will only be accepted as an observer in further political talks, as stated by the Union Minister U Aung Min, according to Nai Aye Mon, who is in charge of the NMSP’s foreign affair department.
The Union minister U Aung Min, who is also the vice-chairman of the Union Peace-making Working Committee (UPWC), said the above, when U Aung Min, along with members of the Myanmar Peace Center, met representatives of the NMSP’s central executive committee, namely Nai Aye Mon, Nai Tala Nye and Nai Hongsar Bonkhine. The meeting took place on Friday, September 25, when U Aung Min along with MPC members visited Ko Yin Lay temple, in Ye Township, Mon State.
“We want the NMSP to participate in the NCA inking, too. If it signs the NCA, it will have opportunities. It will be allowed to participate in political talks. If it does not sign the NCA, it will be still allowed to attend the political talks but as an observer. That was explained by U Aung Min,“ said Nai Aye Mon, in an interview with IMNA.
Nai Aye Mon continued to state that U Aung Min told the NMSP’s chairman Nai Htaw Mon the information above while meeting at Myolae monastery, Thanbyuzayat Town, on September 26.
In front of a prominent Mon monk at the Ko Yin Lay Temple (commonly known as Day Thamaw Parat Temple), during a meeting with some NMSP leaders, U Aung Min said that 8 ethnic armed groups agreed to sign the NCA. These eight ethnic armed groups are Karen National Union, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), KNU/KNLA-PC, Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), All Burma’s Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), Chin National Front (CNF).
“Another thing is that if the other armed groups do not want to sign the NCA yet with these 8 groups, but want more time for discussion and will sign the NCA when they are ready, the government will allow time until October 15,” said Nai Aye Mon.
The NMSP wants an all-inclusive NCA inking. If other groups are left out, the NMSP is concerned that civil war will again start. If the government is responsible for guaranteeing political, war and social matters for certain ethnic armed groups that are left out from the NCA inking, the issues over the NCA inking will then be decided at the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs)’ current summit.
At the moment, 18 ethnic armed groups, including the NMSP, are converging to discuss the NCA inking as well as a framework for political dialogue and the ongoing role of the ethnic armed groups’ negotiating bloc known as the Senior Delegation. The summit is taking place in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, for 3 days, beginning on September 28.
