Shan Nationalities League for Democracy

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy was founded by Hkun Htun Oo, the nephew of Sao Kya Seng, the last Saopha of the Hsipaw State. The party was formally registered in 1988. In the 1990 general election, the party won the second highest number of seats (23 seats out of 58 constituencies{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/EthnicMinorityPolitics|title=Myanmar Backgrounder: Ethnic Minority Politics|last=ICG}}), which was unrecognized by the ruling military junta.

From 1993 and 1996, members of the party attended the National Convention (NC) and Dialogue, where several opposition groups met with the military junta to negotiate peace treaties. There, the SNLD demanded "striving for national reconciliation in order to build a genuine democratic union". However, the Working Committee of the National Convention Convening Commission ignores SNLD's demands as well as other democratic forces. When the National Convention re-convened again in 2004, SNLD denied to send representatives joining the Convention. In February 2005, the party's leaders were arrested under accused charges on forming Shan State Advisory Expert Group, and were given long prison sentences.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/UA-017-2007/?searchterm=snld%20or%20khun%20tun%20oo|title=BURMA: Appeal against unlawful conviction for treason & other offences of 8 men — Asian Human Rights Commission|website=Asian Human Rights Commission|language=en|access-date=2017-02-07}}

The party had been openly against the 2008 constitution, and it boycotted the 2010 general election, along with other opposition parties, such as the National League for Democracy and its alliance members United Nationalities Alliance (UNA).[https://archive.org/details/EthnicMinorityPolitics Myanmar Backgrounder: Ethnic Minority Politics] Following that the party was de-registered under the new Union Election Commission of Myanmar in 2010. In 2012, following constitutional and government reforms, political prisoners, including the leaders of the SNLD, were released, and the SNLD was permitted to operate legally and re-register for elections.{{cite web|title=Shan Nationalities League for Democracy|url=http://www.7daydaily.com/story/43676|website=7dailynews|access-date=10 August 2015}}

In the 012 by-election, the party did not contest. Instead, SNLD took outside parliament's path working on peace process and national reconciliation. In November 2012, SNLD cooperating with other Shan political parties, cease-fire armed groups and Shan civil society organizations, took its first initiative convening a three-day conference of "Trust Building for Peace" aiming to seeking solutions, building trust among different groups to achieve genuine peace.{{Cite news|url=http://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/federal-union-a-prerequisite-for-peace-shan-leaders.html|title=Federal Union a Prerequisite for Peace: Shan Leaders|date=2012-11-29|newspaper=The Irrawaddy|access-date=2017-02-07|language=en-US}}

In March 2013, SNLD along with other ethnic political parties, cease-fired armed groups in Shan State and Kayah State organized another three days conference of Trust Building for Peace, Shan State & Kayah State in Lashio, Shan State projecting to figure out the common grounds, understanding among others.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/constitution-03202013170635.html|title=Shan, Kayah Ethnic Groups Slam Burmese Constitution|website=Radio Free Asia|language=en|access-date=2017-02-07}} Similarly to that, in late 2013, the party collaborating other democratic forces such as ethnic political parties, cease-fired armed groups and civil society organization organize its third conference of Trusting Building for Peace, Shan, Kayah, and Mon State.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/ethnic-minorities-stress-trust-building-agree-5-point-peace-plan.html/amp|title=Ethnic Minorities Stress Trust-Building, Agree to 5-Point Peace Plan|website=www.irrawaddy.com|date=24 September 2013|language=en-US|access-date=2017-02-07}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/conference-09232013182926.html|title=Myanmar Ethnic Groups Call for Federal Union at 'Trust-Building' Conference|website=Radio Free Asia|language=en|access-date=2017-02-07}}

The SNLD went on to run successfully in the 2015 election, winning three seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw,{{cite web|title=Announcement 93/2015|url=http://www.uecmyanmar.org/index.php/2014-02-11-08-31-43/863-20-11-2015-amyothar93|website=Union Election Commission|access-date=20 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120203715/http://www.uecmyanmar.org/index.php/2014-02-11-08-31-43/863-20-11-2015-amyothar93|archive-date=20 November 2015|df=dmy-all}} 12 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw{{cite web|title=Announcement 92/2015|url=http://www.uecmyanmar.org/index.php/2014-02-11-08-31-43/862-20-11-2015-pyithu92|website=Union Election Commission|access-date=20 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120210630/http://www.uecmyanmar.org/index.php/2014-02-11-08-31-43/862-20-11-2015-pyithu92|archive-date=20 November 2015|df=dmy-all}} and 25 seats in the State and Regional Hluttaws (24) in the Shan State Hluttaw, and one in the Kachin State Hluttaw).{{cite news |title=That's a Wrap: UEC (Finally) Calls Last 11 Election Races |url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/election/news/thats-a-wrap-uec-finally-calls-last-11-election-races |access-date=20 November 2015 |work=The Irrawaddy |date=20 November 2015}} This makes the SNLD the fourth largest political party elected to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Assembly of the Union) and the fifth largest overall. Many SNLD gains in the election took place at the expense of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, which was reduced from being the second largest party in Shan State and the third largest party nationally, to holding only a single seat in the Shan State Hluttaw.

In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, the SNLD strongly condemned the military coup as a rejection of the country’s commitment to a democratic transition, and against the ongoing peace and trust building process.{{Cite web |date=2021-02-04 |title=SNLD strongly denounces military coup |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/snld-strongly-denounces-military-coup |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Burma News International |language=en}} It rejected the military junta's offer to join the State Administration Council at the state level.{{Cite web |date=2021-02-06 |title=SNLD, DPNS reject offer to participate in new government |url=https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/snld-dpns-reject-offer-to-participate-in-new-government |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Eleven Media Group Co., Ltd |language=en}} In March 2023, the SNLD announced it would not re-register to participate in the military junta's planned elections.{{Cite web |title=Shan prominent party decides not to register for junta's election |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/shan-prominent-party-decides-not-register-juntas-election |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Burma News International |language=en}} On 28 March, SNLD was officially dissolved by the junta-appointed Union Election Commission, along with 39 other parties.{{Cite web |title=UEC announces dissolution of 40 political parties including NLD and SNLD |url=https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/uec-announces-dissolution-of-40-political-parties-including-nld-and-snld |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=Eleven Media Group Co., Ltd |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.snld.info/en Shan Nationalities League for Democracy]

{{Burmese political parties}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, SNLD, Shan Party}}

Category:1988 establishments in Burma

Category:Burmese democracy movements

Category:Political parties established in 1988

Category:Political parties in Myanmar

Category:Shan State

Category:Political parties of minorities in Myanmar