Mon Unity Party’s Only Alliances Are With Ethnic Political Parties, Leader Says

By NETWORK MEDIA GROUP (NMG)
Wednesday, October 7, 2020

A leader within the Mon Unity Party (MUP) has said that the party would not ally itself with any non-ethnic political parties amid rumors that they had a relationship with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

The rumors began after USDP members attended campaign events in Asin and Zee Phyu Thaung villages in Ye Township, Mon State, on October 5 and listened to speeches by MUP candidates Min Aung Htoo, Mi Lawi Han and Dr. Banyar Aung Moe.

The MUP has pointed out that anyone is free to listen to their election message.

“Some rival political parties spread the news that we formed alliances with this political party or that political party,” Joint General Secretary (1) of the MUP Nai Layae Tama told NMG. “They are creating confusion for people. I think they are intentionally attacking us during the election campaign.”

Nai Layae Tama emphasized that the MUP’s only political allies were with ethnic political parties.

“Currently, we have a good relationship with the United Nationalities Alliance, which has members from 13 ethnic political parties, and the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation, which has members from 15 ethnic political parties,” he explained. “We are cooperating with ethnic political parties from five ethnic states. With the exception of alliances with ethnic political parties, we do not make alliances with other political parties.”

The MUP is officially allied with the Kachin State People’s Party, Karen Democratic Party, Kayah State Democratic Party and the Chin National League for Democracy.

The MUP is a merger of the Mon National Party and All Mon Regions Democracy Party. The MUP has expressed a desire to form a coalition government if ethnic state-based political parties win the majority of seats in Burma’s coming 2020 general election scheduled for November 8.

A total of 35 MUP candidates will contest for election in Mon State alone, and 65 candidates will run in Karen State, Yangon, Bago and Tanintharyi regions.