Prior to the National Convention, the Tatmadaw Government formed the Steering Committee for Holding the Coordination Meetings for Convening the National Convention and held discussions on the convening of the National Convention with legally existing political parties, representatives-elect and independent representatives-elect to the full satisfaction of all participants. That meeting reached an agreement on designation of delegate groups it should invite, and the number of representatives from delegate group each. These are known to all.

Thanks to the harmonious coordination of the delegates, the National Convention was convened with speed from 9 January 1993 to 30 March 1996. And it laid down the 104 basic principles to be included in the State Constitution, and the detailed basic principles for the chapters ‘the State’, ‘the Head of State’, and formation of legislation, executive and judiciary.

Representatives of a political party, at the instigation of internal and external elements, turned their back on the National Convention of their own accord to disrupt the NC.

The National Convention was suspended temporarily, but the Tatmadaw Government put its all-out efforts into the construction of economic and social infrastructures essential for democratic transition across the nation.

The National Convention that was suspended temporarily in 1996 resumed on 17 May 2004 and went on till 9 July. It held discussions to lay down the detailed basic principles for the sharing of legislative power in formulating the State Constitution.

At the plenary sessions of the National Convention held from 17 February to 3 March 2005, it adopted the detailed basic principles for the sharing of legislative power in formulating the State Constitution. Moreover, the delegates went on holding discussions to adopt the detailed basic principles for the delegation of executive and judicial powers.

According to the basic principles and detailed basic principles adopted in connection with the State structure to this date, our nation will be formed with seven regions, seven states, two Union territories, one selfadministered division and five self-administered zones.

The existing seven divisions in their original territory and name will be called seven regions.

The existing seven states — Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Chin State, Mon State, Rakhine State and Shan State — will be called the states without making any territorial changes.

Yangon city and Cocogyun Township, which have a special situation, are designated as Union territories. A detailed basic principle says, “If the need arises to designate areas that have special situation in connection with national defence, security, administration and economy etc. as Union territories, they may be so designated as Union territories after enacting laws.”

There will be three prescriptions in forming the self-administered division and self-administered zones. They are: the national race group is the one that has not got a Region or a State, the group must have an appropriate population, and it is living on the same common stretch of land.

The future State is to be delineated and constituted with seven regions and seven states and two Union territories, and in addition, with Wa Self-Administered Division formed with six townships in Shan State — Hopang, Mongmao, Panwaing, Narphan, Manphan and Panyang townships — which will be grouped into two districts.

According to State structure, Ywangan and Pindaya townships in Shan State will be formed into Danu Self-Administered Zone, Hopong, Hsihseng and Pinlaung townships in Shan State will be formed into Pa-O Self- Administered Zone, Namhsan and Manton townships in Shan State will be formed into Palaung Self-Administered Zone, Konkyan and Laukkai townships in Shan State into Kokang Self-Administered Zone, and Leshi, Lahe and Nanyun townships in Sagaing division into Naga Self-Administered Zone

A self-administered division is larger and more populous than a self-administered zone. There are no other differences between them.

According to the 1947 constitution, there are four states and one division— Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State and Shan State and Special Division for the Chins. There will be seven Regions, seven States and self-administered divisions and zones for Wa, Danu, PaO, Palaung, Kokang and Naga nationals and it will be very great.Equal opportunities will be created democratically for other national races as there are over 100 national races in Myanmar.

In shaping the future state, the National Convention thinks about the guarantee of Our Three Main National Causes—°Non-disintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity and Perpetuation of sovereignty and the Convention is also trying hard so that the people do not encounter bitter experiences of the past again. The National Convention is taking the prevailing conditions of the State into consideration as a basis without ignoring them.

There is a principle for national races of the Union travelling the same journey in the same boat and drinking water from the same source to live in unity. It is the basic principle of “No part of the territory of the Union, namely regions, states and self-administered areas etc shall ever secede from the Union.”