ational Unity Party or NUP
(progovernment) [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 (progovernment, a
social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]

International organization participation:
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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: vacant
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York (UN)
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044

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

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

Economy Burma

Economy - overview:
Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from government
controls and abject rural poverty. The military regime took steps in
the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure
under the "Burmese Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since
stalled. Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal
stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious
macroeconomic imbalances - including a steep inflation rate and an
official exchange rate that overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than
100 times the market rate. In addition, most overseas development
assistance ceased after the junta suppressed the democracy movement