An interview with Khun Tin Nu who secured the seat for the Kayan Ethnic Affairs Minister in Shan State.
Q: As a Kayan ethnic affairs minister what are your plans during the tenure of the new government?
A: I have committed to implementing five election pledges made during the election campaign. The first is Kayan (Karenni) national unity. The second is the reunion of all Karenni people. The third is the promotion and propagation of Karenni literature and culture. The fourth is holding a Karenni conference. The fifth is the development of the Kayan region.
Q: What will you first implement one of five election pledges?
A: Some pledges are long-term. I must implement some pledges during my tenure. For instance, I want to implement the national registration card during my tenure. The matters such as unity, literature culture, and development are both short-and long-term ones. I will deal with national registration card during my tenure as much as I can.
Q: May I know your view on the NLD’s invitation to ethnic parties for the establishment of a federal democratic union?
A: I am ready to join hands with democratic groups that want federal democracy. We need to work on ethnic affairs simultaneously when we are working for democracy, charter amendment and peace. That’s why I welcome such an invitation and am very glad. But the NLD needs to implement it. Ethnic people have never seen the organizations, persons and the governments which carry out real implementations before. If the NLD wants to earn more trust then it has to demonstrate by its actions that it wants federal democracy.
Q: To what extent can you expect to win the public’s cooperation in the next five years?
A: The public’s cooperation has already been in place. As a Karen ethnic affairs minister I will carry out the development tasks in Kayan State as much as I can, based on authority, budget availability and invitation to Karenni organizations. It is too early to say to what extent I can do it. I don’t want to give guarantees. But the sure point is I will try to satisfy the needs of the Kayan people as much as I can.
Q: Do you have anything to add?
A: I want to implement five election pledges during five years as much as I can. I believe that I can implement more than 50 per cent of election pledges, even if I cannot implement all five pledges. I believe that I can do my best as I am ready to serve the interest of the Kayan people and region.
