Participants of the Mon Democracy and Peace Forum in Australia’s capital Canberra have welcomed the New Mon State Party (NMSP) for walking on the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) path.
The forum’s master of ceremony Banyar Han Thar told the forum that this proposal will be approved on the last day of the forum.
“This forum supports the political process of taking the NCA path in order to review the frameworks for political dialogue and [serve] the Mon national interest within the framework of the law,” said Banyar Han Thar.
The NMSP’s vice-chair Nai Hong Sar told the forum that the majority of the NMSP’s central committee members especially those serving in the eastern districts and respective battalions want the NMSP to sign the NCA.
“We are consulting with the members of our alliance on the issue of the NMSP signing the NCA. I believe we shouldn’t sign it alone. We shouldn’t neglect the alliance (United Nationalities Federal Council – UNFC),” said Nai Hong Sar.
However, the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) in Naypyidaw announced on January 23 that the NMSP and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) will sign the NCA soon.
A delegation led by the NMSP chair Nai Htaw Mon met the Tatmadaw’s Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi separately in Naypyidaw and announced the plan to sign the NCA while the Mon forum was being held in Australia.
“The forum focused on two topics today. First is internal peace. There are people who accept the NSMP for taking the NCA path and there are also those that don’t accept it. But, when we collected the views of all the participants, they all said it depends on the decision of the concerned party, the NMSP. They also said the NMSP should follow the NCA with great consideration and caution,” said Nai Thiri Mon Chan, who organized the forum.
The Mon Democracy and Peace Forum was held at the Australian National University in Canberra from January 22 to 25.
Over 200 representatives attended the forum including Nai Hong Sar, chairman of the UNFC and vice-chair of the NMSP, Nai Maung Thaung, founder of the Australian Mon Association, Ashley South, a Mon affairs expert from Chiang Mai University in Thailand, Nai Kasauk Mon, director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland and chief editor of the Mon News Agency, Mi Kun Chan Non, a Mon women leader, and activists from various fields, the Australian Mon Association, and representatives from Canada, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, and Myanmar attended the forum, according to the forum organizing program.
