Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – There was renewed parleys between Burmese military junta representatives and Mon leaders relating to the pressure being mounted on the ceasefire 'New Mon State Party' (NMSP) troops to transform to the Border Guard Force.

The junta's Southeast Command Commander Maj. Gen. Thet Naing Win met NMSP Vice-Chairman Nai Rao Sa, Joint Secretary Nai Chan Twe and Central Executive Committee member Nai Dala Ny at Command headquarters on August 28.

"During the last meeting we told them that it was difficult for us to accept their proposal of transforming our troops into the BGF," an official from the NMSP headquarters said on condition of anonymity.

He added that they are not aware of the junta's response since their leaders are yet come back to the headquarters.

The NMSP sent the resolution of its six-day central committee meeting held between July 27 and August 1 at the party headquarters in Ye Chaung Phya in Ye Township to Maj. Gen. Thet Naing Win on August 5. Now they are meeting again and holding discussions on the contentious issue.  

The NMSP has informed the military regime that they cannot accept separation of their party and the army or disbanding their army and transforming it into the BGF without guarantee of the right to self-determination for Mon people.  

It further said it would maintain the current ceasefire with the junta and would demand of the next government to resolve the political issue through dialogue.  

Despite the constant pressure exerted on ceasefire groups by the junta, the powerful ceasefire groups, including the NMSP, are still rejecting the junta’s proposal.  

This meeting between NMSP leaders and the regional command commander is the third since March this year.  

The NMSP reached a ceasefire agreement with the junta in 1995 and attended the National Convention in 2004. But it scaled down its representation at the National Convention to observer status next year protesting against the meeting procedures of the NC.