“We can’t confirm an issue that has been informed to us via the phone. We want an official letter. Now, there are two versions. Gen Khin Zaw Oo (retired) from the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and the Peace Commission (PC) said we can hold the public consultations but the South Eastern Command is still restricting us,” said Nai Aung Ma Nge, spokesperson of the NMSP.

The NMSP has submitted a letter to the NRPC and the Peace Commission to allow them to hold the public consultations in preparation for the ethnic-based national-level political dialogue. Copies of the letter have been sent to the Tatmadaw’s South Eastern Command and the Mon State Chief Minister, but the NMSP still has not received any official response up to now, according to Nai Aung Ma Nge.

“We don’t want to cause a problem with the issue of holding the public consultation. It’s important to build trust in the future. We don’t want to hold the public consultations with hitches. We don’t want to hold them like a family meeting with only 20-30 people, which has been allowed by the South Eastern Command,” Nai Aung Ma Nge continued.

The Peace Commission’s secretary U Khin Zaw Oo confirmed to MNTV via telephone on March 12 that the negotiation has gone well with the Tatmadaw on the NMSP’s public consultations issue.

The State Counsellor and the Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief told the NMSP’s chairman that they will provide their assistance to the NMSP in holding the national-level political dialogue for the Mon people after it sign the NCA, according to the NMSP.

Nai Aung Ma Nge said the national-level political dialogue for the Mon people is scheduled to be held on the first week of April in Ye town but it is unsure due to the restrictions against the public consultations.