3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Union of Burma

Conventional short form: Burma

Local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)

Local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw

Former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

Note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

Administrative Divisions

7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)

Independence

4 January 1948 (from UK)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Constitution

3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; national convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include participation of democratic opposition

Legal System

has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International Law Organization Participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)

Head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October 2004)

Cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC); the SPDC oversees the cabinet

Elections: none

Legislative Branch

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene

Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60

Judicial Branch

Remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive

Political Parties and Leaders

National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-government) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-government, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]

Flag Description

Red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 7 administrative divisions and 7 states

National Anthem

Year

Government Type

  • Military junta

Capital

    Rangoon (government refers to the capital as Yangon)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    vacant
  • Chancery
    2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 332-9044
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 332-9046
  • Consulate(s) General
    New York

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Charge d'Affaires Carmen M. MARTINEZ
  • Embassy
    581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
  • Mailing Address
    Box B, APO AP 96546
  • Telephone
    [95] (1) 379 880, 379 881
  • FAX
    [95] (1) 256 018

International Organization Participation

  • APT
  • ARF
  • AsDB
  • ASEAN
  • CP
  • FAO
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IHO
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • ITU
  • NAM
  • OPCW (signatory)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO