Yee Mon
Yee Mon (Burmese: ရည်မွန်; also known as Maung Tin Thit or Tin Thit; born 9 August 1967) is a Burmese poet, former political prisoner, and politician currently serving as Minister of Defense of National Unity Government of Myanmar.[1][2]
Yee Mon | |
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ရည်မွန် | |
Minister of Defense of National Unity Government of Myanmar | |
Assumed office 16 April 2021 | |
Appointed by | Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw |
President | Win Myint Duwa Lashi La |
Preceded by | Office established |
Personal details | |
Born | Maha Aungmye Township, Mandalay Region | August 9, 1967
Political party | National League for Democracy |
Profession | Politician, poet |
Yee Mon attended the medical school (University of Medicine, Mandalay) in 1984. During the pro-democracy uprising of 1988 against the military junta that ruled Burma[1] he participated in the protests, and was imprisoned by the regime for seven years. Yee Mon / Maung Tin Thit later worked as an environmental activist.[1]
In the 2015 general election, Tin Thit successfully ran as a candidate for Parliament with the National League for Democracy in a district in the national capital of Naypyidaw.[1] Tin Thit received 27,321 votes, narrowly defeating U Wai Lwin, a powerful former military general who had been defense minister until a few months before the elections.[1] Tin Thit's victory was viewed as a surprise because the district has more than 7,000 soldiers and 2,000 police officers, who were seen as likely to favor an ex-general.[1]
His discussion in the Myanmar Parliament (2015-2020) to amend the National Constitution has been considered as a notable step to peacefully remove the Military from inappropriate involvement in Myanmar politics and re-establish as a proper professional army for national defense. [3]
Notes
- Thomas Fuller, A Poet's Election Victory Over a Former General Speaks of a New Myanmar Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, New York Times (November 14, 2015).
- Ei Ei Toe Lwin & Pyae Thet Phyom, Drama in NPT as commission rejects ex-minister's petition for vote recount Archived 2017-06-28 at the Wayback Machine, Myanmar Times (November 11, 2015).
- U Yee Mon (Archive) April 20, 2022