Shan-Ni students from Shan Ethnics Literature and Culture (Universities-Monywa) are conducting an online campaign to urge the people to cast their votes for ethnic parties.

“The online campaign is mainly based on our region. There are seven parties in our region. The campaign aims to urge the people to vote for the local-based parties. It is aimed at enabling the Shan-Ni parties including other local-based parties to win the victory in Shan-ni land,” said Sai Aike Latt from Shan Ethnics Literature and Culture group (Universities-Monywa).

The online campaign states ‘Only when ethnic parties can secure the seats in the upcoming election, can our people really demand the kind of federal system that we ethnics want. The first requirement for ethnic parties is to win the victory, as no-one else can represent our interests.”

Currently, two Shan-Ni (Red Shan) parties, namely the Tai-Leng (Shan-ni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) and the Shan-ni Solidarity Party (SSP), will compete in the upcoming election. The TNDP will contest the majority of constituencies in the Sagaing Region and Kachin State, while the SSP will compete in the majority of constituencies in Sagaing Region and some constituencies in Kachin State.  

Some Shan-Ni ethnics are concerned about splitting the votes as there are two Shan-ni parties. The SSP is strong in the upper Sagaing Region, while the TNDP is strong in Kachin State and Banmauk Township in Sagaing Region.”

The TNDP secured two seats in the 2015 General Election—one for Sagaing Region parliament and one for Shan Ethnic Affairs Minister. The SSP did not secure any seat in the previous election though the SSP competed in the election under the name of the SNSP.