Chin State Chief Minister Remains on EU Travel Sanctions List
15 April 2011: Despite the recent relaxing of travel sanctions on some selected civilian members of the Burmese regime, the Chin State Chief Minister remains on the list of individuals banned from traveling to the 27 European Union (EU) member countries.
Former Chairman of the now dissolved Chin State Peace and Development Council Brig-General Hung Ngai ‘retired’ from the Burma Army in early 2010 to allow himself to compete as a ‘civilian’ candidate of pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) for the Chin State Legislature from Mindat Township.
Meeting in Luxemburg earlier this week, the Council of European Union extended for another year economic sanctions on Burma that have been in place since 1996. But the EU also lifted travel restrictions on some civilian members of the regime – including the new foreign minister and 18 deputy ministers from several ministries.
An ethnic Chin Buddhist, the 55-year-old native of Tui Pan Village of southern Chin State, got himself elected as USDP candidate for the Chin State Parliament from Mindat constituency No. 2, and was subsequently appointed Chief Minister of the impoverished State.
As Brigadier General, Hung Ngai served as Deputy Commander of the Coastal Region Command and was part of some key large-scale military offensives against ethnic Karens, and earned several combat medals.
He was appointed head of the junta administration in Chin State in mid 2000s.
