Nai Thet Lwin (; also Htet Lwin; 20 October 1940 – 20 September 2023) was an ethnic

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

Myanmar politician who was the Minister of Ethnic Affairs in the government of President

Htin Kyaw Htin Kyaw (, or ; born 20 July 1946) is a Burmese politician, writer and scholar who served as president of Myanmar from 30 March 2016 to 21 March 2018. He was the first elected president to hold the office with no ties to the military since ...

Background

Thet Lwin was born to Aung Nyein and Khin Thein in

Kawkareik Township Kawkareik Township (; , ; ) is the only township of Kawkareik District in the Karen State of Myanmar (Burma). The principal town is Kawkareik. Kawkareik township is the second most populated township in Karen State and there are many small village ...

Kayin State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An. The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the ...

, on 20 October 1940. He went to Moulmein College (now

Mawlamyine University Mawlamyine University (also the University of Mawlamyine; ), located in Mawlamyine, is the largest university in Mon State, Myanmar. Being established in 1953, Mawlamyine University is the third oldest Arts and Science university in the country ...

) and studied philosophy. He started in politics at the age of 18, joining the Mon Development Party. After graduating in 1970, he focused on teaching and preserving Mon literature and culture.

Political career

In 1988, he brought Mon politicians together in his house to form the

Mon National Democratic Front The Mon National Party (MNP) was a political party in Myanmar (Burma). History Established on 17 October 1988, the party was originally known as the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), and contested 19 seats in the 1990 Myanmar general elect ...

, as part of the "8888" pro-democracy movement. He became vice-chairman of the MNDF, running for a seat in the

Mon State Mon State (, ; ) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to the north and Tanintharyi Region to the south, also having a short border with Thailand's Kanchanabu ...

capital,

Mawlamyine Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing; , ; ; , ), formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), ''World Gazetteer'' southeast of Yangon and south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River. Mawlamyine was an ancient ...

, in the 1990 election. After the 1990 election, the party was banned and he went into business, including rubber, fisheries processing, food exports and hotels. In 2011 he participated in government peace talks with the Mon National Liberation Army. Thet helped reestablish the party in 2012, after political parties were allowed again. In 2015 he participated in the founding of the United Nationalities Alliance, which brought together eight ethnic minority political parties in Myanmar. He called for the implementation of a federal system in Myanmar as a top priority and said a democratic system and the rule of law were "of great importance". He was appointed the Minister of Ethnic Affairs, a newly formed ministry, in 2015. Asked what his policies were, he said, simply, "I will follow LD Chairperson Daw Aung San Suu's instructions ... the country's ethnic minorities all love and trust her." Thet took office on 30 March 2015 as part of the first government of the country formed by the opposition

National League for Democracy The National League for Democracy (, ; Abbreviation, abbr. NLD; Burmese abbr. ဒီချုပ်) is a deregistered liberal democratic political party in Myanmar (formerly Burma). It became the country's ruling party after a landslide victo ...

(NLD) following their victory in the 2015 general election. The vice-chair of the Mon National Party, he was one of only three ministers appointed to cabinet from a party other than the ruling NLD.

Personal life and death

Thet was married to Kyin Than and had four children, Mahn Banya San, Mi Kon Chan, Mahn Lagun Ein, and Man Banya Aung Htun. His daughter, Mi Kon Chan, was elected an MP for the NLD for

Paung Township Paung Township (; ) is a township of Thaton District in the Mon State of Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest S ...

in the 2015 election. Thet Lwin died from a heart attack in

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

on 20 September 2023, at the age of 83.

References

{{Reflist 1940 births 2023 deaths Burmese Mon people Government ministers of Myanmar Mon National Party politicians People from Kayin State