The open letter urged the Burmese government and the four major ethnic armed groups sign a ceasefire agreement quickly.

Duwa Zau Awng said, “The Burman-led government is the source of the political conflicts. So, she should say that to the government- but not to native ethnic peoples. She should challenge the government to find a political solution for creating peace.  It oppresses other native peoples with Burmanization (Burman nationalism). We are the same ethnic status with Burmans.  We are not living in a Burman state,” Maran Zau Awng said.

The open letter written by the Nobel peace laureate called for a ceasefire between four ethnic armed groups: the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Karen National Union (KNU), New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Shan State Army (SSA), and the Burmese government, led by ex-general President Thein Sein.

The root cause of the political problems is a lack of equality between Burman and other ethnic peoples.

The Burmans have controlled the country’s power since the multiethnic Union of Burma was formed by the Burmans, Shan, Chin and Kachin, in accordance with the 1947 Panglong Treaty, said Duwa Zau Awng.

“Kachin, Karen and Shan, like all ethnic people, are living peacefully- like a beehive- in their own land. They have no choice but to fight against the government when the peace is destroyed by the Burman-led government hitting the beehive,” he said.

Once again, the Burman-led military government drafted the country’s 2008 constitution, which legally favours the majority Burman to continue keeping the country’s power.

Early this year, the government began a war against ethnic armed groups which rejected its proposal to transform into the Burma Army-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF).

Now, the civil war has escalated in Kachin, Shan, Mon and Karen States.

“We cannot do only as they wish and we will not live as they want; we should have our birth rights. We don’t need to fight against the Burman if they stop oppressing us,” Duwa Zau Awng said.