Monk-led demonstration welcomed by New Mon State Party

Kaowao: September 26, 2007

The cease-fire New Mon State Party (NMSP) welcomed Buddhist monk-led demonstration because people have made a right decision according to leaders of the party.

"Protests occurring at the moment with both ordinary citizens and monks are seeking to solve the problem of all people; this protesting is completely in line with people's desires," said Nai Hongsar, Secretary General of the NMSP.

"They are seeking help for these protests wherever they can. We really appreciate that the monks are taking action on behalf of the people, and that they are doing so peacefully and with dignity. If the government doesn't respond what they are doing in the right way, more trouble will inevitably spread throughout the country. The demonstrations are growing bigger and bigger everyday," he reminded government authorities.

"Protestors today requested facts from the government in an effort to solve the conflict among political groups, begin national reconciliation and also to seek out the best solution," said another NMSP leader.

"The NMSP Central Committee is now holding a meeting where we will discuss this current wave of demonstrations," one Central Committee member told to Kaowao.

Nai Ong Mangae, the spokesman of NMSP said, “the NMSP welcomed the protests led by the monk because the monks demand to start a tripartite dialogue and to release all political prisoners in Burma that are totally the same of our demands that we have asked the government since we signed the ceasefire agreement.

Nai Hongsar, in his most recent statement to Kaowao, said that whatever the NMSP spokesperson announces in regards to the demonstrations has the full support of the NMSP.

The NMSP is one of the strongest ethnic ceasefire groups and occasionally speaks out in support of an open dialogue with the military regime. The NMSP is headed by nine CEC (Central Executive Committee) comprised of Nai Htaw Mon, Nai Rotsa, Nai Hongsar and Nai Chan Toi. It reached a cease-fire agreement on the 29th June, 1995 after more than four decades of fighting against the successive military governments.