Geography and Cultures:

Burma is a Southeast Asian country of approximately 45 million people in 8 major ethnic nationalities: ethnic Burmans account for roughly 60% of the population, with the Shan, the Karen, the Kachin, and the Karenni being the next most numerous. Burma's diverse, multicultural society boasts 106 languages and dialects. The peoples' spiritual faiths also reflect the underlying diversity of history and culture, including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and varieties of animism. Burma is rich in natural resources, such as precious stones, tropical hardwoods, and onshore and offshore energy reserves.

Modern History:

The modern boundaries of Burma are not historical but the legacy of administrative convenience during the sixty years of British colonial rule, which ended in 1948. General Aung San, architect of Burma's independence and broadly revered as the leader of the independence struggle, was able to win the trust of the ethnic nationalities at the Panglong Conference in February 1947 and unified them with the Burmans. Together, all the nationalities participating in the conference demanded independence from the British. General Aung San's assassination in July 1947, just as the Union struggled to be born, is a national tragedy that haunts Burma to this day. The leadership vacuum left by his death gradually led to the breakdown of trust that existed among all the nationalities of Burma. General Ne Win, claiming that the nation was about to break up, staged a coup in 1962 and instituted a system of governance that ensured the military remains supreme in every aspect of life. That system has lasted 36 years today.

From 1962 to 1988, General Ne Win and his cronies sealed Burma away from the international community. The peoples of Burma became pauperized by the junta's economic experiments and Burma's status as one of the wealthiest countries in Asia declined to one of the ten poorest in the world.

The dominating role of the military was assured by subjecting the people to brute force and introducing a pervasive system of surveillance, the use of forced labor, extra-judicial killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced relocation of populations.

In 1988 the peoples of Burma asserted their right to dignity and hope. Monks, students and workers led non-violent demonstrations and general strikes nationwide calling for democratic reform. In September of that year, the military, calling itself the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) staged a coup and in the process opened fire and killed thousands of unarmed democracy protesters. To pacify the people, the SLORC held multi-party elections in May 1990. The elections were won by a landslide by the National League for Democracy (NLD) headed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Aung San's daughter, who emerged during this crisis to lead the NLD. With the party it backed winning only a handful of seats, the military embarked on a campaign of terror against the NLD members, elected representatives and political parties. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was kept under house arrest during and after the elections for six years (from 1989 to 1995). The NLD managed to win 392 of 485 seats despite the imprisonment of most of its leaders and the junta's strong-arm tactics.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi continues to be the symbol of non-violent struggle for democracy and has successfully united diverse voices calling for the restoration of democratic freedoms and human rights. The Nobel Committee awarded the 1991 Peace Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her personal courage and her commitment to democracy and non-violence.

The NLD, representing democratic choice and reconciliation, continues to advocate peaceful solutions and dialogue. The generals have consistently refused.

National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB):

By late 1990, a group of NLD Members of Parliament (MPs), led by Dr. Sein Win-Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's cousin-was sent into exile in order to mobilize international support for Burma. The MPs, with support from the Democratic Alliance of Burma, the National Democratic Front, among others, formed the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB). The NCGUB has since been working with all the democracy and the disenfranchised ethnic forces through the National Council of the Union of Burma as well as with the other exile and student groups. The NCGUB has led the call for a tripartite dialogue between the ethnic nationalities, the NLD, and the military to resolve national problems. Over the past 8 years, the NCGUB has mobilized the international community to withdraw all financial and moral support to the dictatorship.

Current Situation:

Governments, international institutions and human rights organizations have condemned the junta for systematically abusing human rights. Their use of forced labor on infrastructure, on tourism promotion projects and for transportation of war materials in their war against some ethnic nationalities are well documented. Forced portering and ruthless suppression of ethnic nationalities in the border areas have resulted in massive and continuing exodus of refugees; some experts estimate conservative figures to be 150,000 refugees and 350,000 internally displaced persons. Thousands of democracy activists and hundreds of elected NLD representatives are tortured and/or imprisoned in horrific conditions. There are documented and growing cases of deaths while in custody. The International Committee of the Red Cross has closed its Burma offices because of the regime's refusal to give them access to political prisoners.

The country is eclipsed with harsh, repressive security measures. The generals have tried to hide the realities of their rule for international legitimacy. Despite its efforts to control information about Burma and their intensive and costly international lobbying efforts, they have not convinced the world community of their claims for political "legitimacy." Ten years ago, the peoples of Burma demanded a voice in their own future. They are still waiting.