1.1
The Struggle for Independence
1.2
The Decades After Independence: 1948 to 1962
1.3
The Burmese Way to Socialism: 1962 to 1988
2. FOUNDING OF THE ALL BURMA STUDENTS’ DEMOCRATIC FRONT
2.1
Organization and General Structure
2.2
Conferences
3.1
National Politics
3.2.
Aims and Objectives (Promulgated during the Fourth Conference)
3.3.
Emergence of the Federal Union and the Role of ABSDF
4.1
Meeting, Seminars and Forums
4.2.
Adult Education Programs
4.3.
Information, Documentation and Research
4.4.
Lobbying
4.5.
Rural Development
4.6.
Self-reliance Programs
Central Executive Committee
member
1.1 The Struggle for Independence
The political movement and the struggle for national liberation has a unique character in Burma. Students have always been a mobilizing force at the forefront of the struggle for freedom against the colonial ruler. This role has continued over the past three-and-a-half decades of military rule in the country. Thus, the student movement is inseparable from the historic struggles for the independence of Burma from both colonial powers and dictatorships.
The political movement in Burma took a nationalistic character with the founding of the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) in 1906. In 1920 the students spearheaded the strike against the Act of 1920, which placed Rangoon University under the University of Calcutta. This strike not only drew the support of all the people of Burma but also heightened the patriotism of the Burmese people. Under colonial rule further student strikes took place in 1936 and 1938 and several other youth liberation organizations were formed such as the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU), the All Burma Youth League and the highly influential Dobama Asiayone ("We Burman Association").
In 1939, before the Second World War, a group of young leaders formed a revolutionary body in Bangkok called the Burma Independence Army (BIA) which aimed to bring salvation to the country through the use of arms. The Japanese-trained "Thirty Comrades", led by General Aung San (the former prominent student leader), were the core of the BIA and enlisted in-country aid to fight against the British colonial rulers. However, under the subsequent reign of the Japanese, Burmese patriots discovered the real motives behind the support of imperialist Japan, and staged a revolt against the Japanese by forming the Anti-Fascist People Freedom League (AFPFL). On 27 March 1945 the resistance against the Japanese, led by the AFPFL and involving people throughout the country, rose up to push out Burma’s new colonial oppressors.
After the Second World War, the AFPFL gained much political influence among the people and General Aung San became a national leader, resigning his commission in the army, as he encouraged all military men to do once they entered politics. Through his tireless efforts people of all ethnic backgrounds united under the leadership of the AFPFL and fought against British rule by calling a general strike. This unprecedented unity and perseverance for a common cause was finally rewarded with true independence on 4 January 1948.
1.2 The Decades After Independence: 1948 to 1962
In the aftermath of independence, parliamentary democracy became the guiding principle governing the country. U Nu, a former student leader and RUSU chairman, took on the responsibility of leading the country during the first delicate years. General Aung San and most of his cabinet were assassinated during a meeting on 19 July 1947 by men dressed in military uniforms.
Due to initial weakness in the fledgling democracy and the country having only experienced authoritarian rule, the union of Burma plunged into chaos and was plagued by multiple uprisings. Soon after independence in 1948 an armed revolution started by the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), and the ethnic Karen and Mon. The military, under Commander-in-Chief Gen. Ne Win took advantage of this chaotic situation and seized power in a military coup on 2 March 1962.
1.3 The Burmese Way to Socialism: 1962 to 1988
Ne Win founded his Revolutionary Council and declared that "socialism" - known as "the Burmese Way to Socialism" - would be adopted as the new guiding principle for the country. In no time at all after the coup was staged, students immediately began voicing their opposition to military rule and the abandonment of parliamentary democracy.
Although Ne Win professed to tread the path of socialism, in fact he followed a fascist policy through his tightly controlled Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP), the only legal political party. Ne Win's true program was clearly exemplified on 7 July 1962. On that day he ordered the callous gunning down of hundreds of student protesters who were demonstrating against the legitimacy of Ne Win’s dictatorial regime. He also personally ordered the demolition of the symbolic Students’ Union Building in Rangoon University, which had played a significant role during the struggle for Burmese independence, and which Ne Win claimed was the stronghold of the communists.
