The Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD) said it has withdrawn its election address for State-owned TV as the Union Election Commission (UEC) has censored key policy statements and deleted them from their election address declared, Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, General Secretary of the CNLD.

“We oppose it as this amounts to barring the political parties from freely expressing their political policy and this violates he democratic norms and fails to respect the political stance of the ethnics” he added.

In the last week of September, the People’s Party led by U Ko Ko Gyi who is an 88 Generation Student Leader said his party was also victims of censorship by the UEC. The People's Party declared they would not telecast its election address via the State-owned TV as its policy and program were censored.

Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, general secretary of the CNLD recalls this is not the first time they have been victims of the UEC deleting parts of their program.

“The UEC removed many words in the 2017 By-Election” The CNLD general secretary continued, “Now we face a similar problem again. The party decided not to carry out the broadcast. The deleted paragraphs are the party’s major policy and program aimed at the entire Chin people, according to the statement released on October 3. 

 

Salai Ceu Bik Thawng specified “The main point is our ethnics, parties and armed organizations support the policy of the ethnic-based state as a key characteristic of a federal system. The Chin State is an ethnic-based state. There can also be a Bamar-based State.” 

While the 2008 constitution would have to be reformed to accommodate this Chin proposal, it is hard to imagine how the UEC can justify their decision to water down the essence of the CNLD manifesto.

The CNLD draft for broadcast also mentioned “Local armed conflict is due to the fact that the ethnic minorities feel that they are overwhelmed by the Bamar Chauvinism.”

It is understandable that the UEC whose composition is based on Bamar, the majority ethnic group in Myanmar, would not like the CNLD’s criticism of Bamar Chauvinism. But all ethnic minorities expect the election commission to be independent, neutral and serving the entire nation. 

In the 2020 General Election, the CNLD formed with three Chin parties will compete in 57 constituencies in Sagaing Region, Magway Region, Arakan State and Chin State.