite dialogue that would include the Burmese
government, ethnic armed groups and political parties, and the NLD.

Thus far, however, Thein Sein has ignored those calls, as well as endorsements by Suu
Kyi and Parliament for six-party talks.
The presidents convening of the 48-party talks earlier this month was preceded by a
14-party dialogue in November that was also criticized as a largely substanceless affair.
Sai Nyunt Lwin of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy told The Irrawaddy: We
will discuss these three agreements with our partner groups and will return to meet NLD
soon.
Dr. Min Soe Linn, from the Mon Democracy Party, told The Irrawaddy that in February
the UNA would hold a meeting that would be more inclusive than a gathering it held in
December, which saw only 22 groups attend out of an invitation list of 33 organizations
with close ties to the UNA.

The UNA says the same 33 organizations will be invited to the February meeting, at

The UNA says the same 33 organizations will be invited to the February meeting, at
which the proposed three-point agenda will be discussed.
We wanted to find common ground among political parties in order to have future

political dialogue. We wanted to get out from the current impasse. We will cooperate
with the public on our movement. The government has to pay attention to our
movement if the public supports us.

The UNA is an umbrella group of eight ethnic political parties that was formed following
the 1990 elections, when the ruling junta refused to cede power following a landslide
NLD victory. Originally it was comprised of 12 different political parties.

UNA members refused to participate in the 2010 national elections on the grounds that
they opposed the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. Some UNA leaders have indicated,
however, that they intend to participate in national elections slated for late this year.
TOP PHOTO - (PHOTO: STEVE TICKNER / THE IRRAWADDY)

ASSK waits to speak at a rally for constitutional reform in Loikaw, Karenni State, on Nov. 8, 2014.

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