Min Thuta – Vice – President of the 1990 elections wining Mon party, Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), told to IMNA that the Union President, U Thein Sein, has main responsibility or duty to arrange for countrywide ceasefire and initiate ‘peace talk’.
He said, “U Thein Sein is the head of current government. He needs to implement these responsibility (ceasefire and peace talk), if not, noting will happen”.
He also added that he and his party did not know what are the discussions and outcomes in the meeting between Daw Aung San Suu and Labour Mininster, U Aung Kyi. But he thinks the Burma’s capital Naypyidaw parliament’s session on July 22, includes about peace agenda.
A former Mon politician, Nai Tin Aung (currently as patron for Mon National Day cerebrating committee), said, “if the peace settlement is late for one day, it will cost the progress of Burma for one day and it will delay democratization for one day. The current government must lead for peace talk and all settlement. If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi can involve and mediate, it is quite better”. Nai Tin Aung is a former New Mon State Party’s central executive committee and already retired form the party over 10 years ago.
During the ceasefire talks between the military government and ethnic armed groups, the ethnic groups always demanded the military to initiate ‘peace dialogue’ and settle the political problems by negotiation. But the former military leaders refused and referred to talk to the next government.
Although the new Union government, led by U Thein Sein was formed in late March 2011, based on 2010 November elections’ result, the government never announce for a peace agenda. Nai Tin Aung believes that since there is no concrete peace agenda transferred from the previous regime (which is also led by Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, now is civilian U Thein Sein), the fighting have been on-going in many ethnic regions.
President of NMSP recently told to IMNA, “If the (new) government has no intention to solve the political problems, and pressures our UNFC groups militarily, all our members will get involved in war to help each other. If so, the civil war separate out (entire country) again”.
Burma pro-democracy icon, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent an open letter to President U Thein Sein, and other ethnic armed oppositions, Kachin Independent Organization (KIO), Karen National Union (KNU), NMSP and Shan State Army (SSA), on July 18, and ask them to initiate for peace talks. She also appeals that if they need her help, she is ready to help.
