The New Mon State Party (NMSP) has been unable to establish the State-level Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC-S) even though it signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) two and a half months ago, according to NMSP’s vice-chair Nai Hong Sar.
“We have requested three places - Mon and Kayin [states] and Tanintharyi [Region]. There are many Mon people in the Kayin State and Tanintharyi [Region] and many of our troops are active there. We won’t accept it if they only gave us the Mon State,” said Nai Hong Sar.
According to the ceasefire agreement signed by the former military junta and the NMSP in 1995 and the bilateral ceasefire agreement signed during former U Thein Sein administration in 2012, the NMSP’s wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), has been allowed to setup bases in Kyainseikgyi Township (Innkhwa) for Brigade 1, Kawkareik Township (near Minn Ywar Village) for Brigade 4, and near Payathonzu (Ba Lei Don Fite base) for Brigade 5 in the Kayin State, and Yepyu Township for Brigade 2 in the Tanintharyi Region. The Brigade 6’s base is located near Prachup Province at the Thai border in the east of Myeik in Tanintharyi Region.
“JMC is for ceasefire monitoring. There are many Mon people in the Tanintharyi and the Kayin State, where the NMSP is active, so the NMSP needs to be involved in the JMC-S in the Tanintharyi Region as well as the one in the Kayin State. Only then, can the NMSP assist and protect the Mon people on ceasefire issue,” the NMSP’s central executive committee member Nai San Hlaing told the Mon News Agency.
The NMSP’s vice-chair said his organization has refused to take part in the Mon State JMC-S since it has not been allowed to participate in the JMC-S in the Kayin State and the Tanintharyi Region and it has submitted its demand to the government’s Peace Commission over this issue.
U Aung Thu Nyein, director of training at the Institute of Strategy and Policy, commented that the current government and the Peace Commission have not interfered and mediated in the issues between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations that have signed the NCA.
He added that the Tatmadaw does not seem to want to give credit to the National League for Democracy (NLD) government in making the peace process successful.
The Karen National Union (KNU) has established JMC-S in Kayin and Mon states and Tanintharyi and Bago regions after signing the NCA.
