Nai Lawi Ong, Chairperson of the Mon Unity Party (MUP), said that relevant armed groups in Mon State need to take time to meet and hold talks in order to ensure peace and stability in the region.
He made the remark during a media interview at the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), emphasizing that dialogue is necessary to achieve peace.
“We must coordinate with each other; one side alone can’t make it happen. The relevant armed groups in Mon State and the responsible national leaders need to take time and show patience. We must continue meeting and maintaining regular contact. We may not get a perfect solution all at once, but if we build on what we achieve step by step, I believe we’ll eventually reach a complete solution—and Mon State will be able to live in peace,” he said.
He added that the ongoing clashes between armed groups, where each side is trying to gain the upper hand, have also caused unease among civilians. He emphasized that political issues should be resolved by local forces within the country.
Following the 2021 military coup, pro-democracy forces rejected the coup and took up arms across different regions to resist military dictatorship.
Meanwhile, the military regime continues to use the NCA as a pretext for its peace process and is preparing to hold sham elections under the 2008 Constitution—actions that, according to six NCA-signatory groups, are intended to entrench military control and justify its rule.
Alongside the nationwide conflict, the Mon region has also seen expanded military operations by allied Mon resistance forces.
Revolutionary forces continue to fight to completely overthrow the military dictatorship, leading to ongoing armed clashes across the country, including in Mon State.
