Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Union Day Dances

On Feb. 12, 1947, an agreement was signed by Chin, Kachin and Shan leaders and by my father as the representative of the Burmese government. This agreement, which came to be known as the Panglong Agreement after the name of the town in the Shan State where it was signed, stated the belief that "freedom will be more than speedily achieved by the Shans, the Kachins and the Chins by their immediate cooperation with the interim Burmese Government." The Panglong Agreement was proof that the Union of Burma is based on the voluntary decisions of different ethnic peoples to unite in the building of an independent nation and Feb. 12 is designated Union Day. It is a day for all the peoples of Burma to rededicate themselves to the spirit of mutual trust and respect that made the Panglong Agreement possible.

The National League for Democracy commemorated Union Day with a declaration of its policy on the ethnic peoples of Burma followed by a program of dances. There was a small bazaar where textiles from different parts of Burma, souvenirs, hot tea, cold drinks, rice noodles with fish soup, bean noodles and Shan tofu salad were sold. The food stalls did very brisk trade and I can personally vouch for the superiority of the tofu, cool and satin smooth on the tongue.

About 5,000 people attended our celebration, the maximum number we could accommodate. There were many more who wanted to come despite the fact that in certain townships the authorities had threatened unpleasant consequences for those who came to the NLD Union Day ceremony. Karen villagers from Hmawbi township were told they should not dance at our ceremony and it was made impossible for them to rent a car on the morning of Feb. 12. However, they managed to make their way to us by public transport.

The entertainment program began with a solo performance by a Mon dancer. Her costume in flaming burnt orange brocade and her golden headdress surmounted the legendary /kintha/ bird were very striking, and her movements were precise and graceful with the flexible hand gestures characteristic of so many dances in Southeast Asia.

A troupe of Pa-O dancers had come from a village in the Mon state. They made an impressive appearance on the stage, the men in black jackets, wide, black trousers and white shirts, their turbans presenting the only touch of color. The women were also in black, the tunics and jackets with the merest touch of red and black trimming, their turbans very similar to those of the men. One of the girls accompanied the dancing with songs sung in a high sweet soprano. The most exciting part of the Pa-O performance were the sword dances executed by the men with solemn finesse.

A Shan contingent which had come up from villages southeast of Rangoon also performed, as the last item on the entertainment program, sword dances to the rousing music of drums and cymbals. As the tempo of the music built up, punctuated by an occasional beat on a brass gong, the sword play became very swift and intricate and the audience clapped along with the music, carried away by the rhythm and swayed by the prowess of the performers. At one point members of the audience stood up and danced, unable to contain their enthusiasm. Some of the loudest applause was drawn by the dance with tow swords, performed with naked, well-honed blades that flashed under the stage lights as the dancer thrusted and parried and swirled in action.

Earlier in the program there had been another kind of Shan dancing executed by a group of girls dressed in pink. In addition there had been a solo dance by an Arakanese dancer, Karen dancing. Kayah dancing, Kachin dancing. Chin dancing and a traditional Burmese folk dance that acted out the words of a chant accompanied by lively music.

Each dance had its own individual attraction. The Chin dance was quite different from the sword dances which fired such enthusiastic response but it was also extremely popular with the audience. The dancers were clad in beautiful woven cloth, the men with traditional Chin blankets draped toga-fashioned. They treaded a steady measure around the stage in couples, headed by a tall young man with raised right arm holding up a sword while a pretty girl paced by his side, delicately holding on to his left arm. The rhythm of the music as well as the stateliness of the dance was mesmerizing.

The various dances illustrated the wide range of ethnic cultures of which Burma can boast. Unity in diversity has to be the principle of those who genuinely wish to build our country into a strong nation that allows for a variety of races, languages, beliefs and cultures to flourish in peaceful and happy coexistence. Only a government that tolerates opinions and attitudes different from its own will be abel to create an environment where peoples of diverse traditions and aspirations can breathe freely in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust.