Mon National Party (MNP), a major Mon political party, opened a township-level branch office in Tamwe Township, Rangoon, on Sunday with the intention to engage more city dwelling Mon people in politics.
MNP’s Sub-headquarter Implementing Committee also selected the party’s township-level executive committee members on August 28.
“We opened a branch office in Rangoon because there are many Mon people in Rangoon. This move is intended to gather them. We opened this office with the purpose of involving Rangoon’s Mon people in politics, too. We welcome every Mon person in Rangoon. We would like them to cooperate with us as members,” said Nai Ngwe Thein, the party’s chairman.
The Tamwe Township-level executive committee is comprised of 15 members, including Nai Mya Maung as chairman, Nai Tin Htay as vice-chairman and Min Pay Than as secretary.
“Mon people in Rangoon have been afraid of involving themselves in politics in the past, especially those working as government staff and businesspersons. However, now the situation has changed. The population of Mon people in Rangoon is quite big. Therefore, we opened this first branch in this township as we want to gather all Mon people in the city,” said Min Banyar San, secretary of MNP’s sub-headquarter committee.
The MNP plans to continue to open more branch offices in other townships across Rangoon, also known as the Yangon Region.
“I am Mon but speak very little Mon language. However, I would like to work for the Mon people and that is why I am now working at MNP,” said Mi Nwe Nwe Linn, member of MNP’s central executive committee.
50 MNP candidates competed in the 2015 elections for their respective constituencies in Mon State, Karen State and Tenasserim Division. However, of the 50 candidates, only 3 won seats; one for Amyotha Hluttaw and 2 for Mon State Hluttaw.
MNP was initially founded as the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) in 1988, and competed in the 1990 elections. However, it was dissolved by the then military government in 1992, while the party’s senior leaders were put in prison by the military. After the quasi-democratic government took office, the MNP then registered as Mon Democracy Party in 2012, and then changed the name ‘MNP’ in 2014.
