Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD) announced it would not broadcast their party’s policy speech on Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) after it was censored.
Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, CNLD’s general secretary, said key points were eliminated from multiple paragraphs.
The party boycotted the 2017 by-election after facing the same conflict with MRTV, he said.
“It’s happened again! We won’t broadcast our party’s policy speech on MRTV during NLD’s time in office. They undermine freedom of speech for political parties and politicians. They ignore the democratic values and political opinions of the ethnic people!”
The party issued a statement condemning it on October 3.
“Ethnic-based states are important elements of a federal union. Therefore, a Bamar ethnic state must be formed. But they removed that point from our speech,” Salai Ceu Bik Thawng told Khonumthung News.
The censured point requested for Bamar (Burmese) to form a ‘Bamar state’ and not seven regions so it wouldn’t be represented in Parliament’s House of Nationalities more than the other ethnic groups. Another point said the civil wars in Burma are being waged by Bamar to dominate the other ethnic groups.
The People’s Party, led by Ko Ko Gyi, a ’88 Generation students’ leader, also said it wouldn’t broadcast its policy speech on MRTV after being censured late last month.
The CNLD, which merged from three Chin parties, is contesting 57 constituencies in Chin and Rakhine states, and Magwe and Sagaing regions during the 2020 race.