Over the following decades, this reoccurring brutality has been witnessed in the numerous demonstrations which have been violently suppressed:
1962 7 July Student Demonstration
1963 Peace and Cessation of War Demonstration
1967 Akyab Rice Riots/Sino-Burmese Conflicts
1969 South East Asian Games Demonstrations
1970 Moulmein University Students’ Strike
1974 Funeral Riots of U Thant, Former Secretary General of the United Nations
1976 Uprising Commemorating the Centenary of Thakin Ko Daw Hmaing (100 year anniversary of the anti-colonial poet’s birth)
1987 Demonstrations against demonetarisation of the 25, 35 and 75 Kyats notes
1988 March uprisings of students over the arbitrary killing of students by police
1988 June uprising of students protesting the treatment of students by the authorities
1988 8 August united pro-democracy demonstration known as the historic "8888 Uprising"
1990 Student demonstrations and Buddhist monk boycott against the Slorc
1996 December student demonstrations
The country achieved Least Developed Country status from the UN in 1987, and the mismanagement of the resource-rich economy of Burma continued to decline.
Following the historic 8888 Uprising Ne Win announced his "retirement" from the BSPP. Two puppet governments were subsequently installed, fooling nobody. The first was led by Sein Lwin, the hand-picked successor of Ne Win and barbaric chief of the dreaded Lon Htein, or riot police. Sein Lwin was directly responsible for blowing up the Students Union Building in 1962 and murdering hundreds during his vicious career, including those killed in the White Bridge Massacre. He resigned after 17 days in office after increased rioting by members of society, proving that "the Butcher" would never be accepted by the people.
Feeling that a civilian would be more acceptable to the people, the only civilian in a high-ranking BSPP position, Dr. Maung Maung, who was once a noted Yale-educated academician but now a political opportunist, was appointed president. He also found the people would settle for nothing less than the restoration of democracy and fair elections, and the rioting continued unabated. One month and one day after taking the oath of president, Dr. Maung Maung was ousted on 18 September 1988 by General Saw Maung in a so-called military coup. General Saw Maung had seized power from his former colleagues and yet continued the regime’s established policy of squashing any and all pro- democracy demonstrations and strikes.
2 FOUNDING OF THE ALL BURMA STUDENTS’ DEMOCRATIC FRONT
2.1 Organization and General Structure
After assuming power, troops of the newly declared State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) arrested and detained thousands of students and supporters who participated in the 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations. Many of the participants began to realize that so long as the Slorc remained in power they would never be able to perform their duty to serve the country and their fellow citizens. Accordingly, many students escaped to the border areas controlled by ethnic minority groups and sought refuge while resolving among themselves how best to resist the military dictatorship.
After an initial migration to the border camps by some 8,000 students, the population of the students and supporters along Burma’s border with Thailand, China, India and Bangladesh swelled to approximately 10,000 by early 1989. These students soon realized that in order to pursue democracy for the people and for the motherland they must organize their support, then scattered along isolated areas of the 2,000-mile-long border. To this end, the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) was formed on 1 November 1988.
Origins of the Name. The ABSDF is an organization representing all students of all social classes throughout Burma in their struggle to achieve human rights and democracy. The students of Burma are recognized as the leading force fighting against the dictatorial military regime, and the Front indiscriminately counts all Burmese ethnic nations and classes among their membership. The ABSDF is at the forefront of the popular struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma, and hence the rightful name "All Burma Students’ Democratic Front" with the motto born out of our collective experiences "Our Heads Bloody But Unbowed". This ties us to the past struggles and General Aung San’s legacy of national unity and democratic principles.
The Central Committee is comprised of 24 members which are elected every three years at a conference. From those members, 11 are elected by the conference body to the Central Executive Committee (CEC) whose members supervise the work done by individuals "in-charge" of certain areas. These individuals are assigned by the CEC to the following posts: Foreign Affairs, Finance, Social Welfare, Organizing and Information. In addition, a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Secretary-1 and Secretary-2 are chosen from the CEC.
The ABSDF’s First, Second, Third Conferences were held in 1988, 1989 and 1991. After the Third Conference, the ABSDF split into two groups.
Five years after the split of the ABSDF, a Reunification Conference was successfully held by all ABSDF members in September 1996 in the KNU 6th Brigade area.
The sixth general conference of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front was successfully convened in a liberated area on the Thai/Burma border from March 23rd to April 10th 2001. At the conference 54 regional and unit representatives, observers and special guests reviewed and discussed the current situation. Discussion focussed on the local and international political climate, the peoples' movements inside Burma and the guiding principles and future plans of the organisation.
