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Sandar Min (Burmese: စန္ဒာမင်း, born 5 November 1968 in Yangon, Myanmar) is a Burmese politician and former political prisoner who currently serves as a Yangon Region Hluttaw MP for Seikkyi Kanaungto Township № 1 constituency. She previously served as a House of Representatives MP for Zabuthiri Township constituency.

Early life and education

Sandar was born on 5 November 1968 in Yangon, Myanmar. She graduated with B.Sc. (Chemistry) and an MPA from Rangoon Arts and Sciences University.

Political career

Sandar Min first became involved in politics during the 1988 uprisings. At the time, she was studying chemistry and joined thousands of students who took to the streets demanding an end to military rule. She was part of the "Tri-Color" student group, which coordinated the student movement and acted as security for democracy icon and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. As a result, Sandar Min was arrested and sent to prison for the first time in 1989 for 4 years until 1992. The second time she was arrested was in 1996. She was also arrested in 2007 and released in 2012, after spending 5 years in jail for protesting fuel price hikes with the 88 Generation Students Group in 2004. Sandar Min has spent several instances in prison for her political work: 1989 to 1992, 1996, and 2007 to 2012.

Sandar became a member of the National League for Democracy. In the 2012 Burmese by-elections, she contested the Zabuthiri Township constituency for a seat in the Pyithu Hluttaw, the country's lower house, and won the seat that Thein Sein vacated in 2011 to become President of Burma.

In the 2015 Myanmar general election, she was elected as a Yangon Region Hluttaw representative from Seikkyi Kanaungto Township № 1 parliamentary constituency. She is the chairperson of the regional parliament's Finance, Planning and Economic Committee affairs. Her committee oversaw the strategic development in the Yangon region. Additionally, they audited the government's expenditures against the federal budget as to ensure transparency and accountability in financial management.

Sandar was renowned for being an especially pertubative member whilst in parliament towards the Yangon government. She accused her colleagues in the regional government of jeopardizing economic growth and putting thousands of labourers out of work, after they suspended construction at all projects with nine floors or more. During that time, most of her colleagues were accused of bidding for minister roles. In November of 2020, Sandar did not partake in the 3rd general election. Despite this, she held onto her position as a central and prominent committee member of the NLD party and remained politically active nonetheless. Despite the tumultuous circumstances following the military coup in 2021, she remained anchored in the country, maintaining her role as a central committee member amidst the turmoil. She was also the first person to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi during her detainment under the military.

References

1. ^ "About Sandar". Sandar Min. National League for Democracy. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
2. "NLD Expels Four Members for refusing to be radicalized". The Irrawaddy. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
3. "Sandar Min" (PDF). Political Prisoner Profile. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma). 2 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
4. Kyaw Myo Win (2 April 2012). "Winning NLD candidate list announced in state tv". MRTV. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
5. Myo Thant (18 January 2012). "88-student, hip-hop singer file to run". Mizzima. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
6. George, William Llyod (22 March 2012). "Sandar Min, former political prisoner, runs in Burma election". Global Post. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
7. Jeroen de Bakker (23 July 2015). "NLD MP Daw Sandar Min: 'We do not want to see marriage between Bengali people and Myanmar people'". Frontier Myanmar.
8. Tin Yadanar Htun and Zayar Linn (29 July 2016). "Yangon high-rise review divides officials". The Myanmar Times.

• Members of Pyithu Hluttaw
• National League for Democracy politicians
• Politicians from Yangon
• Prisoners and detainees of Myanmar
• 1957 births
• Living people
• University of Yangon alumni
• 21st-century Burmese women politicians
• 21st-century Burmese politicians