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In a bid to win the elections in Kachin State, the Burmese junta is going all out to fund its
sponsored political parties. The ethnic Kachin party UDPKS received 50 million Kyat
(US$52,814) as a start up election fund from the junta-backed Union Solidarity and
Development Party (USDP), said UDPKS sources.

This poll fund was received by Duwa Hkyet Hting Nan, leader of the Unity and Democracy Party
of Kachin State-UDPKS even before the party was approved by the Union Election Commission
on July 16, added sources.

The pro-junta UDPKS party was floated in late June by Kachin businessmen and cultural
leaders, after they resigned from the USDP following a hurried suggestion from the two USDP’s
secretaries--- Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, Minister of Post, Communication and Telegraphs and U
Aung Thaung, Minister of Industry-1.

Regarding election funds, the Election Party Law states: “Parties must not directly or indirectly
obtain and utilize state owned money, land, housing, building and vehicles”.

Using the USDP’s fund, the UDPKS leader Duwa Hkyet Hting Nan and vice-leader Hpaula Gam
Hpang launched the election campaign at a Kachin Roman Catholic Church in Myitkyina, the
capital of Kachin State on July 18.

UDPKS sources said, the party leader Hting Nan and vice-leader Gam Hpang will kick start the
election campaign in Bhamo, also called Manmaw this week.

The USDP has promised UDPKS more election funds soon.

In their speeches the two leaders, attacked the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) saying
“KSPP will not be approved by the EC, so, we formed the UDPKS party to represent the whole

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of Kachin State.”

Dr. Manam Tu Ja, leader of the KSPP recently told Kachin News Group, “Anyone can float a
new political party according to the multi-party election principle. But, it should not be formed to
demean other parties.”

The major differences between the UDPKS and KSPP are that the UDPKS was formed with the
ideology and financial backing of the junta whereas the KSPP was formed with the support of
the main Kachin organizations.

The EC has so far approved 39 parities to contest the elections later this year from a total of 44
applicants.  The five remaining parties are yet to be approved. Of these, three parties are
Kachin parties which are not linked to the junta. They are the KSPP, United Democracy Party
and Northeast Shan State Progressive Party-NSPP.  

Profile of KSUDP chairman Duwa Hkyet Hting Nan

Duwa Hkyet Hting Nan is chairman of Kachin State Unity Democracy Party (KSUDP) which was
formed in 2010 June by Kachin State based former members of junta backed Union Solidarity
and Development Party (USDP).

Businessman Hkyet Hting Nan has been spearheading the campaign for the USDP in Kachin
State Northern Burma and is chairman for the Centre of Kachin Culture Committee (KCC) since
2004-2008. Now he is a patron of the KCC.

He has been doing organizational work for USDP in the northern part of Myitkyina till UDPKS
was formed.

He owns the Myu Gindai (Aung Shwe Kaba in Burmese), furniture production firm in Myitkyina
and trades in green stone (jade) to China.

He is also shareholder of a hotel jointly owned by Kachin leaders in Yinjiang city in Mainland
China.

The UDPKS leader Hkyet Hting Nan has also been serving as chief of Man Hkring quarter in
Myitkyina for 10 years.

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