The ABSDF restate its commitment to these goals and to its continuing strategy of armed resistance in combination with other political activities; education initiatives, health care programmes, research and documentation and public information.
At this moment in the history of Burma the primary conflict is that which exists between the military regime on one side and the various ethnic groups comprising of the citizens of Burma on the other. People who are struggling against the military dictatorship in order to topple its suppressive nature constitute not only a single stratum but a cross-session of all people regardless of social class, gender, ethnic origin, religion, education, political ideology -- in short, this fight is for and each and every citizen of the country. Those who are united against military dictatorship, and love democracy, are represented by the workers, farmer, intellectuals, technicians, entrepreneurs, monks and overseas Burmese throughout the world. All these groups must be organized to rally behind the banner of the battle for democracy.
3.1.2. The struggle against the military dictatorship is not the monopoly of any individual, stratum of society or ethnic group. Every Burmese citizen is in this together, and therefore it becomes the duty and undeniable right of all those who love their country, cherish human rights and wish to see progress to support and promote this cause. Because this is a national cause, a united effort of all is to overthrow military dictatorship to the point of no return.
3.1.3. The history of the world clearly reveals that in countries with a dictatorial regime, the united and unswerving efforts of their citizens, based on patriotism and a sense of justice for all their citizens, were successfully able to rid themselves of such forms of depotism. many such examples abound, lending us strength in their successes. Thus, all members of ABSDF should have a strong conviction of patriotism. The struggle against military dictatorship and the strive for the restoration of democracy and the will of the people are national causes that are the concerns of all citizens and the nation as a whole. As a result, the political strategy ABSDF must embrace is national politics itself.
3.1.4. This national politics that we believe in should not be restricted to any single class of people, sex, ideology, religion nor ethnic group, but based on the interests of all the ethnic groups that constitute the citizens of the country.
3.1.5. In our struggle, the guiding principle should be national politics, and we the members of ABSDF must try to ward off these concepts and ideologies alien to it, and fight for those that have started to creep in.
3.2.0. Aims and Objectives (Promulgated during the Sixth Conference)
3.2.1. To liberate all nationalities from under the military dictatorship
3.2.2. To attain democracy and human rights
3.2.3. To restore internal peace.
3.2.4. To encourage the emergence of a federal union in Burma.
3.3. Emergence of the Federal Union and the Role of ABSDF
As the establishment of a Federal Union is the key to internal peace for all the peoples of Burma, ABSDF promulgates it as one of the Front’s goals, and formulates a policy on "Federated States". At this Juncture, ABSDF has two responsibilities -- to educate and organize the people on the necessity of a Federal Union and to try our best for the emergence of Federal Constitution which is essential for establishment of such a state where all the nationalities of Burma can live in solidarity and ever-lasting harmony. These two responsibilities have simultaneously been carried out by the ABSDF.
4.1.0. Meeting, Seminars and Forums
4.1.1. ABSDF regularly hold Central Executive Committee meetings and Central Committee meetings according to the constitution of ABSDF. Activities highlighted during these meetings are;
(a) analysis on current political situation of Burma;
(b) evaluation of the implementation of the past year’s activities;
(c) laying down the appropriate working programs for next year which are in line with
the current political situation
4.1.2. Within the Front practicing democracy is of vital importance. each member can freely present their views and criticize respective administrative body to hold camp-level meetings. The administrative body is also responsible for periodic and regular discussions and must keep aware of the will of each member, before and after the conference and the Central Committee meetings when major decisions are adopted. Members to the Central Committee also travel to the camps frequently and hold discussion on adopted decisions on important issues. As ABSDF believes that the Central Committee must practice a strong relationship at the grassroots level on a regular basis, political discussions are frequently held.
4.1.3. As there is grassroots participation in the decision-making process by members who believe that the leadership role within the Front is closely related to the camp environment, the Central Committee can truly lead the front and resolve internal political problems before disputes flare out of control. As a result of more grassroots awareness, the gap between the Central and individual members become very narrow, gaining collective implementation, belief and participation in democracy at all levels. ABSDF has also carried out seminars on political defiance, human rights and mass organizing for the benefit of camp members.
