Aye Mi Aung – The late New Mon State Party (NMSP) Vice-chairman Nai Rotsa may be gone but he hasn’t been forgotten. As funeral arrangements are being planned a flood of condolences expressing deep sorrow for his recent death have already reached the NMSP office.
Nai Rot Sa gives a speech at a celebration of Mon National Day in NMSP’s controlled area (Photo: Awe Mon)
“To hear that NMSP’s vice-chairman, peace negotiating team leader, Nai Rotsa passed away on June 15, at age of 67, it is a great sorrow to me, same as to the family,” said a June 17 letter by National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Formal letters were sent by a diverse range of political party leaders, revolutionary organizations, government staff, and Mon civil society groups.
The United Nationalities Federation Council (UNFC) wrote that “Nai Rotsa is a leader of the Mon revolution since the late Chairman Nai Shwe Kyin was alive. He has also been one of the promoters of the UNFC since it was formed.”
“Finding out that NMSP’s vice-chairman Nai Rotsa, 67, who had worked hard forming peace in Mon State, passed away on June, 15 at Sangkhlaburi Hospital, we the Mon State Ministers and Mon State Government group are sad,” The June 16 letter sent by government staff expressed sympathy to Nai Rotsa’s wife and their 5 surviving children.
Letters were sent by the Mon Democracy Party, Mon United League, and the Mon Youth Friendship Network. Many ethnic armed groups like the Karenni National Progressive Party, Pa’O National Liberation Organization, and Arakan Liberation Party also sent formal messages.
Nai Rotsa’s funeral started on Sunday after his body was brought to the NMSP’s controlled Japan Well village in Burma close to Three Pagoda Pass (TPP). It concludes with an army parade to honor his long and dedicated service as a great leader for both the NMSP and Mon people on June 21 in the afternoon.
