1. Today marks the 75" anniversary of the signing of the Panglong Agreement on 12 February 1947. On that day, ethnic representatives representing Burma proper, the Federated Shan States, the Kachin Hills, and Chin Hills signed and together pledged to achieve independence from the British Colonial Empire and to build a Federal Democratic Union where there would be co-existence and equality in good times and bad, without compromising the right to self-determination.

2. However, since independence, this Federal Democratic Union could not be established due to military dictatorships, chauvinism, one-party authoritarianism, and successive governments that politicized and exploited ethnicity, language, and religion in an attempt to divide and rule.

3. Successive governments used lies and manipulation to pretend as if a Federal Democratic Union, to which so many ethnic peoples aspired, had indeed been established while violating commitments contained within the Panglong Agreement by exercising a Unitary State system. Nonetheless, while celebrating the 12" of February as Union Day, throughout the years, they methodically portrayed, with clear political intentions, ethnic nationalities who strove for a Federal Democratic Union as destructive elements, subjecting them to systematic discrimination and acts of brutal oppression and persecution.

4. It is important that revolutionary forces, including the National Unity Government, see clearly the suffering and losses ethnic peoples have faced due to the failure of previous successive governments in implementing the Panglong Agreement and related commitments and recognize the utmost importance of preventing it from happening once again in the future and of implementing the Panglong Agreement and related commitments precisely. Additionally, it is necessary to form a Federal Democratic Union that ethnic peoples want in accordance with the Panglong Agreement, Panglong commitments and the Federal Democracy Charter. Only after eradicating military dictatorship and all forms of dictatorship can a Federal Democratic Union be established.

5. We urge the National Unity Government, a government of and representing the people, to take full responsibility and accountability for, and apologize to all those who have suffered from discrimination, oppression, crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide perpetrated by military dictators, and governments of the past, and urge the National Unity Government to take decisive actions accordingly.

6. We, the National Unity Consultative Council, express our most sincere apologies to all ethnic peoples and indeed, to all peoples for violations of the Panglong Agreement and commitments made by previous successive governments, and for the historical brutality, oppression, violence, bullying, and discrimination these groups have suffered.

7. The National Unity Consultative Council solemnly pledges to work tirelessly and consistently to eradicate all forms of dictatorship, including military dictatorship, to implement solidarity and commitments based on the Panglong Agreement, Panglong commitments and fundamental principles contained within the Federal Democracy Charter, to abolish nationalism, and to build the Federal Democratic Union that all ethnic peoples want.

With loyalty to the revolution

National Unity Consultative Council