It is not easy for a country to survive. The country has encountered many battles and hardships. It came into being after passing the significant events. An existing country must be an independent and sovereign one. It must be strong in order to safeguard its perpetuation so that a modern developed nation will stand tall forever.

Myanmar is a big nation with long history. The 40 million-year old anthropoid primate was found near Bahin village in Pontaung region in Myaing Township. Geologists of the world accepted the fact that human beings originated in Myanmar as the primates were the fossils of creatures that would become human beings.

Establishment of Anyathian civilization in Ayeyawady valley during the Stone Age and evidences of human beings of Stone Age in Padalin Cave showed that human beings lived in Myanmar before the pre-historic age. Slow migration or movement of people to different directions took place. According to the excavation of ancient Tagaung and Srikeshtra and evidences of ancient Hanlin and Nyaunglunt, Pyu culture flourished in Myanmar as many as a thousand or so.

Pyu people gradually disappeared after the end of Pyu period and at the start of early Bagan period Myanmar people emerged. Sudden disappearance of Pyu people and sudden appearance of Myanmar people did not take place at the same time. The first Myanmar empire founded by King Anawrahta who was on the throne in 1044 AD was the foundation of present day Myanmar. The king Anawrahta introduced the common weights and measures, made sure of the territory and boundaries, designated some towns as places where specific number of soldiers could be summoned to come to the king and established defence system like strategy of people’s militia. By doing so, he made the first Myanmar empire strong.

In Innwa period there were many city states in Myanmar. Hanthawady Hsinphyumyashin (a) King Bayintnaung founded the country out of much difficulty. The second Myanmar empire was strong and wide. But Hanthawady collapsed due to instigation of imperialist Portuguese and disintegration of unity under Ngahsudayaka. King Nyaungyan, one of the sons of King Bayintnaung rebuilt the nation in the second Innwa period. The country collapsed because of disunity after the reign of ten monarchs of Nyaungyan dynasty. King Alaungmintaya U Aung Zeya established the third Myanmar empire again.

Myanmar founded by three kings three times lost Assam, Manipur, Rakhine and Taninthayi in the first Anglo-Myanmar War (1824-26) in the time of King Bagyidaw. Far-flung regions of the State were lost and it was the beginning of the disintegration of the Union.

Under King Bagan the second Anglo- Myanmar War (1852-53) broke out. Instead of fighting against the British, the princes were trying to grab power and there was confusion in the palace. If Myanmar people had fought against the British with great effort, they would have won because the British troops were exhausted; they were unable to fight with all might. In order to suppress the rebelling Princes Mindon and Kanaung, King Bagan ordered Myanmar troops fighting against the British to withdraw. As a result, the imperialists annexed the lower Myanmar when King Mindon ascended the throne. Myanmar thus became a landlocked country without any exit to the sea under King Thibaw, a son of King Mindon. Later, Myanmar was held in servitude in the 1885 Third Anglo-Myanmar War.

The imperialists took more than a hundred years to occupy the Union of Myanmar and waged wars with heavy casualties. Although the Third Anglo-Myanmar War did not last even a month, the imperialist troops faced Myanmar anti-imperialist forces until the end of 1894. After 1895, the imperialists managed to administer Myanmar with divide and rule policy designed to undermine unity of national races.

The divide and rule means administration of the people with different systems. Some political dictionaries say it is balancing of power according to the situation of ethnic groups, but it means breaking up the unity. Under the policy encouragement was given to the minority and assistance of military force was also provided. The policy includes methods to weaken the majority. The dictionaries say invaders practice these methods in the colonies they had invaded.

The imperialists allowed hilly regions to rule with the use of feudalist system. However, they did not allow Mogok, Momeik, Wuntho, Kalay, Mohnyin, and Mogaung regions as feudalist ones because of the strong resistance. So direct rule was practised in these regions and plains. In Myanmar national solidarity was broken up due to the divide and rule policy. The imperialists encouraged wealthy persons and suppressed the poor greatly. At that time class struggles occurred because of Marxism. Myanmar people attempted to regain independence from the rule of the imperialists sacrificing lots of lives.

Myanmar witnessed gradual changes and rapid revolutions. There was no freedom under the imperialist rule; the people were not permitted to meet others or to go where they wanted to. The imperialists set the people against others and equipped arms. Conflicts created by the imperialists during the second World War have not been completely solved yet.

Regarding the independence some national race leaders said they wanted to live under the British Empire and some said they wanted to be independent. All the national race leaders tried hard to be united without discriminating hilly regions and plains. On 12 February 1947, an agreement to regain independence together was signed in Panglong. That day was designated as the Union Day. The Panglong Agreement was the first step towards independence. Myanmar regained her independence after signing of Aung San-Attlee and Nu-Attlee Agreements.

After regaining her independence internal insurgency occurred as an evil legacy of the imperialists due to their instigation. Aboveground political conflicts took place one after another. The Tatmadaw government held the National Convention with difficulty with the aim of achieving national reconsolidation. Preparations for drafting a new constitution are now under way after successful completion of the National Convention. Both the 1947 constitution drafted within three months under the imperialist rule and the 1974 constitution based on socialism are not relevant to the present situation in Myanmar. No one can deny that a new constitution is essential for Myanmar.

Now the Panglong Agreement has turned 61 years. It is important for every citizen of the Union to safeguard Our Three Main National Causes— non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty as the national policy. Every citizen is responsible for the perpetuation of the Union. Out of the seven-step Road Map, the constitution is being drafted and the emergence of a new nation is not far.