Retired Mon National Liberation Army soldiers return to the fold

Loa Htaw, IMNA
21 May 2010

Over 30 retired Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) soldiers have arrived at New Mon State Party (NMSP) headquarter since April 22nd, a NMSP official informed IMNA today.

The NMSP formally refused to convert its armed wing , the MNLA, into a Burmese government-run militia group on April 22nd, the deadline the government had set for the party to make its final decision regarding the issue. Sources informed IMNA that the party's decision has earned it widespread support from the Mon State community, including prominent senior monks and retired party members.

“Many retirement soldiers have arrived both at party headquarters [in southern Ye Township] and in [NMSP-controlled] districts [Thaton, Moulmein and Tavoy] but I cannot estimate the number,” IMNA's source from the NMSP stated.

“At least 30 retired soldiers and some new soldiers arrived at NMSP headquarters from April 28th to the first week of May,” reported a senior NMSP soldier who had recently journeyed from NMSP headquarters to the Thailand-Burma border.

Other retired MNLA soldiers and commanders have delayed their return to the party, but will leave retirement if the Burmese government officially breaks its ceasefire with the NMSP, he explained.

Currently, the MNLA is dealing with providing its returning members and currently-enlisted soldiers with sufficient weaponry, he added.

The MNLA, the armed wing of the NMSP, was formed in 1971. IMNA's coverage of the force in September 2009 cited the party's website as claiming that at the time of the 1995 ceasefire agreement, the MNLA was comprised of 7860 soldiers. Many of its soldiers retired from the army after the party made its 1995 ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military, and in fall 2009 the party's website claimed that troop numbers had fallen to 350 soldiers; this statistic has evidently changed.