The Chairman of Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the political arm of the Shan State Army (SSA) ‘South’ Colonel Yawd Serk said the current ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), cannot be called the Government of the Union of Burma because the 1947 union constitution ratified by all nationalities had already been overthrown.

According to him, the ruling military SPDC is an ethnic organization like many others. The government of the Union has yet to emerge as the union has ceased to exitst since 1962 together with the 1947 constitution. “The ruling junta is not the government. It is just a military clique led by Gen Than Shwe,” he said.  “One way to undermine their power therefore is not to call them government. If we do, it will mean that we still accept them as our government.”

The juntas’ much vaunted 3 causes: Non disintegration of the Union; Non disintegration of National Solidarity and Perpetuation of National Sovereignty were also wrong because the union formed by all the ethnic nationalities has gone, according Yawd Serk.

“There was a union because of the 1947 constitution,” he said, “Now that it is no more, it means all the ethnic states have returned to their independent previous status.”

To reestablish the Government of the Union, the Union must be restored first. To restore it, respective representatives from all ethnic nationalities must meet and talk similar to the 1947 Panglong conference, according to him.

Hkun Okker of the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) also shared the view of Col Yawd Serk that the Union has been destroyed, but the spirit of the Union is still being used by the junta military and they are still ruling the country as a government even though they are not recognized by the people.

“They are called illegal government or de facto government. The union they are ruling is an artificial union,” he said.

To be a legitimate government and build a genuine union of Burma, they must draft a constitution which truly guarantees the ethnic equality and right to self-determination and accepted by all ethnic nationalities. “The difference will be whereas 1947 was a process of coming together, this time it will be a process of holding together,” he said.

The exile opposition had already launched a credentials challenge campaign at the UN last year.