On August 8, eleven revolutionary organizations, including the Mon State Federal Council (MSFC), issued an open letter urging political parties not to participate in the upcoming election. They say the election is designed to entrench the military junta’s power, grant it legitimacy, and provide it with a political escape route.
In the statement, released on Mon Revolution Day—which fell on the full moon day of Wagaung—the groups said the day serves as a reminder that the Mon people will resist, by all possible means, any organization or system that threatens their right to self-determination.
At present, Mon political parties claim they engage with the junta for the sake of Mon people’s safety and well-being. However, the revolutionary groups accused them of failing to protect the public and instead collaborating with the military to maintain its grip on power.
The parties set to contest the election are the same ones that once vowed to fight for equality, self-determination, democracy, and human rights. By turning away from the revolution, they have become complicit in the junta’s consolidation of power, said Nai Peter, spokesperson for the Ramanya Federal Force.
“Some parties promised to fight for equality and self-determination, and others vowed to stand for democracy and human rights. But instead of siding with the revolution, they’ve turned their backs on it, collaborating with the junta and helping to strengthen its rule. We cannot accept this. Our message is for them to turn back,” he said.
The groups also warned that political parties seeking to contest the junta’s election—possibly due to the perception that Mon State faces fewer military clashes and that armed revolutionary forces in the state are relatively weak—should not expect to be welcomed by Mon people or revolutionary groups.
August 8 marks both the 78th Mon Revolution Day—honoring the Mon struggle for national equality and self-determination—and the 37th anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, when people nationwide rose up for change.
Some of the 11 signatory groups are fighting for federal democracy, while others are focused on national equality. Despite their different approaches, they share the same fundamental goal of toppling military dictatorship, which led them to jointly issue the statement.
“When we talk about the revolution, whether we call it the federal democracy revolution or the national equality struggle, there are core points we agree on. Based on that shared desire to end military dictatorship, groups from different sectors and alliances have been working together. That’s why we joined in signing the open letter,” said a representative.
The statement concluded that the junta’s election could not be considered legitimate, given its loss of vast territories to the armed resistance, repeated oppression of civilians, and lack of public support.
Over the past four years and six months since the coup, the junta has committed widespread human rights abuses and war crimes. In Mon State alone, 1,968 civilians have been arrested, 310 killed, and 533 injured.
