Ethnic parties gaining support in Northern Shan State

Opening ceremony of SNDP branch office in Muse, 10 June 2010, photo: SHAN

Of all the political parties that will contest the upcoming general elections, ethnic parties are reported to have gained much support and raised hopes of the people, especially in the areas where they are dominant, according to election watchers from the Sino-Burma border.

At present, the Shan National Democratic Party (SNDP) and Palaung (Taang) National Party (PNP) are said to be popular among people in Shan State North’s Muse and Namkham townships, the towns located opposite China’s Yunnan province. Both townships are homelands for ethnic nationalities such as Shan, Palaung and Kachin.
Opening ceremony of SNDP branch office in Muse, 10 June 2010, photo: SHAN

Currently the two are seen as running neck to neck as most populated on the hills are Palaung people and Shan are in the lower land, said a local resident in Namkham.

There are four parties that are active around in the areas so far: the SNDP, PNP, the former Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) turned National Unity Party (NUP) and Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). But the NUP has reportedly yet to decide whether to contest in the areas or not due to having few members.

The rest have been recruiting party members, he said. “But most people don’t like the USDP because it is forcing people to become its members.”

Nevertheless, it is reported to have many members than others, said another source.

“Some of them are already members of its parent organization [Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDA)]. On the other hand, it is still recruiting more and more using its mother organization’s influence,” he said.

In May, village headmen in Namkham were forced to provide at least 5,000 members for the party.

A villager in Namkham said, “We were forced not only to be its members but also were forced to pay Kyat 1,000 ($ 1) for photo fees,”

However, a border watcher commented that there is still hope for the ethnic parties if it is going to be a free and fair process. “It will not be so difficult for them to obtain votes.”

The SNDP has finished opening branch offices in 15 townships in Shan State North so far and have been recruiting party members since it was granted permission by EU in May, according to the True News journal reported on 29 June. (There are 23 townships in Shan State North: 4 Wa, 2 Kokang and 2 Palaung have been designated as self-administered areas. The SNDP has promised not to field its candidates there.)

Another source in Namkham also said it has reportedly obtained its 1,000 members quota. The number of members in Namkham Township alone is over 800.

However, the party will continue opening branch offices and will recruit more members in Shan State East and South and Kachin State as well as Mandalay and Sagaing divisions in July, according to party member quoted by the True News.

But in early July, the party was reported to have faced some restrictions by EC.

On 5 July, the party was said to have asked permission to hold a meeting in Nawngkhang village tract, but the request was rejected by the EC, citing the areas that the party would go was not safe and villagers are still afraid of previous incidents that took place earlier.

Nawngkhang was where Sai Kyaw Myint, secretary of USDA in Namkham Township was killed by unknown gunmen while campaigning for support of junta drawn charter in 2008.

In the meantime, early this month, leaflets against 2010 elections were also distributed in downtown Muse and Namkham urging people not to go and vote for anyone and not to participate, said a source.

“Local people are worried there would be disturbance.”

One of the EC of SNDP also said, “We are not afraid to do campaigning in the public, but we are more worried about unknown third parties.”

Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3094:ethnic-parties-gaining-support-in-northern-shan-state&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266