More than 91 % survey respondents disagree with NMSP’s decision to attend peace talks

Mawlamyine, September (15)

On September 13, the Lagon Eain News Bulletin, founded by Mon youth, released a survey suggesting that the New Mon State Party (NMSP) should not attend the second round of peace talks invited by the coup military council.

The Lagon Eain News Bulletin conducted a survey to ask the public’s opinion on whether or not the NMSP should attend the second peace talks of the Military Council.

According to the survey, 91 percent of the more than 730 respondents said that the military council should not go to the meeting, and only 9 percent said that they should.

A Mon youth said he didn’t want the MNSP to attend the peace talks if the New Mon Party attended it held by the military council and it would be like recognizing the political landscape of the military group and giving it legitimacy.

The group led by the vice-chairman of the New Mon Party, Nai Aung Min, met with the military council, including military leader General Min Aung Hlaing, for the first time in the last week of May.

Naing Augn Ma Ngae, the spokeswoman for the New Mon State Party, told the Than Lwin Times that they were able to sign a seven-point agreement that included working to create a strong multi-party democratic system, a federal union through that system, and handling Mon affairs.

A young Mon person said that peace talks with the military council are like reviving the 2008 constitution, and the New Mon State Party should not hold a meeting with the military council while the country is fighting against the military regime.

The Military Council has invited The New Mon State Party (NMSP), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), and the Karen Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) to hold a group discussion, but The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST)’s spokesperson Col. Saw Kyaw Nyunt told the Than Times that it is not yet known when the discussion will take place.

The Military Council met with the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA), Pao National Liberation League (PNLO), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), and Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) in the second round of peace talks.

News – Than Lwin Times