Arka – Mon State Chief Minister U Ohm Myint is pressuring the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP) to resign from the Brotherhood of Ethnic Political Parties, a coalition of five ethnic parties, according to a source from AMDP.
The pressure was first exerted after AMDP Chairman Nai Ngwe Thein was interviewed by foreign media regarding a press release issued by the Brotherhood of Ethnic Political Parties calling for the release of political prisoners.
According to a source close to both of the Mon politicians, “AMDP was told to resign from the Brotherhood Forum and not to contact the foreign media”.
U Ohm Myint communicated his demands to AMDP through two Mon ministers, Dr. Min Nwe Soe, Minister of Finance and Revenue, and Naing Lawi Aung, Minister of Electric Power and Industry.
The source close to the minister said that U Ohm Myint often acts haughty towards ministers and uses excessively obscene language at weekly meetings.
“That man [Nai Ngwe Thein] will be floated in the tide if he doesn’t listen to me,” the source quoted U Ohm Myint saying in regards to Nai Ngwe Thein at the ministers’ meeting.
AMDP Chairman Nai Ngwe Thein said that the AMDP will not resign from the Brotherhood Forum because of pressure.
He added, “No one has told us anything directly yet. We [the AMDP] do what we should do, and do not need to be afraid. The person who is afraid should resign.”
Currently, party opinion is divided: one group of party members wants to resign from the Brotherhood Forum, while the second desires to be in opposition to Chief Minister U Ohm Myint, according to the source from the party.
The five members of the Brotherhood Forum are Phalon-Sawaw, a Karen ethnic party, the Chin National Party, the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP), Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party.
