Politics

Sangkhlaburi -- As 2010 approaches, Mon veterans are seeing positive signs in the upcoming election, despite contrasting views from other democratic and ethnic forces.

“The opposition should find a workable solution rather than looking it only from one angle.  Inside Mon State, we have received a lot of feedback from local people. They have been waiting for an opportunity to vote for almost twenty years - since 1990.  This is a rare opportunity for the younger generation to have experience an election campaign,” said Dr. Banya Aung Moe.

Moe, a New Mon State Party veteran and community leader in the Three Pagodas Pass border area, echoed the stance of an Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) letter sent to United States Senator Jim Webb on September 28, 2009. In the letter, the ENC General Secretary, Saw David Taw, urged Senator Webb not to condemn the junta’s 2010 election but to call for more inclusiveness in the election process. Electoral assistance can be offered either directly or indirectly through neighboring countries.

The ENC’s letter said, “In principle, the ethnic nationalities cannot accept the military’s 2008 Constitution because it is not democratic… however, the citizens of Burma have no choice. They will at the very least be forced to cast their votes. If there are no opposition parties, the military’s candidates will win by default.”

When a Kaowao reporter asked Dr. Aung Moe about the restriction of their campaign by the regime, he said there was no reaction by the SPDC authorities and he had no knowledge that the retired senior civil servant, Dr. Min New Soe, was warned by the SPDC not to reach out the media.

“Normally, it is very difficult to reach out to the media from inside (Mon State) and I am the only one that talked to the media,” Dr. Aung Moe said during a telephone conversation.  London-based BBC radio service interviewed him about the Mon political and party. It was broadcast in Burmese last month.

A Mon working committee was formed to prepare for the upcoming 2010 election on June 29, 2009 in Moulmein.  The formation followed a celebration for the 14th year of the ceasefire agreement between the NMSP and the military junta.  The working committee is comprised of NMSP veterans, Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) members and retired civil servants. The NMSP veterans include former Central Executive Committee member Nai Tin Aung, Central Committee members Dr. Aung Moe, Nai Soe Myint and Nai Lawee Ong (Colonel Myint Swe). 

The new political committee planned to hold a meeting last month, but the meeting was postponed. A committee member said they changed the date because of other priorities, and not because of the restrictions from the SPDC.

In contrast, the New Mon State Party and Mon National Democratic Front strongly oppose the upcoming general election.