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NMSP and Government Peace Mission Hold Ceasefire Talks

By AKAR

Monday, November 14, 2011

Chief Minister of Mon State Ohn Myint has sent a five-member peace mediation group to the New Mon State Party (NMSP) headquarters in Bee Ree River to negotiate peace talks, according to Mon sources.

The 7th Congress New Mon State Party . (Photo:Kaowao )

Nyan Tun, who is a colonel and a deputy liaison officer of NMSP, told Kaowao on Sunday that the peace group of the Mon State government carried a message from the State Prime Minister Ohn Myint, and the group is now meeting with the party.

“Our party will accept the offering if the demands are consistent with our party’s stance,” he said.

The five members of the peace group consisted of two former central committee members of NMSP, Nai Tin Aung and Nai Soe Myint. Another two are from the Mon National Democratic Front, Nai Thet Lwin and Dr. Min Kyi Winn, as well as prominent Mon Buddhist monk Nai Ketumalar of Kawkpalang Village of Kyaikmaraw Township.

In the early weeks of October Ohn Myint appointed Nai Tin Aung to act as a mediator in peace talks between the NMSP and the Mon State government.

On October 6, three leaders from NMSP met a delegation from the Mon State government in Ye Township, led by Col. Htay Myint Aung, the Mon State Minister, for talks related to security and border affairs. These were the first such talks since the new Burmese government was established.

Meanwhile, the Karen National Union (KNU) established an eight-member commission on November 10, 2011, to engage in talks with the Burmese government.

The NMSP and KNU are members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), formed by the five major ethnic armed groups in Burma. Earlier in the year, the secretary of UNFC, Nai Hong Sar, told Kaowao that if peace talks are held, the UNFC would lead them with the hope of obtaining more political strength than each individual ethnic minority group would in separate talks with the national government.

However, after the Burmese government announced in August that the government welcomed peace talks, the different ethnic groups seem to have planned their own individual peace talks apart from the UNFC.

Mon community leaders are now saying that if no one will honor the agreements laid out by the UNFC, then it is no longer a meaningful organization, and is therefore redundant.

Banya Ran, a Mon political analyst and a Kaowao contributor, previously wrote that the NMSP and other armed ethnic groups should not attend peace talks unless the Burmese government first ceases the military offensive in Kachin area.

Nai Sunthorn, the chairman of the Mon Unity League based in Thailand, said, “Our Mon talk a lot about fighting, but actually they do not fight or assist the Kachin. This is going to contribute to disunity among the ethnic groups.”

NMSP signed a ceasefire in 1995 as the last ethnic armed group to accept such an agreement with the government. The agreement ended last year after the party refused to become a Border Guard Force under the control of the Burmese government.

Mon community leaders have different points of view towards the upcoming peace talks between the NMSP and the Mon State government.

Nai Kao Rot, former Deputy Army Chief of the armed wing of the NMSP, the Mon National Liberation Army, said, “Instead of fighting, we had better take our former stronghold bases and run our businesses again.”

However, the Secretary of Mon National Democratic Front, Dr. Min Soe Lin, pointed out that ceasefires in the past decreased the number of NMSP members from 7,000 to 1,000 during the fifteen years from 1995 to 2010.

Feedback Form
Date: Tue 11/15/11 11:23 PM
Name:Nai Phong
Email: nai_phong@yahoo.com
Comments: Dear all Mons,

First of all, I would like to apologize the readers of Monet for my poor English.
I believe that I have a chance to present my point of view regarding the below subject.Everyone knows that what had happened after Nai Aung Tun and his fellows surrendered to the U Nu administration. Even a so-called Mon State was not created at that time but Nai Aung Tun was appointed as a minister. He was the only person who had the benefit of doing that but the MPF, Mon People Front, lost their arms that was collected for ages by the patriotic Mons' wealth and lives.