4.1.4. ABSDF actively participates in NCUB meetings which joined by other 8888 forces and many ethnic organizations. To improve unity alliance organizations, ABSDF set up formal relations with ethnic minority groups. Moreover, ABSDF also extended its working relationship with human rights and peace and environmental groups, church organizations, trade unions, political parties, overseas Burmese organizations and support groups.
4.1.5. In addition to working with international organizations, many of ABSDF members have participated in international seminars on democracy, human rights, environmental reservation and student issues, which forms an important facet of understanding and sharing. After the establishment of ABSDF, the Front became a member of the Asia Students Association (ASA) and the International Union of Students (IUS).
4.1.6.1. Since the founding of ABSDF, the Front has mainly focused on exposing human rights violations by the Rangoon military regime. To extend these disclosures, the Front has established contacts with international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International (UK), Asia Watch (USA), the International Human Rights Law Group (USA), the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (USA), the International Human Rights Commission of Jurists and the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (both Swiss).
4.1.6.2. In addition to working with international NGOs, many of ABSDF members have attended training courses abroad, which form an important facet of the students’ understanding and sharing experiences. These training courses are as follow;
1989 "Human Rights Training Course" in Toronto, by the Canadian Human Rights Foundation
1990 "Human Rights Documentation Training" in Katmandu, Nepal, by HURIDOC
1990 "Diplomatic Training Course" by the Faculty of Law, New South Wales University
1992 "Regional Training on fact-finding and Human Rights Documentation" in the Philippines
1992 "Two-month course" by EL TALLER in Tunis, Tunisia
1993 "Diplomatic Training Course" by the Faculty of Law, New South Wales University
4.1.6.3. Several student have participated in human rights training course organized at various times by different international human rights NGOs based in Thailand.
4.2.0. Adult Education Programs
4.2.1.0. Democratic Leadership Training
4.2.1.1. Since the founding of the dictatorial regime in 1962 Burmese students have been denied academic rights and access to a free and open education. Under this limited education which solely is intended to back the existence of military dictatorship and its machinery unhindered by freedom of thought and ideas, students were deprived of study fundamental democratic principles, basic human rights and political science. Instead the students were forced to study the BSPP’s the Burmese Way to socialism as the single and compulsory political science.
4.2.1.2. With the objectives to educate the students in the liberated areas about the concept of democracy and then to educate the local people through these trained students in order to upgrade the people’s level of political consciousness, democratic principles, basic human rights, federalism, international economic system, war history of Burma, ethnic issues and conflict resolution of various countries, other political concepts, people organizing and people education were lectured at the Democratic Leadership Training which was opened from January - April 1994.
4.2.2. Journalist Training Centers have been periodically opened with the overall purpose being to gather and transmit information to DVB by trained reporters. Two training were opened in 1992 and 1993. Routine information was collected by regular and special field reporters, with the following specific aims;
(a) to collect important information on human rights violations, environmental destruction and deforestation problems inside Burma and along the border;
(b) to disseminate these first-hand and accurate information in a systematic way to DVB, BBC, VOA an other international news agency, United Nation and other agencies, international human rights organization, respective governments and NGOs and information department of alliance organizations;
(c) and to publish this information in their newsletters and magazines.
4.2.3. Women Empowerment Training was inaugurated in Minthamee Camp, focusing on the following objectives;
(a) to educate the female members of ABSDF about the importance of women’s roles in society with regards to social, educational, political and economic aspects;
(b) to initiate women Empowerment
(c) to highlight the role and participation of women both in the present struggle and future society;
(d) to encourage the physical and ways of thinking of the female students in order to help them overcome the crises in the struggle;
(e) to encourage married students to be able to contribute their systematic participation to the Front.
4.2.4. Other Training includes:
- Teacher Training
- English Correspondence Courses
- Medic Training
- Midwifery Training
- Tailor/Sewing Training
- Communication Training
4.3.0. Information, Documentation and Research
4.3.1. Among the democratic organizations along the Thai-Burma border, ABSDF is one of the most effective and systemic organizations that can widely disseminate first-hand information. Documentation of human rights abuses by using computers has been formatted at ABSDF information offices in Thailand and Burma. These Document are regularly circulated to NGOs world-wide as well as being published in ABSDF’s bi-monthly Dawn news bulletin.
