Khattar Non – Yesterday morning, March 19, the 89th birthday ceremony of Mon Senior Politician Nai Ngwe Thein, Chairman of the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), was cerebrated at the Than-Lwin Hall of the Mahar-Than-Ti-Thukha Monastery in Nat Chaung, Thar-Mwe Township, Rangoon Division Prominent politicians from various parties joined the celebration.
The ceremony started at 9 am with over a hundred attendees, including Senior Journalist Hantharwaddy U Win Tin, 88 Student Generation Leader Min Ko Naing, Min Zay Yar and Ko Ko Gyi, the leaders of the All Mon Regions Democracy Party(AMDP) and the MNDF, the leaders of Shan and Arakan ethnic groups, and members of the Mon National Day Organizing Committee (Rangoon) and the Mon Literature and Culture Organization..
Nai Soe Myint, the central committee member of the MNDF, said, “The main purpose of the ceremony was to honor Nai Ngwe Thein. No one gave a speech. Most of the prominent political leaders attended [the ceremony].” He went on to explain that during the gathering, the prominent politicians discussed developing cooperation for the transition to Democracy in Burma.
Mi Ah Moe Chan, a Mon youth who attended the birthday ceremony, said, “I’m proud that I have a chance to join Grandpa’s birthday ceremony. I want to give a big thank you to Grandpa for working in Mon politics his whole life. Grandpa is very intellectual and bright.Long live Grandpa.”
On March 11, Nai Ngwe Thein’s pre-90th birthday ceremony was held at the Mon Dhamma Hall in Moulmein, Mon State, and counted over five hundred attendees.
Nai Ngwe Thein served as a member of the Burma Independent Army (BIA), the Asia Youth Organization, general secretary of All Rahmonnya Mon Association, general secretary of Mon Youth Organization, member of the People’s Volunteer Organization formed by General Aung San, joint chief of staff of the combined army of Mon Affairs Organization and Mon Ethnic Organization, the central committee member of Mon People Front, a life member of the United Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD) and the former vice chairman of the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF).
Nai Ngwe Thein, together with the former chairman of the New Mon State Party(NMSP) Nai Shwe Kyin, was temporarily detained in 1948 and later jailed in Insein Prison for about two years in 1963. In 1991, he was jailed in Moulmein Prison for three years with Nai Tun Thein, the former chairman of the MNDF, and then again for seven years in 1998, along with Dr Min Soe Lin and Dr Min Kyi Win.
Nai Ngwe Thein was bornon March 19, 1923, in Htone Aie Village, Pa-an Township, Karen State.His parents are Nai Thar Doon and Mi Ngwe Thone.
