The Tai-Leng Nationalities Development Party is fielding the second largest number of candidates among ethnic parties in Kachin State, trailing only the Kachin State Democracy Party. Nationwide, the TNDP is the 11th largest political party in terms of candidates fielded this year, and claims a membership of some 38,000 people.

While official demographic figures on ethnicity from Burma’s 2014 census have not yet been released, party chairman Sai Htay Aung claims the ethnic group that the party seeks to represent, the Tai-Leng (also known as Shan Ni or Red Shan), numbers some 2 million people primarily residing in Kachin State and neighboring Sagaing Division.

In an interview with The Irrawaddy, Sai Htay Aung said the party platform was based on “principles of peace, ethnic equality and autonomy,” adding that it did not seek to represent only the ethnic Tai-Leng people. He said the TNDP hopes that success in November would allow the party to be a major player in the formation of the Kachin State government, and was in discussions with some of the state’s other ethnic political parties about forming a coalition to achieve that end if necessary.

* States and divisions in red indicate that the party is fielding candidates at the Union or regional level in that jurisdiction.