Shan youth in Kachin State they will cast their votes for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) because the party’s policies extend beyond Shan State and one of few ethnic parties that covers the whole country declared Sai Hsai Phu, a local youth leader from Hotone ward in Waingmaw Township

Sai Hsai Phu said: “The SNLD has opened a channel for the participation of women and youth. I have decided to vote for the SNLD as I like the party’s policy of equal rights for all ethnics” and not just a narrow concern with only Shan people.

Nam Kham Mwan, a local youth said: “I have decided to cast my votes for the SNLD as the party is a party which is based not just on Shan but all ethnics. the party’s fundamental principle is good. According to the party’s policy, the female participation is 30 percent. Ethnic equality is also included in the policy. In addition, any person regardless of ethnics can enjoy equal rights and self-determination. I like that policy very much.”

The NLD has always dismissed ethnic parties as only pushing their “narrow focus “and not able to challenge the nation-wide perspective of the NLD. Now SNLD claims it has changed. It has become a multi-ethnic party and its new outlook is also increasingly national.

The SNLD’s policy is to counter and defeat the government’s lack of accountability and its poor governance, through the power of the people, we want to harness the sovereignty is the public to to push for self-determination and ethnic rights for our state and to bring about a union of peace, and build up a federal democratic union.

Shan youth want the SNLD to put more efforts for education, health and development if it wins the election, said the Shan youth in Waingmaw Township.

In the upcoming election, more than 130 candidates from the SNLD will compete in the constituencies in Shan State and 12 constituencies in Waingmaw, Moegaung, Moemauk and Mansi Townships in Kachin State.