Without the government’s willingness to engage in genuine political talks with ethnic groups, ceasefires will be unable to solve Burma’s political problems, according to Nai Htaw Mon, Chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP).

Speaking at the 6th Mon National Conference, Nai Htaw Mon said, “It is easy to make a ceasefire, but it is difficult to have political talks. We [NMSP] took the ceasefire for 15 years, but there were no political talks [with the Burmese government] during that time.

The 6th Mon National Conference held in Thai-Burmese border from Jan 18 to 20. (Photo: Azan)

“The ceasefire only resulted in a lot of our members resigning from our party. Our people blamed us after a lot of our troops resigned. Therefore, we do not want the ceasefire, actually,” said Nai Htaw Mon.

The NMSP viewed that there is no political advantage with a ceasefire, even though several other major ethnic armed groups have already agreed to ceasefires with the Burmese government, such as the Karen National Union, Shan State Army-South, and United Wa State Army.

From the political viewpoint of the NMSP leaders, the government wants to take advantage of ethnic armed groups through ceasefires, which the NMSP leaders said that the government only wants in order to get recognition from the international community by showing they are working towards peace in the country.

Some representatives at a recent conference encouraged the NMSP to hold talks with the government in order to improve the situation in Mon State, where there is currently a lot of illegal drug use among Mon youth. The representatives also believed that the NMSP should accept the ceasefire while the other ethnic armed groups hold peace talks with the government.

Nai Kasauh Mon, the Director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, based in Thailand, said, “There will be less value in peace talks if the NMSP does not take part in them while the other ethnic armed groups do.”

Nai Sunthorn, the Chairman of the Mon Unity League, based in Thailand, said that the NMSP should continue to request to have a nationwide ceasefire if there is an opportunity to have peace talks again.

Nai Htaw Mon said that he views that the main things the government needs to change is the 2008 Constitution, because the military was able to take all the main positions in the government.

The NMSP does not support the 2008 Constitution, and the leaders of the NMSP are concerned that if they accept a ceasefire with the government, the government will then force them to follow the undemocratic principles of the 2008 constitution.

“We believe that there will be inevitable confrontation with the government in the future unless the government changes the 2008 Constitution.

“They [the Burmese government] have had their political roadmap, which allowed us walk this road after we had the ceasefire. But we will not agree to walk on this road unless they change the constitution. So, this might lead to fighting again,” he said.

The NMSP leaders said that they do not want to fight with the Burmese army if it is possible, as the Mon people will suffer from the violence. Their main goal is to solve real the political conflict.

About 100 respected Mon leaders from Mon State, abroad, and the Thai-Mon border joined the three-day conference and discussed Mon affairs, including how to strengthen the military, education, and how to participate in new political opportunities in Burma.

Regarding potential peace talks, the NMSP has informed the Burmese government that they have free time to meet again after January 25. However, according to the party, the government’s representatives have not confirmed plans to meet.

Meanwhile, the Mon people have asked the NMSP to demand the Burmese government release Min Nay Win (aka Nai Yekha) and Min Myo Thwe, two remaining prominent Mon political prisoners who were sentenced to life in prison.