Vote ‘No’ Global Protest Week: May 3 – 9, 2008

Background of 7 Umbrella Organizations of Burmese Democracy Movement in Exile

Prepared by the Burma Partnership (BP)

Background of 7 Alliances of the Burmese Democracy Movement in Exile

The Seven Alliances is a united front of Burmese umbrella organizations representing the
majority of ethnic and pro-democracy groups in exile.

1. National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB)

2. National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB)
3. Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC)
4. Women's League of Burma (WLB)
5. Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB)
6. Nationalities Youth Forum (NY Forum)
7. Student and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB)

The National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) is the broadest-based umbrella
organization of the pro-democracy Burman and non-Burman ethnic nationalities.
It was formed in August 1992 with the need for a comprehensive political alliance among
these opposition groups, to seek ways for compromises over political differences, draw
up strategies to overcome the military dictatorship and formulate policies for the
movement and the future of Burma. NCUB is composed of four main opposition groups:
The National Democratic Front (NDF), the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB),
National League for Democracy – Liberated Area (NLD-LA), and Members of
Parliamentary Union (MPU).

The National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB) is constituted and

endorsed by representatives elected in the 1990 elections in Burma

The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) was established as Ethnic Nationalities

Solidarity and Cooperation Committee (ENSCC) in August 2001, and transformed into a
council in March 2004. The main task of the Council is to coordinate the efforts of the
non-Burman ethnic nationalities from Seven Ethnic States, which together represent more
than 40% of the 50 million population and 60% of the territory of the Union of Burma, to
bring about a ‘tripartite dialogue’ to resolve the problems of the Union of Burma.

The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) is the umbrella of twelve women organizations
based along Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and China borders with Burma, formed in
1999, to work for women’s empowerment and advancement of the status of women, to
work for the increased participation of women in all spheres of society, to work for the
increased participation of women in the democracy movement, and peace and national
reconciliation processes.

The Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB) is a democratic political coalition of seven
organizations and individuals who have engaged in different types of struggle since 1988.
It stands as a dynamic force for the achievement of democracy and national reconciliation

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 Vote ‘No’ Global Protest Week: May 3 – 9, 2008
Background of 7 Umbrella Organizations of Burmese Democracy Movement in Exile
Prepared by the Burma Partnership (BP)

through effective political campaigns; by empowering people of Burma; by promoting

trust and solidarity among the democratic oppositions; and by promoting the role of
women.

The Nationalities Youth Forum (NY Forum) is an independent and nonprofit ethnic
nationalities youth forum, which unites a network of nationality based, youth
organizations. NY Forum’s member organizations include Kachin, Arakan, Chin, Karen,
Karenni, Kayan, Lahu, Mon, Palaung and Pa-O. It strives to build a genuine, peaceful
federalism and to establish mutual understanding among ethnic nationality youths by
offering opportunities for Human Rights education and capacity building to ethnic youth
communities.

The Student and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB) is an umbrella organization

consisting of 16 student and youth organizations of various ethnic backgrounds. The
SYCB aims to increase and promote understanding and co-operation among various
ethnic nationalities of Burma, and its member organizations. It also struggles for the
achievement of democracy, the restoration of human rights and the federal union in
Burma. The SYCB, in this time of struggle, works to gather ideas, to build trust and
mutual understanding, to build the skills of its members and to acquire knowledge about
the best way to bring about the political, economic and social reconstruction of the
nation.

Members of Seven Alliances

1) National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB)

ƒ Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB)

• Arakan Liberation Party (ALP)
• All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)
• All Burma Muslim Union (ABMU)
• All Burma Young Monks' Union (ABYMU)
• Chin National Front (CNF)
• Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma (CRDB)
• Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS)
• Democratic Party for Arakan (DPA)
• Federation of Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB)
• Karen National Union (KNU)
• Lahu Democratic Front (LDF)
• Muslim Liberation Organization of Burma (MLOB)
• Myeik Dawei United Front (MDUF)
• Naga National League for Democracy (NNLD)
• Network for Democracy and Development (NDD)
• Palaung State Liberation Organization (PSLF)

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 Vote ‘No’ Global Protest Week: May 3 – 9, 2008
Background of 7 Umbrella Organizations of Burmese Democracy Movement in Exile
Prepared by the Burma Partnership (BP)

• Pa-O People Liberation Organization (PPLO)

