Leaders of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Burmese junta have stopped marking the ceasefire agreement on June 29. 

Leaders on either side did not join the ceremony on the completion of 13 years of the cease-fire agreement and just sent lower level officers to join the party.

"Our leaders and junta leaders were not interested. That's why it was a small party," Nai Ong Mange, the New Mon State Party spokesperson said.

The NMSP and the Burmese junta held a small party to mark the cease-fire agreement at Nai Shwe Kyin library in Ngan Tay quarter, Moulmein city, Mon State. From the government side only an officer of the rank of Captain joined the party. There were only about 40 people.

Earlier, both sides made it a lavish affair and there were large crowds. The NMSP chairman and Commander of Military Southeast Command used to attend.

The NMSP stopped making it a big affair over the last year because relations with the junta became strained.

"The Burmese junta does not favour us because our party leadership regularly demands that the regime usher in political change," Ong Mange said.

NMSP signed a cease-fire agreement on June 29, 1995 for a political dialogue for ushering in change. 

Although the cease-fire is 13 years old there has never been any political dialogue. The NMSP just joined the National Convention.

But NMSP stopped attending the national convention later and just sent an observer after the junta ignored its demand for making changes in the draft constitution.

Because of the NMSP's stand, the military regime stopped funding and supporting the NMSP with business opportunities crippling it financially.