NMSP and SEC meeting on March 16th maintains status quo, for now

Tue 23 Mar 2010, IMNA
During a meeting between the Southeast Command (SEC) and the New Mon State Party (NMSP) on March 16th of this year, the SEC reaffirmed its decision not to pressure the NMSP into accepting the Burmese military government’s Border Guard Force offer – yet.

According to a source within the NMSP, who asking that his identity be witheld, the meeting was held at the SEC headquarters in Moulmein, Mon state. The gathering was attended by SEC commander Maj. Gen. That Nai Win as well as several low ranking SEC officers; the NMSP contingent in attendance was formed of Joint Secretary Nai Chan Toi, Central Executive Committee Nai Htar Wara, Major General Jeya, and Central Executive Committee Nai Tala Nyi.

“The commander didn’t put pressure on the NMSP [to accept the BGF proposal] during its meeting with the Southeast Command. Everything is the same as when they met before”, said IMNA’s source, a high ranking officer within the NMSP.

The NMSP refused the State Peace and Development Council’s (SPDC) offer to convert the party’s armed wing into a government-overseen “Border Guard Force” in August 2009; the SPDC retaliated by depriving the NMSP of its Mon State taxation rights, and therefore the majority of its revenue, in September. The move lead to widespread speculation the 1995 ceasefire signed by the SPDC and the NMSP would be ended as a result, but the agreement has yet to be toppled.

According to IMNA’s source, despite Maj. Gen. That Naing Win’s reassurances that the Burmese government would not force the NMSP’s acceptance of the BGF proposal, the Commander did disclose that NMSP activities are currently being closely monitored by the Burmese government.

“Significantly, they [the SEC] told the NMSP party to consider and decide what the party [the NMSP] would like to do about the 2010 election laws recently released by the Burmese government, and decide whether the NMSP would like to run in the elections. The NMSP will make the best decision they can. That’s all they said,” a second source close to the NMSP reported.

This newfound ambivalence from the NMSP regarding the 2010 elections is drastically at odds with the party’s previous stance on the elections; the party issued a public statement in January 2009 declaring that unless the 2008 constitution was subjected to revision, the party would boycott the elections. However, the 2nd election law issued by the Burmese government this March mandates that all political parties interested in running in the elections must pledge to uphold the constitution.

The NMSP officer IMNA interviewed reported that the NMSP plans to uphold the ceasefire until the Burmese government pressures the party to accept the Border Guard Force plan, at which point the NMSP is prepared to revert to military means to defend itself and its political stance.

The NMSP refused the State Peace and Development Council’s (SPDC) offer to convert the party’s armed wing into a government-overseen “Border Guard Force” in August 2009; the SPDC retaliated by depriving the NMSP of its Mon State taxation rights, and therefore the majority of its revenue, in September. The move lead to widespread speculation the 1995 ceasefire signed by the SPDC and the NMSP would be ended as a result, but the agreement.