• Wa National Organization (WNO)
• Overseas Burmese Liberation Front (OBLF)
• Overseas Karen Organization (OKO)
• People's Patriotic Party (PPP)
• People's Liberation Front (PLF)
• People's Progressive Front (PPF)
• People's Defence Force (PDF)

ƒ National Democratic Front (NDF)

o Arakan Liberation Party (ALP)
o Chin National Front (CNF)
o Lahu Democratic Front (LDF)
o Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF)
o Pa-O People Liberation Organization (PPLO)
o Wa National organization (WNO)
o New Mon State Party (NMSP)
o Kayan New Land Party (KNLP)
o Karen National Union (KNU)

ƒ National League for Democracy- Liberated Area (NLD-LA)

ƒ Members of Parliament Union (MPU)

2) National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB)

3) Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC)

ƒ Arakan National Council (comprised of all Arakanese political parties and
civil society organizations.)
ƒ Chin National Council (comprised of all Chin political parties and civil
society organizations.)
ƒ Kachin National Organization (comprised of all Kachin political parties
and civil society organizations)
ƒ Karen State Coordinating Body (including Karen National Union and all
Karen civil society organizations.)
ƒ Karenni State Coordinating Body (including Karenni National Progressive
Party and all Karenni civil society organizations.)
ƒ Mon State Coordinating Body (comprised of all Mon political parties and
civil society organizations)
ƒ Shan State Representative Council (comprised of all ethnic nationalities’
organizations in Shan State)

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 Vote ‘No’ Global Protest Week: May 3 – 9, 2008
Background of 7 Umbrella Organizations of Burmese Democracy Movement in Exile
Prepared by the Burma Partnership (BP)

4) Women's League of Burma (WLB)

ƒ Burmese Women's Union (BWU)
ƒ Kachin Women's Association - Thailand (KWAT)
ƒ Karen Women's Organization (KWO)
ƒ Karenni National Women's Organization (KNWO)
ƒ Kuki Women's Human Rights Organization (KWHRO)
ƒ Lahu Women's Organization (LWO)
ƒ Palaung Women's Organization (PWO)
ƒ Pa-O Women's Union (PWU)
ƒ Rakhaing Women's Union (RWU)
ƒ Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN)
ƒ Tavoy Women's Union (TWU)
ƒ Women's Rights & Welfare Association of Burma (WRWAB)

5) Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB)

ƒ All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Foreign Affair Committee)
(ABFSU - FAC)
ƒ All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)
ƒ Burmese Women's Union (BWU)
ƒ Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS)
ƒ Network for Democracy and Development (NDD)
ƒ People's Defence Force (PDF)
ƒ Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association (YCOWA)
ƒ Individual democracy activists

6) Nationalities Youth Forum (NY Forum)

ƒ All Arakan Student and Youth Congress (AASYC)
ƒ All Kachin Student and Youth Union (AKSYU)
ƒ Kayan New Generation Youths (KNGY)
ƒ Palaung Youth Network Group (PYNG)
ƒ Pa-O Youth Organization (PYO)
ƒ Karen Youth Organization (KYO)
ƒ Karenni Students Union (KSU)
ƒ Chin Students Union (CSU)
ƒ Karenni National Youth Organization (KNYO)
ƒ Arakan Youth Network Group (AYNG)
ƒ Mon Unity League (MUL)
ƒ United Lahu Youth Organization (ULYO)

7) Student and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB)

ƒ All Arakan Student and Youth Congress (AASYC)
ƒ All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)
ƒ All Burma Students’ League (ABSL)
ƒ All Kachin Student and Youth Union (AKSYU)

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 Vote ‘No’ Global Protest Week: May 3 – 9, 2008
Background of 7 Umbrella Organizations of Burmese Democracy Movement in Exile
Prepared by the Burma Partnership (BP)

ƒ Arakan League for Democracy- Liberated Area (Youth) (ALD-LA Youth)

ƒ Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS)
ƒ Kuki Student Democratic Front (KSDF)
ƒ Karen Youth Organization (KYO)
ƒ Mon Youth Progressive Organization (MYPO)
ƒ National League for Democracy- Liberated Area (Youth) (NLD-LA
Youth)
ƒ Naga National League for Democracy (Youth) (NNLD Youth)
ƒ Palaung Youth Network Group (PYNG)
ƒ Pa-O Youth Organization (PYO)
ƒ Tavoyan Youth Organization (TYO)
ƒ Zomi Student and Youth Organization (ZSYO)