Mon political parties’ representatives will not participate in the 8th Mon National Conference, led by the Mon Affairs Union (MAU), in Japan Well Village, on the Thai-Burma Border.
“What we know is that the conference was already held once in 2013. At the conference, the decision was made to hold a Mon National Convention. It is meaningless to summon a conference now. Therefore, we do not plan to participate in the conference,” said Nai Layih Tamarh, General Secretary of the Mon National Party (MNP).
It was decided at the 2013 conference by representatives of political parties and civil society organization (CSO) that a Mon National Convention should take place instead of the Mon National Conference. However, because of the current political situation, the convention won’t be held and the conference will take place instead.
“We will consider the conference in Japan Well. We will not discuss anything. We will just keep an eye on it. Whether to participate or not, it hasn’t been decided. We won’t comment on anything they are doing. As a guest, we will decide whether to join. We do not know what they are doing and how they will do it. On those grounds, we will not attend,” said General Secretary Dr. Min Nwe Soe, of the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP).
Representatives from the Women’s Party (Mon) will join the conference only if other parties’ representatives were present, according to Mi Shin Thant, the chairperson of the Women’s Party (Mon), previously stated in an interview with MNA.
On April 7, representatives of the MAU and the New Mon State Party (NMSP) met at NMSP’s liaison office, in Sangkhlaburi, on Thai-Burma border, and decided at the meeting that they would work towards holding the conference.
The 8th conference will be held in Japan Well Village, in the controlled area of NMSP. About 150 representatives from the NMSP, civil society organizations and others in exile as well as within the country would be invited to the conference, according to the MAU.
At the Mon National Conference pre-meeting on March 26 and 27, members of various political parties presented their personal views.
