CHIANG MAI-March 28. Three MPs of the Shan National Democratic Party (SNDP) known as ‘White Tiger’ haveswitched to the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) or ‘Tiger Head’ party. They held a press conference in the Shan State capital Taunggyi, on March 27.

The three MPs are Sai Than Maung, MP of Kyawkme, Sai Jarm Pey, MP of Mongyai andSai Win Myat Oo, MP of Mongton. SaiJarmPey, the MP of Mongyai said: “Whatever party we join, we are Shan, but the leader is very important. When our party leader (SaiAikPao, the chairman of SNDP) called for 14 states, this was not acceptable.”

The SNLD has made its standpoint clear that it calls for a genuine federal union based on 8 states.

Sai Than Maung, the MP of Kyawkme, said: “After leaving the SNDP party, I feel free like being released from the prison. Before I quit, it was like we were under a dictator. One man controlled everything. We couldn’t do much for our people. That’s why we quit the party.”
Sai Win Myat Oo, the MP of Mongton, said: “If we have two Shan political parties contestingin elections, the people will be confused. In the beginning, the plan was that the two parties would cooperate, but our chairman was saying that in politics we can’t give in to anybody, or our votes will be divided. For me, I will join with SNLD.”

A survey conducted in 2012 showed that 90 percent of people were calling for the two Shan political parties to merge. The two parties have set up merger committees, each comprising 5 members. The SNLD committee is headed by SNLD’s vice-chairman Sai Saw Aung, and the counterpart SNDP committee is headed by SNDP’s vice chairman Sai Hsawng Hsi.

The two committees have sent merging letters back and forth to each other and made appointments about the date and place to meet, but so far meetings have not yet taken place.

Nang Shwea Shan woman said, “The two Arakanese political parties have merged, whycan’t the Shan partiesbe merged?”

The White Tiger won 57 seats in the general election in 2010, and one more seat in bi-election in 2012. More SNDP MPs will reportedly switch to SNLD.