An interview with U Aung San Myint, Secretary-2 of Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP).
Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the military council, said at the 22nd press conference of the military council, that continued efforts are being made to achieve the political goal of strengthening the multi-party democratic system and building a union based on democracy and federalism.
In addition, the military said it always opens the door to the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) that want nation building and peace. It has invited them again to participate in the discussion.
The Than Lwin Times interviewed U Aung San Myint, Secretary-2 of the KNPP which is an ethnic armed organization about the military council’s spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun who said that there is no need to negotiate with the groups that have been declared terrorist groups.
Q: First, what do you think of the statement that the military council is trying to strengthen the multi-party democratic system and build a union based on democracy and federalism?
A: The military council said it is striving for the establishment of a federal democratic system and a multi-party system. However, it abolished the political parties citing the lack of registration. What it said goes against reality. It amounts to imposing restrictions on all inclusion. If we go to a federal democratic system, we can’t do it based on the 2008 Constitution. The 2008 Constitution has guaranteed the military’s interference in politics and the military’s continued power. It is not a constitution that can fully guarantee equality, justice and self-determination as aspired by the ethnics. The constitution is based on a unitary system and is a structure that leads to centralization. What we want is equality, justice and self-determination, so we can’t build a federal democratic union system.
Q: The military council’s spokesperson said that it has no plan to hold talks with the groups that are designated as terrorist organizations. May I know your view on it?
A: The military council said it will not hold any talks with terrorist organizations. Who is committing the terrorist acts? The military council is carrying out shelling and aerial bombardments on churches, clinics, hospitals, religious buildings and civilian targets without any battles. These attacks are acts of terrorism, aren’t they? We have experienced a lot of cases such as the arrests of innocent people, shootings and mass killings during the three years of the people’s revolution. For more than 70 years, the people from the ethnic areas have long been experiencing it. So, who commits the terrorist act?
Q: The military council said that it depends on their actions to declare four ethnic armed groups which are engaging in the Spring Revolution, including the KNPP, as terrorists. What would KNPP want to respond to this?
A: The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) is based on the 2008 Constitution. Under the 2008 Constitution, we cannot implement the national equality, justice and self-determination we want. The 2008 Constitution leads to a unitary system (Centralization). Moreover, it is a structure that guarantees the prolonged existence of the military and the interference of the military in politics. We created the NCA based on this constitution. It is impossible for us to discuss based on this. What I want to say is that there are 10 groups that signed the NCA. Look at the status of ten NCA signatories. Now, they have understood the current situation. It is clear that the army does not build the country on the NCA path. Who breached the facts in the NCA? The army itself is the first to breach it. The Karen National Union (KNU) and the Chin National Front (CNF) said that the NCA is no longer valid for them because the army first violates it. After they openly announced that the NCA is void, the fighting is taking place again today. Under this circumstance, going ahead with the NCA can’t be guaranteed. Let’s say that we are terrorists, we need to define the term “terrorist”. Who is committing violence? The one which commits violence today is the army. Fascism is being exercised by the military. Not us. It is an organization that wants national equality and justice. That’s what we want to say.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add about the actions of the military council?
A: Today, the revolution that emerges after the military coup is a people’s revolution. The people have to make an armed revolution as the public has no option to hold political dialogues. Who does such a terrorist act like them? Talking to a person or an organization alone can’t solve the political problem in Myanmar. All inclusion is a must. Myanmar’s political landscape is relevant to the whole community. Therefore, political discussions need to take place after focusing on the participation of all. The military on its part starts to work for the emergence of the landscape for political dialogues. Although the military tells us to stop our terrorist attacks, it first needs to stop attacks on civilians and military operations. What we want to say is all these facts.
Sent by Than Lwin Times