4.3.2.0. Regular Publications
4.3.2.1. Voice of the Peacock covers news (mainly focusing on activities of the democratic forces, response of the international community to the Burmese struggle), poems, literature which reflects the voice of the students in the jungle, articles on democracy, human rights, federalism, political analysis on the current political situation in Burma. 1,500 copies are published bi-monthly and distributed among our members, ethnic organizations, villagers and some secretly flow inside Burma through the underground network.
4.3.2.2. Dawn has 1,500 copies every two months and covers news on activities of the democratic forces, responses from the international community, human rights violations, civil war, foreign investments in Burma, drugs and environmental issues, the AIDS problem and analysis on the political situation in the country. Dawn is distributed to human rights and peace groups, church organizations, political parties, governments, news agencies, embassies, environmental groups and various solidarity groups all over the world.
4.3.2.3. From the ABSDF Europe Office, Burma Focus is published bi-weekly and gathers the latest Burma-related article from news magazines, journals, newspapers and other media as well as some statements by the democratic forces. 1,000 copies are distributed to interest groups, individuals, and governments around the globe.
4.3.2.4. Moreover, books on democracy, human rights, federalism and other educational series, research papers, posters, postcards, calendars and other ad-hoc publications were also published and distributed to the international community and inside Burma itself.
4.3.3. Dawn Gwin Radio Studio
Although there were technical and skillful problems, and lack of material and human resources, ABSDF tried its best to provide news articles, news analysis, songs, stories and other needed programs for DVB. Members of ABSDF in Dawn Gwin have been involved in collection of needed information, facts and programming to be broadcast from DVB while other members are helping in the broadcasting station in Norway.
4.3.4. Audio-Video Project
We produced and distributed song tapes, speeches by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other periodically recorded series. But we were not able to distribute documentary video tapes because of shortage of financial assistance. Although there were technical and qualified members problem, and lack of material and human resources, we have been trying to distribute video tapes. We have already produced five cassette tapes of songs and four documentary video tapes.
4.3.5. Campaign Posters, T-shirts, and Pamphlets
ABSDF is campaigning the international community to impose economic sanctions and arms embargo against the ruling junta and to suspend the Slorc-held seat at the UN. We made campaign T-shirt for Salween Dam Project, Release Aung San Suu Kyi, commemorates of 8888 democratic uprising and pamphlets on above-mentioned campaigns and Gas Pipeline Projects. Although we planned to publish campaign posters on Salween Dam Project, Gas Pipeline Project, human rights issue, release Aung San Suu Kyi, we were not able to afford to now because of the barriers financial assistance.
4.3.6. Slide Sets
ABSDF produced one slide set in 1993. Because of shortage of funds we could not produce other slide sets. Working plans for further production include:
(a) the 8888 democratic uprising;
(b) ABSDF;
(c) human rights violations in ethnic minority areas (summary execution, arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, forced labor, forced relocation, disappearances, religious persecution, looting and burning of villages);
(d) Economic and Border Area Development Projects of the Slorc damaging healthy environment (logging, fishing concessions, dam projects, oil & gas explorations projects);
(e) exodus of refugees into neighboring countries - the economic, social, health and educational situation of these refugees;
(f) militarisation of the Burmese army;
(g) trafficking in women, the drug trade, and HIV and AIDS problems along the Thai Burmese border.
4.3.7. Documentation Center
Among the democratic organizations along the Thai- Burmese border, the ABSDF is the only organization that has a systematic documentation center from which we provide first-hand documents to democratic forces in the liberated areas, including NCUB. Even in the condition of lack of material, qualified members, human resources and poor of safety, ABSDF set up a documentation center with the following objectives:
(a) to collect information about Burma and disseminate it to both the international and domestic communities.
(b) to disseminate information about human rights abuses, excessive destruction of the environment, and the political situation in Burma which goes unnoticed by the majority of the world’s population.
(c) to provide international and domestic communities with information on actual developments in Burma, and the plight of the Burmese people as they fare today under the military regime.
(d) to strengthen the research, and data collection of the department: data in the fields of economics, environment, human rights abuses, politics.
4.4.1. Since 1990 representatives of ABSDF have annually attended the UN Commission on Human Rights and Sub-commission on Prevention and Prosecution of Discrimination of Minorities. At this time, governments and NGOs were lobbied about the situation in Burma.
