February 12, 1947:
While Burma is still under British colonial rule, the Panglong Agreement is signed by
Burmese leader General Aung San and several ethnic nationality leaders from the
Shan, Kachin, and Chin areas. The agreement is designed to hasten independence
from the British and avert ethnic tensions in the new Burma, as recognized in
paragraph 7 that states, “Citizens of the Frontier Areas shall enjoy rights and
privileges which are regarded as fundamental in democratic societies.”