National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma

BURMA UN SERVICE OFFICE

NEWS RELEASE

July 31, 1997

Contact: Dr. Thaung Htun, (212) 338-0048

BURMA'S NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT MEETS IN DENMARK

RE-AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO STRUGGLE - TOGETHER WITH ETHNIC PEOPLES FOR

DEMOCRACY AND EQUAL RIGHTS

Anticipating the admittance of Burma into the Association of South East Asian Nations, the

National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) cabinet held a strategy

meeting in Frederiksdal, Denmark, from 24-29 July 1997. This is the first time the full cabinet

has met since it was reconstituted in July 1995 in Bommersvik, Sweden. The NCGUB was

first established in Manerplaw, Karen State, Burma, in December 1990.

Members of the NCGUB cabinet who are working to restore democracy in Burma from areas

bordering Thailand and India, and the United States of America, met to discuss the deteriorating

political and economic situation in Burma, international development including ASEAN, and

together plan a strategy for the future.

Members of the cabinet who are representatives elected in the 27 May 1990 general elections,

re-affirmed their commitment to non-violence in working to establish a democracy in Burma,

and their commitment to work more closely with Burma's ethnic peoples. The cabinet portfolios

were re-organized as follows.

Prime Minister: Dr. Sein Win (PND)

Asia Pacific Affairs: Teddy Buri (NLD)

Federal Affairs: Marko Ban (DOKNU)

Health & Education: Dr. Zahleithang (CNLD)

Information: Maung M. Aye (NLD)

Justice: Thein Oo (NLD)

Labour: Dr. Sann Aung (Independent)

North and South American Affairs: Bo Hla Tint (NLD)

Social Welfare & Development Minister: Tha Noe (ALD)

South Asian Affairs: Dr. Tint Swe (NLD)

Teddy Burl is an NLD elected representative from Karenni Sates. Marko Ban is a Democratic

Organization for Kayan National Unity elected representative from Shan State. Zahleithang is

a Chin National League for Democracy elected representative from Chin State. Tha Noe is an

Arakan League from Democracy elected representative from Arakan State. The Party for National

Democracy is a party affiliated with the NLD. The NCGUB meeting was hosted by the

Copenhagen-based Danish Burma Committee with the support of the Royal Danish Government.

Cabinet Meeting at Frederiksdal, Denmark

(July 1997)

We, the representative of the people of Burma, elected in the 27 May 1990 general elections, meeting Frederiksdal, Denmark, as ministers of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, hereby:

Thank the Royal Danish Government and the Danish Burma Committee for making it possible for all of us to meet together in safety and freedom to plan for the restoration of democracy and national unity in Burma;

Thank the Dialogue partners of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and the United States of America, for their continued strong support for the aspirations of the people of Burma, and for their untiring efforts in trying to bring about much needed political change in Burma;

Call on ASEAN leaders to exercise their responsibility now that they have accepted Burma as a member, to help bring about political change in Burma;

Call on ASEAN to initiate dialogue with the 1990 election winning party led by Nobel Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the ethnic leaders of Burma, and the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma;

Call on ASEAN to closely monitor the situation in Burma and along its borders, and help alleviate the suffering of the people of Burma, both in the cities where political activists are being severely restricted and in the ethnic areas where mass forced relocations, mass forced labour and summary executions are taking place on a large scale;

Call on Burma's neighbours, especially China and India, in the interest of regional security, to help the Burmese people find a political solution and bring about national reconciliation and stability;

Call on Japan, other aid donors, and international financial institutions, to refrain from

making the situation in Burma worse by giving aid or encouraging investments until democracy is restored;

Re-affirm our position that political problems must be resolved by political means and Call on the international community to enable the Burmese military, the democracy movement led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and Burma's ethnic peoples to hold a tripartite dialogue;

Re-affirm our commitment to the principles of non-violent struggle;

Re-affirm our determination to implement the will of the Burmese people as expressed in the 1990 general elections, to establish a democracy;

Re-affirm our commitment to establishment of a genuine federal union, based on mutual respect and equality for all as reflected in the 1947 Panlong Agreement;

Fully agree with the spirit of cooperation and unity expressed in the ethnic peoples' January

1997 Mae Tha Raw Tha Agreement, Daw Aung San Suu Ky's February 1997 Union Day

message, and the recent United Nationalities League for Democracy's declaration;

Commit ourselves to join hands with and work more closely with Burma's ethnic peoples to

build a Burma where freedom, democracy, equality, peace and mutual respect will prevail.

Singed:

Dr. Sein Win MP, Paukkaung Prime Minister

Bo Hla Tint MP, Mogok 2 N & S American Affairs

Marko Ban MP, Pekon Federal Affairs

Maumg M Aye MP, Mandalay NEI Information

Dr. Sarm Aung MP, Ingabu 2 Labour

Teddy Buri MP, Loikaw 2 Asia pacific Affairs

Thein Oo MP, Mandalay SW2 Justice

Dr. Tint Swe MP, Pale 2 South Asian Affairs

Dr. Zahleithang MP, Falam 2 Health/Education

Absent:

Tha Noe MP, Rathetaung Social Welfare/Development