Southeast Command condemns NMSP as “illegal” at USDA conference

IMNA

According to sources, during a May 7th meeting between members of the Mudon and Moulmein Townships' Union Solidarity and Development Associations (USDA) and the Burmese government's Southeast Command (SEC), the latter's Maj. Gen. Thet Naing Win warned USDA members that the New Mon State Party (NMSP) should now be considered and “illegal” armed group.

The meeting was held at SEC headquarters in Moulmein city, and attended by a small group of top USDA officials from Mudon and Moulmein. The USDA is a civilian, allegedly non-political, organization controlled by the Burmese military government; the group is most frequently used by the Burmese regime to organize Burma's civil society.

“Maj. Gen. Thet Naing Win said at the meeting, we now [should] recognize the NMSP group as a not legal armed group. [Because of this, they told] the USDA members to be careful,” a USDA member, and meeting attendee, who asked that his personal details remain anonymous explained.

This USDA member also informed IMNA that Thet Naing Win informed meeting attendees that the NMSP had been unofficially considered an illegal armed group since April 28th of this year, the deadline for the party to submit the Burmese government's desire to turn the NMSP's armed wing into a state-controlled militia group. The party has also refused to participate in the upcoming 2010 Burmese elections; under the 2008 Burmese constitution, this renders the party “illegal”.

A high-ranking NMSP member, who requested that IMNA withhold his identity, confirmed his party's yet-unannounced illegal status; he added that the party is currently unsure of the Burmese government's policy regarding “illegal groups”, and that the date of the official announcement of the NMSP's status is highly uncertain.

“Maybe they will announce [our illegal status] today, maybe they will announce it next year,” he elaborated.

The NMSP's public refusal of the State Peace and Development Council's (SPDC) “militia group offer” at the end of April 2010 sparked widespread speculation and fear in communities across Mon State. Many fear that the party's decent into “illegal” status will lead to the end of the ceasefire agreement reached with the Burmese government in 1995.

“The NMSP agreed to a ceasefire with the Burmese government about 15 years ago, the people can [currently] live in their areas in peace, the people want to live with no violence into their areas,” a public service personnel from Mudon town explained to IMNA.

“If the NMSP and SPDC fight, we will have problems, and things will be not safe for us” he added.