By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar

A group of Buddhist nationalists is seeking the support of a notorious group of monks responsible for laws deemed to target Myanmar’s Muslim community in its crusade to remove a Christian lawmaker newly elected as vice-president.

But the monks -- the ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha -- have so far refused to join a demonstration against the appointment of ethnic Chin Henry Van Thio, organized by the Buddha Gonyi religion protection group.

“We, Buddhist people, can live together with Christians peacefully as they are not hostile to people of other religions,” Ma Ba Tha monk Pamaukkha told Anadolu Agency on being asked Thursday if they were going to join the demo.

On Monday, parliament appointed Van Thio -- one of the election-winning National League for Democracy's (NLD's) two candidates for president -- as vice-president.

Meanwhile, the party's Htin Kyaw, a loyal and long-time aide to party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was elected president.

Van Thio’s nomination drew widespread attention, as he is the first ethnic Chin to take up such a high government position.

The lawmaker and 20-year army captain represents Chin State, an impoverished and isolated region on Myanmar’s western border with India.

But while Myanmar's many ethnic minority groups saw the move as a positive step for national reconciliation, extreme Buddhist nationalists classified the move as “unacceptable”.

“Think about a person of another faith and religion governing our Buddhist country. It is totally a boob,” demonstration organizer Agga Dhamma told Anadolu Agency by phone Thursday.

Dhamma -- also a Buddhist monk -- founded Buddha Gonyi in Yangon's Hmawbi Township in 2012.

“I don’t understand why the NLD chose him [Van Thio] as vice-president. Why not an ethnic Buddhist?” he underlined.

Ethnicity and religion have played a difficult role in NLD policy, with analysts suggesting that leader Suu Kyi was unable to choose Muslim candidates in December's election for fear of hurting her chances.

For years, nationalist Buddhist monks have targeted Myanmar Muslims -- in particular Rohingya -- as a source of the country's problems, and any direct affiliation in the predominantly Buddhist nation could have eaten into the NLD vote.

Agga Dhamma told Anadolu Agency on Thursday that he had applied for permission from the Yangon Regional Government to stage the demonstration against Van Thio before the end of March.

“We demand parliament and [the] NLD revoke their decision,” he stated.

While the Buddha Gonyi is adamant in its policy toward non-Buddhist ethnicities, Ma Ba Tha -- which pressured outgoing President Thein Sein into enacting a set of four Race and Religion Protection Laws deemed to target Muslims -- appears more conciliatory.

“We don’t hate Muslims at all, but they must be flexible to the community, Buddhists and people of other religions for peaceful co-existence,” Pamaukkha told Anadolu Agency.

Ma Ba Tha -- also known as the Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion -- rose to prominence on the back of communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya which broke out in western Rakhine state in mid-2012.

However, despite initially trying to tie Suu Kyi to the Muslim cause, in recent months, some members appear to be making inroads toward the NLD.

On Feb. 28, a group of monks from Ma Ba Tha accompanied marchers campaigning against any change to the law that could have seen Suu Kyi become president, however others said they had no problem with her leading the country.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is blocked from taking the post under article 59(f) of the military-draft constitution which many suspect is aimed solely at her and bars anyone with foreign relatives -- Suu Kyi’s two sons are British citizens -- from becoming president.

“I think postponement of 59 (f) is not a big threat to country,” Ma Ba Tha monk Pamaukkha -- who did not attend the demonstration -- told Anadolu Agency by phone.

“Suu Kyi deserves the post. I think there is a way Suu Kyi can be elected as the country’s next president,” he added.

Pamaukkha warned, however, that Ma Ba Tha would never allow Suu Kyi to change the controversial laws seen to be aimed at the country’s Muslim population.

“But I want to warn NLD not to touch the 1982 Citizenship Law and four Race and Religion Laws,” he underlined.