Pado David Tarkapaw, Spokesman of United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), said that a resolution to redraft the 2008 Constitution among others, including the establishment of a Federal Union was passed at a Four Day Ethnic Conference held from July 29 to August 1, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The ethnic conference sponsored by UNFC passed a total of ten resolutions, including the formation of Federal Armed Forces and a genuine Federal Union.
“The Federal Armed Forces will be role models of key principles such as preventing in-fighting, defending the Federal Union, proportionate participation in the Armed Forces, resolving conflicts through peaceful means, etc.”, Pado David Tharkapaw said.
He also said that the ethnic representatives' aspiration for peace by forming a genuine Federal Union was the reason behind the resolution to redraft the 2008 Constitution.
But the UNFC has not disclosed the sections of the Constitution that they have resolved to amend.
He further elaborated that the ethnic representatives agreed to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement proposed by President Thein Sein only after they were given political and military assurance.
He criticized Union Minister Aung Min, the Government’s peace mediator saying, “Minister Aung Min is trying to achieve peace through separate peace agreements with different ethnic organizations. We have advised him from before to organize nationwide ceasefire in the country but he is still meeting each organization separately.”
A statement issued after the event stated that over 130 delegates from 45 ethnic political parties and ethnic armed groups attended the conference.
UNFC was formed in February 2011 with 12 armed and non-armed ethnic organizations
