It has been almost one year since the New Mon State Party (NMSP) signed the Nationwide CeasefireAgreement (NCA). The NMSP signed the NCA in February 2018, and was then invited to have one representative join the Joint Monitoring Committee Union-Level (JMC-U) established to oversee the ceasefire. However, the Mon armed group has yet to be involved in the Joint Monitoring Committee at the State-Level (JMC-S).

According to the NMSP Vice Chair Nai Hongsar, there are still barriers preventing the NMSP from participating in the JMC-S. One such barrier is the Tatmadaw’s refusal to allow the NMSP to particiate in the JMC-levels of Karen State and Tarnintharyi Region, where there are large Mon populations.

The previous 1995 agreement between the NMSP and the Tatmadaw allowed the NMSP to operate two outposts in Karen State and two in Tharnintharyi Region. However, now the Tatmadaw only allows the NMSP to join the JMC-S of Mon State, even though there are still many Mon troops based in Karen State and Tarnintharyi. “It’s unfair to not allow us to join [the JMC-S] in those areas,” said Nai Hongsar, “when the conflict takes place, we must know how to keep control, how to fix [the problem], and how to monitor and solve. They are heading in a positive direction, they [Tatmadaw] should not stop [us] from participating in it. We are not happy with that. We do not accept that we can only participate in the Mon State JMC.”

The NMSP will only join Mon State’s JMC if it’s also allowed to join Karen State’s JMC and Tarnintharyi’s JMC. In addition, the Tatmadaw has not handed back NMSP’s two outposts, which were confiscated by the Tatmadaw before the NMSP inked the NCA.

The Karen National Union was allowed to participate in JMC-S of Mon State, Karen State, Bago Region, and Tarnintharyi Region after it signed the NCA.