The New Mon State Party (NMSP) will not meet with Burmese Minister of Railways Aung Min this month to discuss a ceasefire between the armed group and the central government, as the Tatmadaw continues with its military offensive in Kachin State, according to Mon sources.

The 8th Congress of NMSP (Photo: Taing Pakao Mon)

“We have no plans to meet Aung Min because they [the Burmese government] have ignored our demand to stop fighting in Kachin State,” said Nai Hong Sar, the secretary of NMSP.

Aung Min requested a meeting with leaders of NMSP during the peace talks in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand, on December 23.

“Our policy is based on the decision of the UNFC [United Nationalities Federal Council]. We will not enter into a ceasefire alone. Instead of having an advantage, we are worried that we will have a disadvantage if we take the ceasefire individually,” said Nai Hong Sar.

NMSP and Mon community leaders have doubts about the Burmese government’s intentions to have peace talks individually with various ethnic armed groups while continuing to fight against the Kachin Independence Army.

The NMSP has asked the Burmese government to declare a nationwide ceasefire in order to bring peace to the entire country.

“They [the current government] are still acting the same as the previous military regime, as they came from the military,” said Nai Hong Sar.

In 1995, the NMSP agreed to a ceasefire with the Burmese military regime that lasted 15 years, but no political talks ever took place during the ceasefire period, even though the military regime had agreed to hold such talks with the NMSP.

The NMSP proposed to have a federal system in Burma at the national convention for political reforms in the country, but members of the military regime turned down the proposal at that time.

The current Burmese government told NMSP leaders to sign a ceasefire agreement, and has encouraged them to participate in the country’s political processes in order to propose rights for the Mon people at parliaments. However, the NMSP leaders view that no genuine political change in Burma is possible while the government’s forces continue to detain political prisoners and continue to fight against the Kachin.

The NMSP concluded their 8th Congress on January 3, which was held for three weeks at the party’s headquarters. During the congress, one executive committee member of NMSP, Nai Shwe Thein, retired.

Members of the party elected three new central executive committee members. The party also elected eight new central committee members during the congress. 

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