Chin World — In an interview with Pu Lian Nawn, the Chin League for Democracy (CLD)’s candidate for the position of Chin Affairs Minister in Sagaing Region, the candidate discussed his involvement in charity work and his concerns about corruption and misuse of the government's construction budget. He says he entered politics after learning about the lives of people in his state. He aims to unite all Chin people.
Q: I want to know why you entered politics and why are running as a candidate in this election.
A: While carrying out charity work, I got the chance to delve into the lives of the people and clearly saw how the public is losing their human rights. These became the driving forces for my entry to politics. I have seen how the state spent the budget for the construction of roads and bridges. Many of these funds have been wasted and misused. They rarely contribute to the public and the area. After learning about this, I started preparing myself to run in the election with the mindset to make a positive change to some extent.
Q: If you were elected as an MP in the upcoming election and became the Chin Affairs Minister of the Sagaing Region, what will you carry out for the Chin people?
A: First, I will carry out regional development. After the region becomes developed, I want to try to unite all the Chin tribes under the ‘Chin’ umbrella to have unity and solidarity. When the Chin people are united, we need to build trust with other ethnic Bamar people living in this area. Only then will we be able to build the Union Spirit. After having physical development, we need to open up a path for developing human resources and our rights and qualifications.
Q: You said you will give priority to regional development. In which sector will you carry this out?
A: I will try to upgrade the roads and bridges, followed by the development of the town. Now, there has been flooding. Flooding shouldn't happen with heavy rains. It is because of bad drains. If we have enough of a budget to implement the drainage system, we don’t need to wait five years…we will see a significant change within three years.
Q: You said you will upgrade the roads and bridges. How will you carry this out?
A: For example, it is quite certain that not all the budget has been used. In Kalaymyo, 800 million kyats were allocated to the City Development Committee in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. There wasn’t any transparency. To speak frankly, we don’t trust them. There is too much corruption. If the responsible persons were to use this budget without any corruptions or waste, bridges and roads would be up to standard. If I become the Chin Affairs Minister, I will straighten out these committees and give constructive views. Last year, 26 roads were paved with asphalt in Kalay. The City Development Committee took charge of 23 roads. The contractors took charge of three roads with higher costs. When I went to study this, they didn’t ask for money from the public for roads paved by the contractor, but the City Development Committee had asked for 6,000 kyats per foot for each road.
Q: If you become the Chin Affairs Minister, what kind of action will you take against such kind of departmental misuse?
A: I will negotiate with them with a constructive view. I will tell them that they already have a full salary and the system has changed so they should have sympathy for the public. I will officially tell them that it is the public budget and ask them to use all in their respective sectors. If they fail to abide by the rules, I will take action against them as necessary. Only then will the country change.
Q: What do you want to say to the Chin people?
A: It’s time to wake up. They shouldn’t sleep anymore. They have been sleeping for 50 years. It’s time to wake up.
Pu Lian Nawn was born to parents U Htan Paung and Daw Ngwe Htan in Zantalan village in Chin State’s Htantlang Township on June 6th, 1943. He is the third eldest son of eight siblings. He passed the matriculation exam from Falam High School in Chin State in 1963 and received first place in the nation when he took the forestry exam in Pyin Oo Lwin in 1965.
He started serving as a Forestry Township Administrator in 1971 and was sentenced to prison for seven years in 1993 during U Khin Nyunt’s reign. After he was released from prison in 1999, he served six years as a finance officer for the S Baptist Association. Then, he served as chairman of Carlson Association for four years and is currently serving as chairman of AZB, also known as the Hakha Tribe Society.
He is currently serving as chairman of the Chin League for Democracy (CLD)’s Kalay Township branch and will be running as Chin Affairs candidate in the Sagaing Region as a representative from the CLD.
