Mon delegates from inside Burma met with the Mon from the border and overseas in a three day meeting inside Burma aiming to build solidarity among the Mon communities.

The 5th Conference on Mon National Affairs was held from 27-29 December 2009 in a liberated area.  Kaowao reporters were in attendance with 89 delegates including senior NMSP leaders and the Mon grass root organizations from inside Burma, Thailand and overseas.

The conference issued a unified statement rejecting the SPDC’s upcoming 2010 election arguing that the Burmese regime’s initiative was only to ensure military control over the people and Burma’s resources without guaranteeing the democratic and fundamental human rights within a federal union.

The delegates selected 33 Central Committee of Mon Affairs Union (MAU) members to work over two year term with the goal of building trust, strengthening communication, and uniting the Mon people to move forward.

According to Nai Baeng (Gang Yaeng), the main organizer of the Mon Affairs Union (MAU), who said that this meeting is one of the biggest gatherings he has been to which had delegates from throughout Mon State and overseas. Realizing there are obstacles to peace ahead Bang said, “Our self-determination must not be obstructed by infighting, how they (MAU) are going to move forward remains to be seen, but it is necessary to call a National Congress which includes representatives from the different political, social and grassroots organizations that can all agree on what strategy to take while ensuring agreement and unity."