The Chaungzone Township office of the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP), one of two main ethnic Mon political parties, has decided it would participate in the upcoming Mon National Conference if it receives a personal invitation from the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the predominant ethnic Mon resistance group.
The decision departs from an announcement made by the AMDP’s central executive committee on August 9, stating the party would not attend the 8th Mon National Conference organized by the NMSP. The party cited political sensitivities surrounding the event’s location in territory administered by the ethnic armed organization as reason to decline the invitation.
The Chaungzone office’s pronouncement was made known after an emergency meeting on Saturday [August 13] called by their own central executive committee, when members sent a letter to the central AMDP vice-chairman to inform the party of their decision.
The letter also asserted that the NMSP conference aligns with objectives in AMDP’s political roadmap and the party should continue to represent all ethnic Mon peoples.
“The [central] party never considers the standpoints of the township executive committees, so I would like to urge the central AMDP to review their decision,” said Dr. Aung Naing Oo, secretary of the Chaungzone AMDP office.
The NMSP will kick off its 8th Mon National Conference on August 22 to discuss strategies for the unification of ethnic Mon people and to collect priorities to include in their platform for the government’s 21st Century Panglong Conference, slated for August 31.
The Mon National Conference, to be held in Taungpauk Village of Karen State’s Kyarinnseikkyi Township, will include 40 members from the NMSP, 30 from Mon political parties like the AMDP and the Mon National Party (MNP), and 40 representatives from Mon civil society organizations, according to members of the organizing committee.
