WORLD ZOMI CONGRESS

16116 SE Mill St,Portland, OR 97233,USA Email wzc.info@gmail.com

World Zomi Congress Press Release on the ceasefire agreement between Chin National Front and Burmese USDP government
Date: 10/02/2012 First of all, the World Zomi Congress would like to congratulate and welcome the ceasefire agreement between the Chin National Front, who has been struggling against the military rule for more than 20 years for the Chin/Zomi, and the Burmese USDP government on 6 January, 2012. The history of Burma and the Burmese has clearly shown us that on 12 February, 1947 the Panglong agreement has been signed just to hasten independence from the British. As has been recorded the Zomi, Kachin, and Shan joined hands and pursued Self-determination with the Burmese so as to hasten the process of being an independent country. However when the 1947 constitution of the newly independent Burma was written the hopes and aspirations of Zomi, Kachin, and Shan were not incorporated into the constitution and they were practically subjugated under the Burmese. This is the first betrayal of the Burmese. In 1961 Zogam, Kachin and Shan met at Taunggyi in Shanland to either amend the 1947 constitution or dissolve the constitution and adopt a new federal constitution based on equality of Zogam, Kachin, Shan, and Burmese. This was agreed to by the Burmese and in March 1962 there was a meeting in Yangon. However the Burmese Army did not agree to this and launched a military coup which resulted in all leaders of the Zomi, Shan, and Kachin being arrested and imprisoned. The Burmese then rewrote the constitution in 1974 and from then on the Zomi, Kachin and Shan were governed over like the North Korean government does to its citizens. This is the second betrayal by the Burmese. In 1988 not only the Non-Burmans but even the Burmese civilians were no longer happy with the military government which culminated in an election in 1990. That election quickly pacified the Non-Burmans and the Burmese civilians. However the elected members of parliament were virtually given no power at all. The Burmese and the Burmese army then came up with another constitution in 2008. This constitution was written by the military junta along with the few corrupted officials. Even among the Zomi some officials, who were not democratically elected, took part in this exercise. This is the third betrayal.

WORLD ZOMI CONGRESS

16116 SE Mill St,Portland, OR 97233,USA Email wzc.info@gmail.com

The 2008 constitution which is the result of three betrayals and the so called government which resulted from a vote rigging in 2010 is the USDP military government which the World Zomi Congress considers untrustworthy and illegitimate. So the talk between the so called various democratic parties and the ceasefire various ethnic revolutionary movements is just to save face and to legitimatize the government amongst the worlds governments. USDP General Secretary Htay Oo has said that the 2008 Constitution will not be amended therefore the ethnic revolutionaries who look forward to amending the constitution are gravely mistaken and the World Zomi Congress do not trust that to happen. Therefore the World Zomi Congress would like to caution our CNF/CNA brethrens in their dealings with the illegitimate USDP military government that came into being because of the 2008 constitution in the first place. The World Zomi Congress is glad to hear of the CNF-USDP Ceasefire. However it should be noted that the Zomis fundamental right to self-determination, equality etc will never be achieved through the CNF-USDP dialogue and we also do not accept that any agreement that come of this dialogue is a Zomi or Zogam agreement. Its not more than one Zomi party called CNF having a dialogue with another Burmese party, USDP and nothing else. The World Zomi Congress would not accept any political agreement between any Zomi political party, organisation, civil society including the CNF, pretending to represent Zomi (Chin) and Zogam (Chinland) and the USDP regime and rejects such agreement and renders it void and null, unless it leads to the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Zomi, Kachin, and non-Burmans of equality and self-determination; unless it is to restore the sentiments and aspiration of the Panglong agreement and the Taunggyi Conference; unless it is to amend the 2008 constitution.

Information and Publicity Department World Zomi Congress HQ, Portland USA