“We cannot just agree to place our fate in the hands of the Burmese military, because then we are helpless if they deploy armed force against us," said UNFC's Nai Hong Sar.

In a democracy, power sharing should flow upwards from the people, not downwards from the elite -- and Burmese federalism should reflect this fact.

The eight principles are: sovereignty; equality; self-determination; establishment of a genuine federal union; protection of ethnic rights, democratic rights and basic human rights; gender equality; a multi-party democratic system; and secularism.

UEC chairperson Tin Aye confirmed that parliament missed the deadline to change to proportional representation.

Burma’s President Thein Sein urges his people to work together to establish a union based on a federal system.

In his monthly radio address to the nation, President Thein Sein said a firm political agreement had been reached with ethnic armed groups to establish a federal union in the country.