CONSTITUTION OF MYANMAR

RIGHT OF SECESSION

201. Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Constitution or in any
Act of Parliament made under section 199, every State shall have the right to
secede from the Union in accordance with the
conditions hereinafter prescribed.

202. The right of secession shall not be exercised within ten years from the
date on which this Constitution comes into operation.

203. 1) Any
State wishing to exercise the right of secession shall have a resolution to
that effect passed by its State Council. No such resolution shall be deemed to
have been passed unless not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of the State Council concerned have voted
in its favour.

http://www.helplinelaw.com/law/constitution/myanmar/burma10.php

THE PANGLONG AGREEMENT, 1947

Text of the Agreement signed at Panglong
on the 12th February, 1947 by Shan, Kachin and Chin leaders,
and by representatives of the Executive Council of the Governor of Burma

--------------------------------------------------------------

A conference having been held at Panglong,
attended by certain Members of the Executive Council of the Governor of Burma,
all Saohpas and representatives of the Shan States,
the Kachin Hills and the Chin Hills, the members of
the conference, believing that freedom will be more speedily achieved by the Shans, the Kachins and the Chins
by their immediate co-operation with the Interim Burmese Government, have
accordingly, and without dissentients, agreed as follows:

(I) A representative of the
Hill peoples, selected by the Governor on the recommendation of representatives
of the Supreme Council of the United Hill Peoples, shall be appointed a
Counsellor to the Governor to deal with the Frontier Areas.

(II) The said Counsellor shall also be appointed a
member of the Governor's Executive Council without portfolio, and the subject
of Frontier Areas brought within the purview of the Executive Council by
constitutional convention as in the case of Defence and External Affairs. The
Counsellor for Frontier
Areas shall be given executive authority by similar
means.

(III) The said Counsellor shall be assisted by two
Deputy Counsellors representing races of which he is
not a member. While the two Deputy Counsellors should deal in the first
instance with the affairs of the respective areas and the Counsellor with all
the remaining parts of the Frontier Areas, they should by Constitutional
Convention act on the principle of joint responsibility.

(IV) While the Counsellor in his capacity of Member of
the Executive Council will be the only representative of the Frontier Areas on
the Council, the Deputy Counsellor(s) shall be entitled to attend meetings of
the Council when subjects pertaining to the Frontier Areas are discussed.

(V) Though the Governor's Executive Council will be
augmented as agreed above, it will not operate in respect of the Frontier Areas
in any manner which would deprive any portion of these Areas of the autonomy
which it now enjoys in internal administration. Full autonomy in internal
administration for the Frontier Areas is accepted in principle.

(VI) Though the question of demarcating and
establishing a separate Kachin State within a Unified
Burma is one which must be relegated for decision by the Constituent Assembly,
it is agreed that such a State is desirable. As first step towards this end,
the Counsellor for Frontier Areas and the Deputy Counsellors shall be consulted
in the administration of such areas in the Myitkyina
and the Bhamo District as are Part 2 Scheduled Areas
under the Government of Burma Act of 1935.

(VII) Citizens of the Frontier Areas shall enjoy
rights and privileges which are regarded as fundamental in democratic
countries.

(VIII) The arrangements accepted in this Agreement are
without prejudice to the financial autonomy now vested in the Federated Shan
States.

(IX) The arrangements accepted in this Agreement are
without prejudice to the financial assistance which the Kachin
Hills and the Chin Hills are entitled to receive from the revenues of Burma and
the Executive Council will examine with the Frontier Areas Counsellor and
Deputy Counsellor(s) the feasibility of adopting for the Kachin
Hills and the Chin Hills financial arrangements similar to those between Burma
and the Federated Shan States.

SIGNATORIES

For the Shan Committee:

Sawbwas: Tawnpeng, Yawnghwei,
North Hsenwi, Laika, Mong Pawn, Hsamonghkam

and representative of Pawnglawng.

Shan people: Tin E, Kya Bu, Sao Yapa
Hpa, Htun Myint, Hkun Saw, Hkun Htee

For the Kachin Committee:

Myitkyina: Sinwa Nawng, Zau Rip, Dinra Tang

Bhamo: Zau La, Zau Lawn, Labang Grong

For the Chin Committee:

U Hlur Hmung, U Thawng Za Khup,
U Kio Mang

For the Burmese Government:

Aung San

[This text is taken from pp404-405 of Hugh Tinker's Burma:
The Struggle for Independence 1944-1948
(Vol. II) London,
HMSO 1984]

Ethnic groups including Arakan,
Karen, Karenni, Kuki, Naga, Pa-O,
Palaung, Rohingya, Wa,
etc., did not sign the agreement because of either not invited or doubting the
sincerity of the majority Burman ethnic group.
Unsatisfied with the agreement, the ethnic group like the Karen armed
themselves against the Burmese government. Even the ethnic groups who signed
the agreement also later on withdrew from the agreement as the new government
was lacking federalism, which means the major Burman
ethnic leaders were obsessed with chauvinistic ideas with a lion's share.