al system:
martial law in effect throughout most of the country; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
Executive branch:
chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order
Restoration Council
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup
of 18 September 1988
Judicial branch:
Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18 September
1988
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE
(since 23 April 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
National Unity Party (NUP; proregime), THA KYAW; National League for
Democracy (NLD), U AUNG SHWE; National Coalition of Union of Burma (NCGUB),
SEIN WIN - consists of individuals legitimately elected but not recognized
by military regime; fled to border area and joined with insurgents in
December 1990 to form a parallel government
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
People's Assembly:
last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%; seats
- (485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79
Communists:
several hundred (est.) in Burma Communist Party (BCP)
Other political or pressure groups:
Kachin Independence Army (KIA), United Wa State Army (UWSA), Karen National
Union (KNU) , several Shan factions, including the Shan United Army (SUA)
(all ethnically based insurgent groups)
Member of:
AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

:Burma Government

Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador U THAUNG; Chancery at 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 332-9044 through 9046; there is a Burmese Consulate General
in New York
US:
Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission, Charge d'Affaires Franklin P.
HUDDLE, Jr.; Embassy at 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (mailing address is GPO
Box 521, AMEMB Box B, APO AP 96546); telephone [95] (1) 82055, 82181; FAX
[95] (1) 80409
Flag:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in
white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of
rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divi