The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) serves as an instrumental common platform for ethnic groups in Burma in three key ways: 1. It rebuilds trust and forges unity among fragmented ethnic groups. 2. It establishes a safe atmosphere for inclusive dialogue to empower ethnic groups and reduce the power imbalance with the government. 3. Through its Ethnic Affairs Center and with support from Nippon Foundation, it addresses urgent issues of political and economic injustice facing ethnic communities and helps rebuild social infrastructure.

1. The Instrumental Role of UnitedThe Instrumental Role of United
Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) asNationalities Federal Council (UNFC) as
a Common Platform for the Ethnica Common Platform for the Ethnic
Groups in BurmaGroups in Burma

2. How superior the tactics of war,
How potent the weapons!
Without gathering in the hearts of the people,
Without relying on the strength of the people,
The sword edge will shatter,
The spear will bend.
Let-We Thondara (d. 1723-99)
Quoted by Aung San Suu Kyi, in
Freedom From Fear and other writings (1995)

4. Capital: Naypyidaw
Population: 60,280,000
Ethnic groups:
Bamar 68%
Shan 9%
Karen 7%
Rakhine 4%
Chinese 3%
Mon 2%
Indian 2%
Other 5%

5. IntroductionIntroduction
• The Union of Burma was founded on February 12, 1947.
• Burma obtained its independence from the British in 1948, with U Nu
as the Prime Minister.
• Since 1948 Burma had struggled to establish a modern democratic
political system and unite the people under its rule but failed on both
accounts.
• On November 13, 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy leader,
was released from a 15-year house arrest.
• In the year following (2011), Thein Sein was sworn in as the president
of the newly established civilian government of Burma.

6. Introduction (Cont.)Introduction (Cont.)
• President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi are the two key political figures actively engaged in
constructing a platform for political reforms and paving a way for future reconciliation.
• There exists three major political forces at work in Burma, Thein Sein’s government (backed up by military
junta), prodemocracy groups symbolized by the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic
groups currently represented by United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).

7. Introduction (Cont.)Introduction (Cont.)
• There still remains a level of mutual distrust and animosity amongst the three major
political forces, which have created a substantial hindrance to any attempts at future
reconciliation and nationwide ceasefires.
• Within the non-major Burma ethnic groups themselves, there exist more than two political
and armed insurgencies representing differing priorities and interests (a source of
factional splits).
• In addition, the fragmented nature of the unity and solidarity amongst the ethnic groups
only makes it difficult for them to achieve a level of political empowerment and
legitimacy required to reduce the power imbalance between Thein Sein’s government
and the ethnic groups in the decision-making process.
• Consequently, these unfortunate developments have led Burma to a critical juncture
(fig. 1.3) that has necessitated a platform that will serve as an instrumental political force
uniting different prominent ethnic groups under one single entity and mobilize their
collective efforts towards rebuilding trust amongst themselves and creating a solid
political legitimacy.

8. Conflict ProgressionConflict Progression
IndicatorIndicator
DORMANT UNSTABLE DYNAMIC
AWARENESS OF CONFLICT
CONFRONTATION
NEGOTIATION
SUSTAINABLE
PEACE
Source: Adapted from Adam Curle, Making Peace (London: Tavistock Press, 1971)
Figure 1: Conflict Progression Indicator of Myanmar’s Conflict
ENGAGEMENT
ABANDONMENT
PROMOTION
ALL OUT WAR
CRITICAL
JUNCTURE

9. The Need for Trust-Rebuilding andThe Need for Trust-Rebuilding and
Unity amongst the Ethnic GroupsUnity amongst the Ethnic Groups
• Leaders from all concerned stakeholders have yet to display their sincere
commitment to bring about genuine reforms for the benefit of a whole nation.
• They must do it through reconciling their differences and rebuilding trust across
the lines of conflict amongst the tripartite political forces.
• This is seen as an essential foundation upon which future reconciliation and
mutual recognition of their interdependency can be obtained.
• However, before trust amongst the three major political forces (namely: Thein
Sein’s government and ethnic groups) can be rebuilt, trust amongst the ethnic
groups, or in other words, the leaders themselves has to be first and foremost.

