Some ethnic parties question NLD’s calls for active participation in building democratic federal union

Some ethnic parties question NLD’s calls for active participation in building democratic federal union
Published 14 November 2020
Nyan Lin Tun

Some ethnic parties have welcomed the victorious National League for Democracy’s invitation to them to actively participate in building a democratic federal union but questioned whether it will come into reality or not. 

The NLD sent a letter to 48 ethnic parties on November 12. The letter carries three paragraphs under the title of the union affairs to be envisioned for the future Myanmar.

The NLD says in the letter that it will pay attention to the ethnic minorities in the future hoping they will actively participate in the effort to build a democratic federal union. 

Kachin State People’s Party spokesperson Kwan Gaung Aung Kham said whether they will participate depends on its course of action. 

“Rather than literally saying, I would say that it is necessary to implement the agreements made with General Aung San in 1947. A letter can be written. No matter what they say or what they speak, we won’t believe if there is no practical action,” he commented. 

In the November 8 election, the ethnic parties in some states saw satisfying results while some ethnic parties could not achieve what they had expected. Under any circumstance, the NLD will continue to try for the emergence of a democratic federal union, the letter says.

NLD CEC member Dr Myo Nyunt said despite a lack of coordination with any party before the election, the NLD now reassured its cooperation with ethnic parties in building a democratic federal union. 

“In the objective of our election manifesto, our first priority is ethic affairs and the end to civil war,” Dr Myo Nyunt said. 

Mann Aung Pyi Soe, chairman of Kayin National Democratic Party, said The NLD should have had such an attitude since the winning of the election in 2015 but it had done little for the ethnic cause. 

He also remarked that their invitation to seek cooperation needed to be real as one NLD leader used to say before the election that efforts for ethnic rights must be exerted under the umbrella of their party. 

“If they don’t show equality with our ethnic minorities and if they want to rule the country by describing themselves as supreme Bamar, the ethnic cause will be nothing forever. I think it is an unsolvable problem,” said Mann Aung Pyi Soe. 

Sai Kyaw Nyunt, secretary (1) of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, said he had no comment as they had not received the letter. 

The general secretary of Chin National League for Democracy said the letter was basically welcomed as it carries a positive attitude towards the ethnic parties meaning that the NLD recognizes them to a certain degree. 

He however said they needed to continue to watch whether it is real or not. 

The NLD first addressed its letter to 39 ethnic parties. As Myanmar has 48 ethnic parties, nine other parties were excluded. Those nine parties were among those political parties that recently met the military chief, according to a Facebook post of Ye Myo Hein, executive director of Tagaung politics study team. 

After some criticisms, the NLD sent the letter to those nine more ethnic parties.