More Than 100 NLD Youth Members Resign

By SAW YAN NAING

More than 100 youth members of Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), resigned on Thursday, complaining that they weren’t allowed to participate in decision-making.

The mass resignations followed a statement on Wednesday by NLD Chairman Aung Shwe announcing the appointment of six new youth advisors and assigning ten others to lead youth activities.

Nay Chi Win, one of those who resigned, complained that the appointments had been made by Aung Shwe without consulting other members of the NLD central executive committee or youth members.

“We became members of the NLD because we believed that the party can solve the conflict in Burma and the plight of the Burmese people,” Nay Chi Win said. “But we later realized that the party could not guarantee that.”

Nay Chi Win said: “The chairman doesn’t care about our viewpoints.” He and others who had resigned remained willing to cooperate in the future if the leadership decided to listen to their views, he said.

Nay Chi Win said those who resigned included newly-appointed youth advisors and leaders, naming Htun Zaw Zaw, Saw Maung Thein and Khin Htun. They had recognized that the actions of their leaders were against the basic principles of democracy, he said.

Khin Htun accused the NLD leadership of ignoring the will of the party’s youth members despite assurances that they wanted to encourage the work of youth members.

“Our organization is a democratic one,” he said. ”So, we must respect the basis of democracy. If we don’t respect the rules of democracy, it will be very difficult to work out the process of democratic reform in Burma.”

He said NLD leaders should allow youth members to take part in decision-making as their role was significant for the democracy movement in Burma.

“Youth is our future,” Khin Htun said. “So, I want to urge our leaders to include the viewpoint of the youth members.”

NLD Spokesman Nyan Win said he had no comment to make on the resignations.