Recently, the Editor for the Mon News Agency interviewed Nai Win Hla, the Joint-Secretary of the New Mon State Party, to discuss the NMSP’s views of the current political situation.
(The interview was conducted in the Mon language and this is the translated version of the interview.)
Question: What is the NMSP’s point of view on the current protests?
Answer: Some people say the military staged the coup on February 1, but the military say they kept the power. But whatever the position, it impacts the entire country [people]. So, there are protests and opposition following the military coup. What we see is that it all starts from the NLD and the Union Election Commission are on one side and the Tatmadaw is on the other side. Neither could find a solution. Then, the Tatmadaw staged the coup. Now, the protests are ongoing.
Politics is the original cause of the current situation [protest]. Since this is politics, it should be solved in a peaceful political manner.
The protest is what the public has the right to do and it should be done accordingly. Likewise, the security force should also monitor and handle it accordingly. From the point of view of the NMSP, we want this to be solved by having a discussion.
I have analyzed the current situation and our country’s problems can be solved through discussions.
Question: What are the protestors mainly demanding for?
Answer: When we look at the current protest, it is not just one form [approach]. We cannot clearly see whether the NLD is leading the current protest.
Another thing is the demonstration which is being led by generation Z (Gen Z) wants to get rid of the military dictatorship. But there is no clear message regarding what kind of political systems will be applied after the military dictatorship has fallen.
That is one point.
It is not clear how the NLD will continue with its path. What is clear is their 3 objectives: Suu Kyi – Election – Hluttaw.
First they want to see the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint.
Second, they want recognition of the November 2020 election results and third, they want the Hluttaw session to be recalled where they then form the government.
That is how they see things. But if that is the objective, it will be hard to have full support from the ethnic peoples and the public. This is because it rests on an acceptance of the 2008 Constitution. No one likes the 2008 Constitution. No one accepts it. If possible, a new constitution should be written. What is obvious is that the NLD will return to the 2008 Constitution.
Question: How should the current problem be solved?
Answer: So, this is what we have been talking about. The current problem should be for the NLD and the Tatmadaw to sit down and find the solution.
Let’s say, after that step is taken, the dictatorship system will be abolished. And when we create a new system, whatever it is but there will be participation of the ethnic groups. But to date, the protestors do not show interest in such things.
In our country, the largest force is the NLD party. But what we and the public are demanding is …democracy, ..the federal system, [which] the NLD does not have a clear plan for. They do not have a format that they will use [for the federal system]. But we ethnic groups have it. Ethnic groups have drafted it. It is how it will be run in respective states and how to lead with the federal union. Ethnic groups have drafted/designed it for a long time already. Although we ethnic armed groups are in the jungle, we have designed what system should be applied for our ethnic peoples.
Again, the NLD does not have the details of it yet. So, we ethnic groups do not understand which ways they [NLD] are heading. So, since the ethnic groups do not understand it or do not know, it’d be difficult to have complete support from the ethnic forces [groups].
Question: What do you think of the Generation Z?
Answer: This Gen Z is working to uproot the dictatorship. But we are not sure if they will continue. I do not see their goals yet. If we compare with the Arab Spring Revolution, they also did not succeed completely. Their protest was done, and the dictatorship was fallen but they could not show what they would do next and what kind of system they would want for the country. So, just like that the new dictatorship can step in, and like in Egypt, the military again seized the power.
Question: What do you think of the NLD?
Answer: We do see from those organizing the current protests what direction they are heading towards. Nor do we see the same for the NLD. But what is clear is that the NLD will return to work under the 2008 Constitution. The Tatmadaw and NLD, which are having this dispute with each other, should find their solution to the original election problem. They should work towards national reconciliation that they have often spoken about.
When they use security forces to respond to protests, we want to see this done in a peaceful way. There should be no force and violence. What I want to say regarding the protests is that it should not be for the purpose of having the NLD regain power and return to the 2008 Constitution. We want what ethnic people and the public want, which is a true federal union, that eliminates all kinds of dictatorships. This is what the protests should strive for.
If the military dictatorship falls, and a democratic dictatorship is formed, there won’t be any difference for the ethnic people or the public. The reason why I say this is because it is our country’s experience. The civil war started not because of a dictatorship but happened while under the rule of a democratic government. It started from the U Nu government. After independence, only the Bamar ethnic majority group tasted the fruit of independence. But not the other ethnic minority groups. Ethnic groups have had to take up arms, because we did not get the taste and could not solve the issues within the 2008 constitutional framework. So, if we look at the history of the cause of the civil war it was not the dictatorship but it started during a time of a democratic government.
If the bully takes control under a democracy or a democratic dictatorship, peace will not be achieved. So, we urge the current protests not allow the NLD to regain power under the 2008 constitution.
Question: Thank you for your time and the interview.
