A crowd of what protest organizers claim was bigger than 1,000 people marched in Arakan State’s capital Sittwe last week to demand that a representative of the Arakan National Party (ANP) become the state's Chief Minister. “We are protesting for the ANP’s right to appoint the Chief Minister,” said Ko Kyaw Win, one of the protest leaders.
Some of the protesters, who took to the streets on March 23, were seen holding posters with the words “Arakan State Is Not a Colony” and “We Don’t Want a ‘Governor System’”. A reference to the time when Burma was ruled by unelected British colonial administration.
“We want the Arakan National Party, which won in Arakan State, to lead the formation of the state government. We want the Arakan State Chief Minister to be appointed by this party. This is the desire of the Arakan people. So, we are demanding in line with the public desire,” said ANP supporter Daw Kyawt Sein, a prominent woman's leader.
Reached for comment, U Pe Than, an ANP Central Executive Committee Member and Pyithu Hluttaw (parliament) MP from Myaebon Township, claimed that his party had no involvement with the protest and the public was only expressing their wishes on their own.
Despite the widespread calls from many Arakanese in the state that the ANP lead the state government, the NLD this week appointed one of their own MPs, Nyi Pu, to be Arakan Chief Minister. The ANP has responded by staging a walkout from the state parliament in protest against the decision.
Translated by Thida Linn
