Hinthar Media has found out that the New Mon State Party (NMSP) has been reported five times for interfering in regional administrative affairs ever since it signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) on February 13.
“The government hasn’t informed us. If this incidents have taken place, the authorities would have told us,” said Nai Lawi Mon from the NMSP’s central executive committee.
According to an investigation conducted by Hinthar Media, four members of the township committee including Nai Kun from the NMSP office based in Than Ka Laung Village, Kyaikmaraw Township have reportedly collected Ks 3,000 each as an annual fund from 120 households in Ka Ton Si Village and from 70 households in Shwe War Chaung Village. The four men came with two motorcycles and collected Ks 570,000 altogether from the two villages.
The NMSP allegedly detained U Ko Ko Gyi from Han Gan Village in Ye Township on May 19. A group led by Nai Mon Chan from northern Ye township committee from the NMSP Dawei liaison office have collected Ks 50,000 from rubber plantations from Paw Htaw Chan Su in Tuu Myaung Village, Ye Township on May 18 by collecting Ks 100 per rubber tree.
Four NMSP members including Nai Kun from the township committee based in Than Ka Laung Village have also been accused of collecting money in Kawt Pa Nar and Kawt Don villages under Mei Ka Yo Village Group in Kyaikmaraw Township and five NMSP members including Nai Aye Myint Tun from the township committee based in Ka Nar Lo Village have been accused of collecting money in Ka Dar Village Group and Kyan Taw Village.
A reliable source from the Mon State government told Hinthar Media that the Mon State government sent letters of objection to the NMSP on April 4, May 22, May 23, and May 24 over the NMSP’s interference in the government’s regional administrative affairs and violating the law/ceasefire agreement.
According to the letter of objection, these incidents indicate that the NMSP has failed to abide the agreement on civilian protection as stated in paragraph 9 in chapter 3 of the nationwide ceasefire agreement.
In the letters, the Mon State government told the NMSP that it has been assisting the NMSP in the tasks and administrative affairs proposed by them and it objected to the NMSP’s extortion and detainment of civilians and urged them to supervise its members in order to prevent similar incidents from taking place again.
“No report has been sent to the military headquarters about this issue,” Maj-Gen Nai Layi Gakao, military chief of the NMSP, told Hinthar Media when he was asked about this issue.