10. Background: UNFCBackground: UNFC
• The United Nationalities Federal Council was formed on February, 2011 as an
umbrella alliance of all prominent ethnic groups to enable a strong and
legitimate representation in the ceasefire and peace talks.
• And my study attempts to analyze the instrumental role of UNFC as a
common platform for the ethnic groups, which serves as a precursor to:
1. rebuilding trust and forging unity/solidarity amongst the ethnic groups
2. establishing a safe atmosphere for an all-inclusive dialogue, empowerment and
mutual cooperation across the prominent ethnic groups
• A common platform has permeated an establishment of grass-roots level
social infrastructure and an implementation of various humanitarian and
developmental assistance that are crucial to addressing unmet human needs
of the ethnic people.
*Nippon Foundation is the sole provider behind the humanitarian/developmental works and Peacebuilding efforts
carried out by the United Nationalities Federal Council and its alliance of 11 ethnic groups.

11. Objectives of the StudyObjectives of the Study
& Research Questions& Research Questions
• The objectives of the study are:
o To investigate the different roles of the United Nationalities Federal
Council
o To explore the impact of the United Nationalities Federal Council as a
common platform for the ethnic groups in the process of community
rebuilding and peace building
• Research Questions:
1. Why is there a need for a unification of all the ethnic groups under one
single entity?
2. What are the instrumental roles of UNFC and an intermediary agent
(Nippon Foundation) and how do they impact the process of community
rebuilding and peace building

12. Research MethodologiesResearch Methodologies
• Two types of research methodologies were adopted:
1. Participatory Observation
2. One-on-one interview
The prime objective of this series of in-depth one-on-one interview with the leaders of
the ethnic groups is to understand and analyze the instrumental roles of United
Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) for the ethnic groups.
• Field Research Locations:
1. First Field Trip (2012) Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, Thailand
2. Second Field Trip (2014) Chiang Mai, Thailand

13. The Different Roles of UNFC:The Different Roles of UNFC:
The Three Levels of Leadership in Peacebuilding
•Following Lederach (1977), three levels of work are required simultaneously to conceptualize
and construct a comprehensive transformation approach towards a sustainable peace
building process.
•In this setting, UNFC assumes different roles at different levels simultaneously:
1.Top-level leadership: engaging and participating in high-level negotiations
2.Middle-range leadership: providing a safe space for the ethnic minorities to gather
together and share their differing understanding and perceptions of the conflict and analyze
their roles in the conflict.
3.Grass-roots level leadership: although UNFC does not assumes the roles at this level it
nevertheless provides tangible and intangible necessity for the grass-roots level leaders.
•Since UNFC is neither a special peace nor diplomatic envoy, it is under no obligation to
comply with any conditions and/or rules of any entities. The freedom from such unnecessary
bureaucratic restrictions has afforded the UNFC to not concern itself too much with political
correctness/protocol and enabled it to reach out and connect with the grass-roots level
leaders of the ethnic areas and established an “Ethnic Affair Center”.

14. The Ethnic Affairs CenterThe Ethnic Affairs Center
Figure 7: Organizational Model for the Administration and Implementation of the Ethnic Affairs Center

15. The Different Roles of UNFCThe Different Roles of UNFC
(Cont.):(Cont.):
Peacemaker, Peacekeeper, and Peacebuilder:
•At the forefront of ethnic political engagement, UNFC with collective efforts and
coordinated cooperation of its 11 alliance members, has actively engaged in the process of
transformation and community rebuilding, which are a prerequisite for a sustainable level of
peacebuilding.
•It serves the roles as the peacemaker, peacekeeper and peace builder simultaneously
whose functions and intervention efforts are to facilitate negotiation process, maintain the
absence of military assault, address the power imbalance, and provide a humanitarian and
developmental assistance dedicating to improving the livelihood of the people in the ethnic
areas.
•The practical application of humanitarian assistance is fundamental to ensuring political
empowerment not only to the ethnic leaders but also to their respective peoples.
•The presence of international humanitarian workers in the ethnic areas serves as an indirect
pressure on the government to bring the ongoing military offensives to a halt, and equally
important, as an indirect counter to any future military offensives against the ethnic
minorities.

