The MNN General Secretary is Naung Taw Lay, a 30-year old former land and youth rights activist398 who ran as an independent candidate from North Okkalapa Township for the Lower House,399 but lost in the November election.400 Lay’s candidacy received significant coverage on the Ma Ba Tha channels. He was profiled and interviewed in the Ma Ba Tha’s Myittatagun magazine in August 2015,401 and updates on the MNN’s electoral activities were regularly posted on several Ma Ba Tha monks’ Facebook pages.402 403 404 405Other senior MNN members include 33-year old Chairman and co-founder, Win Ko Ko Latt,406 407 He is a prolific social media user and is highly active at Ma Ba Tha events, including rallies. He is regularly pictured alongside senior Central Committee monks, including Wirathu, 408 Ashin Wimala, and Ashin Parmoukkha.409 The MNN’s anti-Muslim messaging is often more direct than the Ma Ba Tha’s official narrative. In Naung Taw Lay’s interview with Myittatagun, he described an aggressive legislative agenda focused on “national security” that would eliminate “terrorist training camps” and tighten Myanmar’s already draconian citizenship laws, including restricting MP candidacies to only those belonging to “national races.”410 In addition, MNN members regularly attended the Race and Religion advocacy rallies; in one instance from 2015, Latt was seen leading part of a protest against Rohingya ‘boat people.’411 412Among the images posted on Facebook were ones with signs that had crude and overt anti-Rohingya messages such as, “Go away, disgusted and wicked Bangali from our Myanmar Sea.”413 More recently, several activists were seen on social media maintaining what appeared to be a booth at the Ma Ba Tha’s grand celebration rally in Yangon in October; they were also pictured at the event with prominent monks, including Ashin Parmoukkha and Ashin Sopaka.414 The MNN regularly hosts anti-Muslim events that target young children. In these MNN-sponsored ‘classes,’ children are shown evidence of Muslim crimes (often with graphic imagery), and subsequently quizzed on their knowledge.415 416 In a recent Facebook video of such activities, MNN members are seen teaching a ‘Buddhist training course’ to young children and having them recite atrocities committed by ISIS in Syria. At one point, a teacher asked, “Who is committing these violent murders?” and the children responded, “Islam!”417 The photos below, seen on Facebook, 418 419 display what appears to be a fairly typical event. MNN propaganda on printed sheets was laid out on the ground for the entire village to pass by and view. This was accompanied by a speech; in this case, delivered by a monk named Ashin Nayaka who spoke in front of what appears to be a group of 5-10 year olds.420 Image 41: MNN event at Tat Khone Township with sheets of “informational material” on Muslims laid out for the whole village to view from September 2015, as seen on social media Image 42: Children looking at posters in Tat Khone Township in September 2015, as seen on social media 40