Messages for Shan National Day/Shan State Day

Dear All,

The Shan National Day, February 7 1947 symbolises the day when all the Shan Leaders and peoples of the Shan State got together to adopt the Shan Flag and the National Anthem. This was a very important occasion because as a nation they were about to embark on the most important decision in the history of the Shan State. On the 12th February 1947 Shan and other non-Burman Ethnic Leaders signed the “Panglong Agreement” with Bogyoke  Aung San, who represented the Burman Ethnic State, Burma Proper, to ask the British Government for joint independence. A Union Constitution was drafted and passed in 1947, which was witnessed by the British Government Officials. Thus the Union of Burma came into existence.

According to the Agreement and Constitution the Union of Burma was made up of several states and not one single state, “Myanmar or Burma” as termed by the SPDC 

and as perceived by some international communities. The Agreement also stated that all member states should have equal status and equal opportunities and that the Shan State and the Karenni State have the right to secede from the Union after a period of ten years, which was the year 1958. The Shan and other non-Burman ethnic people put their faith and trust in their more experienced partner, the Burman politicians and were ready to work with them for the benefit of the Union. Alas! The non- Burman ethnic nationals were betrayed and The Panglong Agreement” dishonoured by the Burmese Military Regimes when they staged a coup and immobilised Shan Leaders by putting them in prison. The Constitution was destroyed and the Union of Burma dissolved.

After destroying the Constitution the military regimes thought they could patch up the Union by brutal force but they have not succeeded in the forty years or more of their occupation. The country has not progressed. The only claim that the military dictatorship can make is that they have brought sorrow and suffering to millions of people.

Because of their failure the military junta not only vent their anger on the non-Burman ethnic nationals but also on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her followers, and recently on their own military personnel.

The Shan people do not want war but I am sure every Shan will join me in saying that we will go on fighting for the right to be free and as a nation we will together fight for our constitutional rights to determine our own future and the future of our country.  

Sao Noan Oo Lawkzawk

Mai Soong Kha, Pi Nong Tai,

Wishing you all a Happy Shan National Day!

It is excellent that we are putting our intelligence to good use by questioning and analysing about our leaders.

It is necessary to question people who are in "authority" because we need to understand them and to see whether they are worthy of our trust.  Even the Lord Buddha told his disciples to question his teachings and come to their own conclusions, after analysing and experiencing the Dhamma before accepting his words.

However, I feel that after our own conclusions about the leaders, we should remember that we should not expect too much from them because they are doing their best, the best of their ability.  I agree that some of them have made mistakes, but they are only human after all, and everyone make mistakes sometimes, even leaders.  Let us try to focus on their strengths and help them to build on them. 

As Zai Yee said , "Let us analyse what makes a good leader and what makes good followers and then see whether we can be good leaders ourselves to have good followers".

If we look for a perfect leader, we will never find one, as NTL said, "It will be like looking for a needle in the ocean". We may not find a perfect leader, but we may find a good one, one that has the characteristics that we are looking for.

Regards,

Feraya

Messages for Shan National Day/Shan State Day from NCGUB in Burmese.

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