ONE MAN, ONE FLAG: PRESIDENT OF THE NEW MON STATE PARTY DIES ( Kao-Wao ) March 8, 2003

Kao Wao Newsletter

ONE MAN, ONE FLAG: PRESIDENT OF THE NEW MON STATE PARTY DIES

(Kao-Wao, March 8, 2003)

The founder and long time President of the New Mon State Party and a leading figure in ethnic and democratic politics of the Mon people, Nai Shwe Kyin, passed away peacefully in Mon State, Burma.

According to the source from the New Mon State Party, the president passed away at his Myaing TharYar resident, Moulmein, capital of Mon State at 1:30>a.m. local time, March 7, 2003, he was 91.

Nai Shwe Kyin (aka) Nai Ba Lwin was born at Phae KhaTaw Kawhnat, near Moulmein on March 1, 1913. He studied at a Methodist mission school and graduated from Rangoon University before joining the British Naval Volunteer Reserve and attained the rank of instructor.

In 1947, the young patriot founded the Mon Freedom League (MFL) with other >nationalists and became the President of MPF. Like all the politically active, Nai Ba Lwin was arrested by the central government for his political activities and imprisoned at the Mandalay jail in 1948. Released in 1951, Nai Ba Lwin joined the Mon armed struggle and was appointed Central Committee member and Chief of Information and Propaganda for the Mon Peoples Front which was re-organized as an umbrella organization in 1955.

When the MPF surrendered to U Nu’s parliamentary government in 1958 as an exchange for democracy, the only senior leader, Nai Shwe Kyin, opposed the truce and remained active in the jungle. Independence and freedom for the Mon people were essential to Nai Shwe Kyin who then formed New Mon State Party on July 20, 1958, it was to become the main political party and vanguard for the Mon armed struggle for over forty years. Since its founding, Nai Shwe Kyin who lived in Moulmein after the cease-fire with the >Burmese regime, he retained the position of President.

As Nai Shwe Kyin played a major role in Burmese politics for over half a century, he earned his power and presidential position over and over again; he participated in the 1963 Peace Talks with BSPP, Communist Party of Burma (CPB) and other ethnic leaders. He formed NULF (National United Liberation Front) in Bangkok, Thailand in 1970 together with U Nu (Prime Minister of Burma) and Mahn Ba Zan (President of Karen National Union).

An inveterate leader of the ethnic and democratic forces and role model for the young, Nai Shwe Kyin was elected as the Chairman of NDF; ethnic based armed organization, Vice Chairman of NCUB (National Council of Union of Burma) and DAB (Democratic Alliance of Burma) before the NMSP reached a cease-fire agreement with the regime.

Nai Shwe Kyin was married to Daw Tint (deceased) from Waw, Pegu district and left one son behind. According to the liaison office, the NMSP is holding an emergency meeting for a funeral service of the late President but no details have been released.