4.4.2. Human rights violations in Burma were reviewed by the United Nations Commission for Human Rights (UNHCR) under 1503 Confidential Procedures, with the result of the appointment of two independent experts, Professor Orgata in 1990 and Professor Yokota in 1991. On account of a lack of improve, UNHCR decided to discuss Burmese issue in open debate (1235) and remanded Slorc for the " continued seriousness of the situation of human rights" while extending the mandate of Special Rapporteur for an additional year.
4.4.3. This on-going investigation culminated in Professor Yokata’s report delivered on 24 February 1994 to the UNHCR, commenting that Slorc should take necessary steps to bring the military " in line with accepted international human rights and humanitarian standards so that they will not commit arbitrary killings, rapes, confiscation of property, forced porterage, forced labor, forced relocation, or any other ill-treatment of innocent villagers and peasants". As a result of the continued situation under the military regime in Burma, the UNHCR unanimously voted a 16-point recommendations extended the mandate of Special Rapporteur for yet another year.
4.4.4. The ABSDF and NCGUB have been jointly lobbying to foreign embassies in Bangkok while the Europe Office lobbies in Geneva.
4.5.1. There are around one million internally displaced persons living in the liberated areas. Most of them belong to the ethnic minorities -- Mon, Karen and Karenni villagers who fled to the border to escape the atrocities of the Slorc army (killings, arbitrary arrests, tortures, rape, incineration of villages, looting, porterage, forced eviction and relocation). These people are deprived of a basic education and health care and, therefore, to fulfill the needs of the people, ABSDF decided to implement rural education and health care projects.
4.5.2. During the last four years, ABSDF has established one high school, two middle schools and seven primary schools in liberated areas. 820 children are taught in these facilities which are run by 50 ABSDF teachers. Two 20-bedded hospitals and eleven medical clinics were also in operation in different parts of the liberated areas, with the following staffs; three doctors, seven medical students, one dental student, three veterinary students, two nurses, one lab technician, 75 student medics and 75 student trained nurses. Later on, these school and hospitals were turned over to respective ethnic groups, while the staff from ABSDF have moved on the work for new objects. From time to time mobile medical teams of student medics with "backpack medical kits", are sent to remote villages to take health care to the people.
4.6.1. Although ABSDF could get some humanitarian assistance for foodstuff and medicines from some NGOs, humanitarian and social organizations and religious organizations, these assistance cannot even fulfill the basic needs of ABSDF members.
4.6.2. To generate income for student camps along the border, to give occupation training to the disable students and continue the struggle to restore democracy and human rights in Burma on the basic of self-reliance in the long run certain small-scale self-reliance programs were set up. In 1993 the ABSDF set up a furniture workshop, a boat engine workshop, grocery shop and an animal breeding farm at the central headquarters.
4.6.3. In February 1995, the repressive troops of the Slorc attacked and occupied the headquarters of the ABSDF and their adjacent student camps in Dawn Gwin area. Under the heavy offensive of the Slorc, members of ABSDF and their families had to abandon their camps, belongings, farms, live stocks, income generating projects and inevitably moved to Karenni and Karen territories which are very far away from Dawn Gwin before rainy season.
4.6.4. After re-establishment of new headquarters and camps in Karenni and Karen territories, the ABSDF immediately set up many projects such as a furniture workshop, grocery shop, animal breeding farms and agricultural projects close to the headquarters and May Yu area. However, as the new attacks of military junta in Karenni territory continued in spite of the cease-fire agreement with the ruling military regime three months ago, the ABSDF moved again to the safer places during the rainy season. Having lost most of their possessions, they again tried to implement small-scale self-reliance programs as soon as they reach a new place.
4.6.5. At present, the ABSDF could not set up income generating projects and large-scale self-reliance programs for the camps because of the instability of the areas. But ABSDF is working on a plan to generate income if and when the condition improves.
Central Executive Committee member
At the ABSDF's Sixth General Conference, 17 Central Committee members were elected to implement the political and military tasks of the organisation. Of these, the leading Central Executive Committee members are:
| 01. Than Khe | Chairperson |
| 02. Kyaw Ko | Vice-Chairperson |
| 03. Myo Win | General Secretary |
| 04. Wai Lin Zin | Joint General Secretary 1 |
| 05. Thein San | Joint General Secretary 2 |
| 06. Sonny Mahinder | Foreign Affairs |
| 07. Lwun Ni | Organising and Information |