The Mon revolution was weakened after that but never ended. Nai Shwe Kyin formed New Mon State Party and continued to fight against the Burmese Regime for the sake of Mons. The people who live in the jungle lead a hard life with lack of food and education, insufficient health care and medication, and improper shelter. Why these people are stubborn and still wish to stay in the jungle and keep their arms? The answer is clear! They sacrifice for their people and will not surrender until they reach their goal. Do you think they are silly or stupid or foolish enough?
We should learn the history what has happened in the past and 'd better take a lesson from it. By the way, Can we consider the Burmese Military as our grandparent and Ohn Myint as our uncle?

Regards,

Nai Phong

Feedback Form
Date:Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 4:27 AM
Name: Ramamya
Email: nairamamya@gmail.com
Comments: strengthening the role of UNFC ensuring their equal rights will be to
the advantage of the Myanmar's people.To promote the full development of their human potential and to make them aware of their needs.Nevertheless UNFC is just speaking no action yet.These are challenges that the ethnic people,as political leaders.

Feedback Form
Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 8:58 PM
Name: Min Thonedhara
Email:min.thonedhara@gmail.com
Comments:

Unaccomplished Mission of Nai Tin Aung and Nai Soe Myint

Almost everyone in the Mon community, both in abroad and in Monland, know very well that Nai Tin Aung is a very patriotic person. Like Ohn Myint, the USDP's Chief Minister in Moulmein, Nai Tin Aung sympathizes with members of the New Mon State Party who seem happy living in the jungle. Similar to Ony Myint, Nai Tin Aung is still worrying that " Why on earth these boys enjoy living in the jungle !". Therefore, now like parents who worry and concern for their beloved children living in the jungle, Nai Tin Aung rushes to the jungle and persuades the NMSP members to go back to the city again.

What a great and noble job, Nai Tin Aung! Well done,"Like father, like son" as the saying goes. Nai Tin Aung's late father, Nai Aung Tun, too had a great concern for the members of Mon People's Front who had to live in the jungle at that time. So, he felt that it was his great mission to take all of the MPF members to the city. As MPF's weapons were dangerous to its members and Mon people, he handed all over to the Burmese military since he thought that the Burmese military personnel only can take a good care of weapons and assault rifles in Burma. Nai Aung Tun's mission was almost accomplished. But unfortunately, there were some disobedient sons like the late President of the NMSP, Nai Shwe Kyin, and Nai Daddhama Nay, who refused to listen to caring father's advice, and instead insisted to live in the jungle and play with their weapons.

As a result, Nai Tin Aung felt that he, as a son, has responsibility to accomplish his father's unaccomplished mission. Therefore, in 1987 Nai Tin Aung came to the deep jungle where those disobedient sons were playing with dangerous weapons. Subsequently, with the invaluable helps of Nai Soe Myint, Khun Victor (who claims to be Thai-Mon) and else, Nai Tin Aung was, to some extent, successful in persuading the disobedient sons, members of the NMSP, to go back to city in 1995. Nai Tin Aung was so delighted that his father and his mission seemed accomplished. But unlike the time of Nai Aung Tun, his father, these disobedient sons are still a bit disobedient. They agree to go back to the city, but they insist that they still want to play with their toys (weapons). Finally, Nai Tin Aung and groups (including Burmese military) have to make a compromise that " it is OK for you to keep your toys (weapons) as long as you don't shoot and make disturbances to your grandparents (military). Gradually, with a good socialization program, about 6000 out of 7000- members of disobedient sons become good boys and do not play with weapons any more in 15-years since 1995. However, about 1000 less or more disobedient sons are still playing with their weapons, even though they do not shoot in random.

Therefore, as a good father , Nai Tin Aung feel that he is still responsible to bring those disobedient sons to the city once and for all this time. And. their uncle, Ohn Mynit, also worry for his nephews who enjoy living in the jungle. Now, with the help of Nai Soe Myint who had help Nai Tin Aung's mission in 1995, again come to the jungle to persuade the remaining a thousand less or more disobedient sons to give up weapons completely and live in the city quietly without annoying to their grandparents (Burmese military).

Well- done Nai Tin Aung!

(Min Thonedhara)

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