Eleven electoral candidates will contest the Minister of Chin Ethnic Affairs in Magwe Region, Chin State, during the upcoming 2020 general election.

Soe Htut Oo, secretary of the Magwe Region Election Commission (EC), told Khonumthung News that eight electoral candidates fielded by political parties and three independent candidates are vying for the position.

The candidates associated with the parties are Maung Lwin, United Democratic Party; Aye Tun Min, Chin Ethnics Party; Than Htay (aka Garbe), Union Solidarity and Development Party; Salai Aung Min Hlaing, Asho Chin National Party; Salai Nul Cung Eh (aka Wai Lian), National Unity Party; Salai Than Win Hlaing, Chin National League for Democracy; Salai Aung Tun Min, National League for Democracy and Than Tun, Union Betterment Party. The independent candidates are Terl Kam, Myint Toe and Nyi Khan.

Salai Aung Min Hlaing of Asho Chin National Party said that if he wins, he plans to advocate for the “political rights and socio-economic development of Chin people.”

“We want to work for the development of the Chin people. Another thing is that I want to attend the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong to discuss building a federal union in the future for the political rights of Chin ethnic people.”

In Sagaing Region, eleven candidates will contest Minister of Chin Ethnic Affairs and there are nine contenders for the position in Rakhine State.

According to Magwe Region EC, there are 85,500 ethnic Chin eligible to vote. During the last general election in 2015, six electoral candidates contested for Minister of Chin Ethnic Affairs, which was won by a candidate from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) government.