The Chinland Guardian is reporting that an organization called the Ethnic Nationalities Council of Union of Burma (ENC) took the floor at the United Nations Security Coucil earlier this month and called for the USDA (Union Solidarity and Development Association) in Burma to be classified as an terrorist organization. Those familiar with the workings of this "social organization" will agree this is well over due.
Dr. Sui Khar foreign affairs secretary for the Ethnic Nationalities Council of Union of Burma (ENC) took the floor introducing his organization to the UN Human Rights Council saying that the ENC is representing seven ethnic states in the Union of Burma to establish democratic federal union based on equality, and that ENC is legitimate and credible organization to speak on behalf of all ethnic states in Union of Burma because the ENC members includes all groups in each state.Taking up the floor on behalf of Netherlands based International Work Group for Indigenous Peoples (IWGIP), Dr. Sui Khar, made a statement at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council urging that the United Nations Security Council must brand the USDA as state sponsored terrorist organization based on their involvement in the past and recent military crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Burma.
The USDA is a played off as a "social organization". It is really a citizen's wing of the military that conducts activities in the junta's interest. It was formed in 1993 and head by Senior General Than Shwe. Many joined to escape forced labor. Others to avoid harassment form the police when they travel. Some want to take advantage of classes specialized training that came along with membership.
The USDA is used as a force to oppose the NLD (National League for Democracy) and the influence of democratic ideas in Burma. They organize rallies in support of the regime in such a way that it appears as though they were citizen rallies. They at times force citizens to take part in these pro-junta rallies.
In 2003, during a period when Aung San Suu Kyi was temporarily freed from house arrest, her motorcade was confronted by such rallies during a speaking tour. It was on such an occasion when an assassination attempt was made on her life. She was spared but many of her supporters who with her were killed. She was immediately placed back under house arrest for what the regime called "protective custody".
Young people in Burma, even high school age children are pressured to join the USDA or face an unpredictable future. The chances of receiving higher education are more likely under membership.
The USDA is not unlike the military in Burma.
In the military income is supplemented through corruption which is tolerated and condoned across the board. An arrest might be made for corruption if a higher ranking officer wasn't paid off for a particular business deal.
What other reasons are there for joining the military? Poverty. For many the military may seem to be their own way to escape.
There is also a sense of empowerment that comes with being above the ordinary citizen. Soldiers are, for obvious reasons, considered more eligible marriage partners.
A draw back for many, newly enlisted men can find themselves doing slave labor for senior officers, on plantations or "various commercial enterprises".
Then there is the order to execute civilians many soldiers will face, or die themselves.
Though it should be mentioned in the 1988 uprising, many soldiers joined in the protest
