We Demand for Decolonization of Burma

Our Mother land which Anawrahta, Kyansittha, Bayinnaung, Alaungapaya, Sinbyushin, and Bogyoke Aung San had built up nurtured and consolidated through ages, cannot be allowed to be in disorder and to disintegrate during our time. ……….."

The above is a piece of excerpt from the address delivered at the 1989-44th Anniversary Resistance Day (Armed Forces Day) Parade by the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services,  Senior General Saw Maung. In 1988, he succeeded the state power from General Ne Win in the capacity of the  Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) upon the dissolution of General Ne Win's BSPP (Burmese Socialist Programme Party)  following the 1988 Democracy Uprising.

This piece of policy address clearly highlights the essence of the Myanmarese colonialism that has its roots in the past feudal imperialism.

Arakan Democratic Forces (ADF) and I standby our philosophy that the State of Union of Burma, a Republic, was officially born in January 4, 1948 under the Nu-Attlee Treaty. Imposition of the State of Tagaung, Sriksetra, Pagan, Myinsing, Sagaing, Pinya, Ava and Konbaung in the place of the State of our Republic, Union of Burma, is Myanmar colonialism.

Those days of pre-1948 were feudal, colonial and imperial that practised tyranny and racism. ADF and I recognize those as our history. While we honour our heritage a clear demarcation line must be drawn. Our democratic parliamentary Republic was born in 1948. At the AFPFL Convention held at the Jubilee Hall, Rangoon, on the 23rd May 1947,  Bogyoke Aung San, in his address, said, "We want a Republic". It was agreed and our Republic was born in 1948, but he was killed on the 19th July 1947 by the Myamarese imperialists. Under the leadership of U Nu, who succeeded Aung San, the new and infantile Republic survived a series of turmoil, but was  put to an end by General Ne Win through a coup d'état on the 2nd March 1962. General Ne Win, who is known as the uncrowned king of the Fourth Myanmar Empire, revived Myanmarism and ruled the country under the Burmese Way to Socialism that was nothing but a variety of Myanmarese colonialism.  General Saw Maung succeeded him in 1988, promoted himself to a 5-Star Senior General, and firmly upheld Myanmarism. At the death of Senior General Saw Maung, Senior General Than Shwe took his place and ruled the country in the name of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

Today, Tamadaw (i.e. Myanmarese Armed Forces) continues to constitutionalize Myanmarese colonialism, of course at the gunpoint as usual. Please see our ADF Manifesto at ADF web site http://www.shwelumaung.org/central & http://www.shwelumaung.org/index.html. This arrogant and belligerent Myanmarism has let the fury of the feudal past boil over into this modern time. Unfortunate it is. We, the Rakhaing Nation, have no choice but wage a war against it. Armed or unarmed our struggle is legitimate.

Under such lawless colonial condition, we, citizens of Rakhaingpray (Arakan), in exercise of sovereign authority collectively, would like to emphasize our territorial integrity with respect to the 1454-border Agreement of our Arakanese King Meng Khari alias Ali Khan and Myanmar King Ava Min Khaung. The two sovereign kings signed the border demarcation agreement with due recognition and respect of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in April 1454 CE (Arakanese era: the 6 waxing day of TannKhone AE 816). They met at the Mount Nway Cho Pho Khaung of Arakan Roma Ridge and the border demarcation line was drawn along the crest of Arakan Roma Ridge from the Northern tip down to Mawtin Edge (Cape Negris) at the south into Bay of Bengal. The oceanic island, Haigri, is included in the Arakanese territories. Violating this border agreement Myanmar King Bodaw Maung Wyne annexed Arakan in 1784, under the eyewitness of the British East India Authorities. Upon the victory of the First Anglo-Burman War, Arakan was handed over to the British as per Rantapo Treaty signed by the British and the Myanmar on the 24th February 1826. In that Rantapo Treaty, the territory of our Rakhaingpray (Arakan) was defined according to the 1454-border agreement signed our Arakanese King Meng Khari alias Ali Khan and Myanmar King Ava Min Khaung.

Therefore, the world must 'decolonize Burma'. Accordingly, we, ADF, demands for 'Decolonization of Burma', and 'Governance of our Rakhaingpray (Arakan) as an UN Trust Territory under the International Trusteeship System' during the process of decolonization of Burma.

Please understand. We, the Rakhaing Nation is a Federating Nation in the Republic that was born in the name of Union of Burma under the Nu-Attlee Treaty in 1948.  Diminishing us, through the genocidal wars and brutal intimidation, into an ethnic minority status or a racial minority status is racial colonialism. The international community must duly recognize this fact and treat us as a Federating Nation. We, the Citizens of the Republic, shall fight unto death. Armed or unarmed our struggle is legitimate. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "We Shall Overcome Some Day".  SLM.

Copyright © 2001 by Dr. Shwe Lu Maung alias Shahnawaz Khan, Ph.D. (Wales, UK), the Patron and Chief Executive Officer of Arakan Democratic Forces.