Central Executive Committee member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party Win Htein said that they would not respond to the announcement made by the Ma Ba Tha calling for a response to criticism of their group made by Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein.
The Yangon Chief Minister claimed at a press conference that the Ma Ba Tha or Patriotic Association of Myanmar was not needed in the country.
Issuing a letter, the Ma Ba Tha gave a deadline of July 14 for the government to respond.
As Win Htein said on the afternoon of July 8: “I told (Yangon Chief Minister) Phyo Min Thein not to be serious about this letter as a principle of letting a big issue become small and letting a small issue vanish. We had been persecuted, criticized and oppressed by previous military regimes for 27 years. In comparison with these persecutions, I see this letter as if we were thrown like petals. We will neither respond to anything in this letter nor say anything.”
Ma Ba Tha made the announcement after they held an emergency meeting on July 7. The announcement says the government must settle this issue not later than July 14 concerning the statements made by Yangon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein.
One of the leading figures in the Ma Ba Tha, Ashin Wirathu, said that the Ma Ba Tha would stage protest demonstrations unless their announcement received a response.
During his recent Singapore tour, Phyo Min Thein said that Ma Ba Tha was not needed in Myanmar and he reiterated these words again upon the arrival at Yangon International Airport in response to reporters’ questions.
Ma Ba Tha leading abbots held their emergency meeting on July 7 in the afternoon at Insein Ywama Priyatti monastery to discuss what Phyo Min Thein said in Singapore. Then they made an announcement demanding government settle this issue not later than July 14. The announcement further says Ma Ba Tha, as an organization, was formed in accordance with the fundamental rules and regulations of the State Sangha Orders of all Sects.