By Shwe Yoe / Hinthar Media / BNI Online | February 4, 2018

The New Mon State Party (NMSP) announced that it is not laying down its arms by signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and the NCA is not its goal.

In a statement released on the 71st Mon National Day, which fell on February 1, the NMSP said its goal is democracy, national equality, and the building of a federal union with full right for self-determination.

The NMSP stated that it signed the NCA to join the political dialogue and obtain the right to amend the 2008 Constitution.

“Solving the political problem is crucial to have genuine peace in the country. We can’t sit by and watch while other ethnic groups are
[trying to solve it]. We also have to join them,” Nai Htaw Mon, chairman of the NMSP, said during the Mon National Day ceremony.

He added that the NMSP will join like-minded ethnic armed organizations, democratic forces, and political parties and continue to fight in the political dialogue in line with its aim.

According to the statement, the NMSP said it aims to hold national-level political dialogues in order to submit the needs of the Mon people during the third session of the Union Peace Conference, also known as the 21st Century Panglong.

The NMSP also urged the government and the Tatmadaw not to use military method and power to solve the problems and called on them to have patience and continue the negotiation with all EAOs in order to have peace in the country.

The NMSP plans to sign the NCA in mid-February in order to join the political dialogue.

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This article originally appeared on BNI Online on February 4, 2018.

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