By Hseng Leng/SHAN

SHAN spoke with Sai Kyaw Nyunt, a young and new face from Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) elected to Constituency-2 in Namtu Township during the recent race. While

recognizing that he faced major obstacles in his riding, he promised to work for regional stability and equality in his township.

How do you feel after winning in your riding? 

I’m very happy when I consider how much effort and hard work I put into the election.

As a young MP, what will you do for the youth of Burma? 

We have to meet them know exactly what they want. It depends on their choices. If I say I will do something for the youth but they don’t follow it, then, it will be a waste of their time. We need to meet first to listen to what they really want before making  decisions. After that, we can advocate on their behalf. 

What are your first priorities when you take office?  

In Shan State, there’s a lot of regional instability. And we don’t have rights for our ethnic nationalities. I am prioritizing regional stability and equality for the different ethnicities.

In your riding, what challenges do you face? 

As a young parliamentarian, I have many challenges to overcome. I think some might feel frustrated with me because they are used to older MPs in their area. They may not recognize my effort and hard work, and doubt whether I can fulfill their needs. 

What obstacles did you encounter during the election campaign period? 

Many of my supporters couldn’t join my campaign because of restrictions in place due to COVID-19. During campaigning, we were not allowed to hold gatherings over 50 people so it was quite challenging. Because very few people could actually come and listen to my speech, I had to campaign in every village. The election campaign period was too short; I didn’t have enough time to spend time talking with voters to say everything I wanted. 

How do you feel winning during the pandemic? 

I want to thank everyone who voted. Everybody is afraid of this pandemic yet they still came out to cast their ballot for me. 

What human rights violations are happening in Namtu Township? What do you plan to do about it? 

In our area, there isn’t equality among the nationalities. It is quite unstable yet we can’t work openly to do what should happen.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I will try my very best for those who voted for me to reach all of my goals.