16. Infrastructure forInfrastructure for
Social CommunitySocial Community
Figure 6: A Fundamental Infrastructure for Social Community

17. Social Community Building consists of four pillars:
1)social infrastructure (basic physical and organizational
structures required for the operation of a society and the services
and facilities necessary for an economy to function, i.e. roads,
bridges, water supply, electrical grids, etc.);
2)education (the subject of language instruction is to be seriously
taken into account);
3)health care, and
4)agriculture
Infrastructure forInfrastructure for
Social CommunitySocial Community

18. An Instrumental Role of UNFC:An Instrumental Role of UNFC:
a Common Platforma Common Platform
• In the Burmese politics, ethnic groups without any political legitimacy and
empowerment have always been at a disadvantage. Given its de facto
power, militaristic might and guaranteed access to resources, the former
military junta (now replaced by Thein Sein’s government) has demanded that
the ethnic groups abide by its rules when formulating policies, designing
political frameworks, drafting agreements for ceasefires and outlining talks for
future reconciliation. Such mindless demands have only served to distance
themselves from the ethnic groups and further deepen mutual distrust and
antagonism.
• The UNFC was thus formed to serve as a common platform to accommodate
the demands of the ethnic groups, while it creates a safe atmosphere for an
all-inclusive dialogue amongst the different ethnic leaders. This ensures
solidarity amongst the groups and minimizes ‘factional splits’ within the groups.

19. The Instrument Roles of UNFC (Cont.)The Instrument Roles of UNFC (Cont.)
• Peacebuilding has a wide range of activities that place emphasis on the social, psychological, and
economic environment at the grass-roots (Galtung, 1976; Galtung & Ryan, 1995; Fisher, 1997). But
nevertheless the United Nationalities Federal Council has been able to fulfill a number of functions
demanded by peacebuilding efforts.
• The establishment of the “Ethnic Affair Center” is to address the urgent issues as regards political and
economic injustice and the denial of access to a secure livelihood imposed onto the ordinary people of
the ethnic minorities.
• Amongst the chief objectives of peacebuilding is to ensure that basic human needs of the ordinary
people are secured as well as protected.
• UNFC provides the necessary know-hows, skills, a skill-based infrastructure and the indispensable
financial support for the ethnic leaders to carry out the administrative management of the Ethnic Affair
Center.
• Ethnic leaders and grass-roots level leaders are encouraged to actively and proactively participate in
the process of rebuilding the community for their respective ethnic areas and restoring a secure
livelihood to their respective people.
• UNFC as a common platform thus serves to accommodate the demands of the ethnic groups while
creating a safe atmosphere for an all-inclusive dialogue amongst prominent ethnic groups in order to
ensure unity and solidarity amongst themselves.

20. The Roles a Political Support and IntermediaryThe Roles a Political Support and Intermediary
Agent of Nippon Foundation (Cont.)Agent of Nippon Foundation (Cont.)
• Nippon Foundation plays two important roles:
1. A financial donor
2. A political supporter
• The peacebuilding efforts and humanitarian work could not have been
possible without a solid and consistent support from Nippon Foundation.
• And equally important is its role as political support to UNFC and at the same
acts as an intermediary agent between Thein Sein’s government and the
ethnic groups.
• Because UNFC does not belong to any governmental and non-governmental
organizations, the question of its legitimacy remains vulnerable. Therefore,
Nippon Foundation with its high visibility at the nation, regional, and
international level leads UNFC the necessary political support required to
validate its legitimacy.

21. The Roles a Political Support and IntermediaryThe Roles a Political Support and Intermediary
Agent of Nippon Foundation (Cont.)Agent of Nippon Foundation (Cont.)
• Furthermore, having been appointed Japan’s representative to assist in the
reconciliation with the ethnic groups allows Nippon Foundation to play the
role of a political support to UNFC and act as an intermediary agent between
Thein Sein’s government and the ethnic groups.
• In other words, it serves as a connection between the two major political
forces, Thein Sein’s government and the ethnic groups, facilitating mutual
understanding and acknowledgement of the roles played by the two sides
which is crucial to making possible a coordinated cooperation across the top
level leaders.

22. RecommendationsRecommendations
• Formulating and constructing a greater integrated
peacebuilding efforts (directing not only at the
ordinary ethnic people but also the ordinary
Burman) for greater inclusion
• Fostering reconciliation at the grass-roots level
(Buman and non-Burman)
• Creating a tri-lingual society