Not Genuine National Convention, Mon Leaders Dialogue Decides

Independent Mon News Agency

May 18, 2004

Today Mon Leaders make a decision that the National Convention is not genuine one after they have theoretically analyzed on the NC, said the meeting spoke-person Nai Banya Dean.

About twenty Mon Leaders from inside Burma and foreign-based Mon organizations held a meeting named “Mon Leaders Dialogue”, especially discusses on the SPDC’s National Convention and analyses that the government is not implementing what they have promised, added by a US Mon leader Nai Banya Dean.

“There is no democratic procedures at the NC, the government has not released the political prisoners. Even the Brigadier General Than Tun told that the government would allow free discussion, communicate to other political parties of the ethnic cease-fire armed groups, which attended the NC. But from yesterday’s TV as the representatives are put in the concentration camp,” Mr. Nai Banya said.

“Even the New Mon State Party representatives attended the NC, they can not represent for all Mon people. It is only for NMSP, the ‘Mon Leaders Dialogue’ has analyzed and there is no Mon political prisoner released to join NC. That’s why this NC is not genuine NC,” Mr. Nai Dean added.

Mr. Nai Dean reminded to the NMSP that as the NC is not a genuine one, the representatives should decide to withdraw from it.

Mon Leaders Dialog meeting hold for two days on 17^th and 18^th May in an liberated area and Mon leader from Mon National Democratic Front (Liberated Area), Mon Unity League, Mon EU Organizations, Mon Restoration Council (USA), Canada Mon Culture Society and Thai-Mon in Thailand joined in the discussion. The leaders have watched Myanmar TV program and analyzed the potential restriction conducted by SPDC.

At the NC, there are five representatives from NMSP, two representatives from Mon Army Mergui District (MAMD) and other government hand-picked Mon representatives.

The ceasefire armed political party, NMSP, never joined in this NC in the past and currently it decides to attend after SPDC’s promise guaranteeing for free discussion and presentation, said a NMSP leader. NMSP believes that the political problems can only be solved by means of politics and expects the NC is a place for political settlement.

In the recent statement released by the six Mon ceasefire groups including New Mon State Party: they also asked to change six objectives and 104 principles of the NC that provides important role for Burmese Army in the drafting of future Burma’s constitution.