Nay Pyi Taw, February (17)
The Military Council and the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an indigenous armed organization, signed an agreement on the teaching of Mon literature and regional development issues after peace talks, the military regime reported.
The Military Council and the New Mon Party met on February 13 and 15 to discuss general issues such as amending the 2008 Constitution, regional development, and the teaching of Mon literature.
After the three-day discussion and negotiation, the two sides signed and exchanged the final agreements, the military council said.
However, the military council did not officially announce what points were agreed upon, and Than Lwin Times tried to reach the New Mon State Party for comments at least five times, but received no response.
During the first peace talks with the Military Council, the NMSP agreed to establish a policy to teach Mon literature as a subject in the primary level of public schools in the areas where the majority of Mon people live, and to work with the Military Council and the Mon State Council for the development of the Mon State.
An ethnic affairs analyst concluded that no matter what agreement the NMSP reached with the military council, it could not do anything about the ongoing conflict in the country, and it was just attending talks invited by the military council.
He pointed out that the 2008 constitutional amendment is not something that can be amended only by the Military Council and the New Mon State Party, and that the NMSP attended the peace talks because they wanted to reduce the military and political pressure of the junta on it.
In addition, the Central Executive Committee of NMSP announced that it will stand firmly on the path of armed revolution and resolve political problems through dialogue with successive governments.
Ta La Nai, a member of the New Ramayana Federal Force (NRFF), said, “The dialogue path that the New Mon Party is taking is completely different from the freedom of self-determination that the people want. On the same day that the NMSP was holding talks with the military council, the regime troops shot dead civilians in Mawkanin”.
The residents can only move around between 6 AM and 6 PM as a result of the military council’s declaration of martial law in Mon State’s Ye Township, where the New Mon State Party is based.
Ta La Nai pointed out that there is no benefit for the New Mon State Party to discuss those issues with the Military Council on the amendment of a constitution, literature, and cultural issues without solving ongoing conflict.
There are differences of opinion among the Mon public regarding the peace talks between the New Mon State Party and the Military Council. Currently, there are 10 ethnic armed organizations that have met with the Military Council, the NMSP has met with the regime the most, up to four times, out of the ten ethnic armed organizations.
News-Than Lwin Times
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