All Mon Regions Democracy Party rolls out platform

Thursday, 01 July 2010 14:14 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The All Mon Regions Democracy Party formed on April 7 plans to take part in the general election to be held later this year.

The group is made up of 15 mostly ethnic Mon members from all over Burma.
The Union Election Commission (UEC) officially allowed it to form a political party on May 24 and issued its registration number 51.

Under UEC electoral laws, the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMRDP) is the only Mon political group legally taking part in the impending elections. Many other Mon political groups have declined to participate in protest at the junta’s controversial 2008 constitution.

Party leader Nai Ngwe Thein, 71, is a retired assistant education officer for Mon State who hails from Htone Eine village in Karen State. He has also held the posts of education officer for Pegu Division and Kachin State, and director of the Upper Burma Basic Education Department.

The party includes veterinary surgeon Dr. Nai Hla Aung and other retired government officers of the education, health and law departments.

Mizzima spoke with Nai Ngwe Thein on AMRDP policy. He listed gaining democratic rights, establishing ethnic unity, ridding government of corruption and bribery and working towards social development and world social order as priorities.

He expressed frustration at the current state of the economy in that it was under the total control of the military junta, citing the example of farmers being unable to sell produce as they wished. Nai Ngwe Thein advocated for free trade to allow ethnic people to receive the human, social and cultural rights of which they are deprived.

“We shall establish an appropriate and suitable free-market economy,” Nai Ngwe Thein said. “We will work for growing foreign investment and the development of production through modern technology, which means building the industrial sector.”

“Our country will progress only when we can develop our industrial sector successfully. Now the situation is upset and frustrated,” he added.

The party has had little difficulty meeting the minimum party membership of 1,000 members. Visiting people in Yay, Thanphyu Zayat, Moulmein and Mudon townships, the group spoke with communities about its main policies and gauged interest from prospective members.

Nai Ngwe Thein said many people were interested in the party as it was the sole Mon party running in the election. When asked for his opinion on its rivals, the armed Mon State Party, he was reluctant to criticise that party’s policies.

He said the AMRDP planned to campaign mostly in the 10 townships in Mon State, but that it would contest two townships in Karen State, one in Tanintharyi Division and one in Pegu Division to total 14 townships. He believed the party had a good chance of winning in those areas, which were inhabited by mostly ethnic Mon people.

“We will contest in all legislative bodies namely the People’s Parliament [lower house], the National Parliament [upper house] and the States and Regions Assembly,” he said. “There will be at least four candidates from our party in each of these townships.”

The National League for Democracy in late March declared it would boycott the country’s first polls in 20 years because of the junta’s refusal to release political prisoners, including party leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. If the NLD had chosen to take part, it would have implied its acceptance of the military’s 2008 constitution – something it has refused to do, calling it and the electoral laws released in March, “unfair and unjust”.

Although there were components to the constitution with which the AMRDP disagreed, Nai Ngwe Thein said there was no alternative but to take part in the future governmental practices of Burma.

“Only after contesting and winning in this election can we say please amend this one, transfer this one, et cetera,” he said. “No matter whether it is genuine or not, we shall contest in this election. The people are just guessing and speculating about it but we shall contest in this election peacefully and honestly.”