The remembrance ceremony of New Mon State Party’s former Chair Nai Nonlar could not be held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), based in Three Pagodas Pass, had invited Nai Nonlar to give a speech on the 1st anniversary of 8888, held in 1989. Nai Nonlar suffered a fatal heart attack while delivering the speech on the stage.
“We won’t be able to have the ceremony because of the COVID-19. This is because if we have the event, there will be people gathering and we are worried that we will face charge. If the situation is back to normal, we will have the ceremony next year.,” said Nai Naing, a relative of Nai Nonlar’s family.
But, some relatives made merit-offering for the remembrance, offering foods to monks at the monastery near Thai-Myanmar border, in Three Pagodas Pass area, according to Mi Thida, a family member.
Nai Nonlor, known as “Sait Nooh” his birth name, was born in 1917 and served as a village head at the age of 22. At 31 years old, he became a central executive committee member of the Mon People’s Front (MPF). In 1958, he was one of the Mon leaders who participated in an event titled ‘exchanging guns with peace’ alongside Nai Aung Tun, then Chairperson of MPF, and the government led by U Nu.
After peace talks failed in the country, in 1963, Ne Win’s government arrested and jailed 10 Mon leaders including Nai Nonlar. After his release, he joined the NMSP led by Nai Shwe Kyin in 1974. When the MNSP broke into two factions, Nai Nonlar served as a Chair of the TTP-based NMSP from 1980-87. When the two factions re-united, the committee elected Nai Nonlar to become vice-chairman at the first conference of the NMSP in 1989.
