A breakaway faction from the New Mon State Party (NMSP) announced its decision to cease negotiations with Myanmar’s military government, opting instead to join forces with anti-junta groups. This splinter group, which has adopted the name “New Mon State Party (Anti-dictatorship),” has concluded that continued political dialogue with the junta does not serve the interests of the Mon people or advance their goal of forming a federal union that embodies national equality and self-determination.
The decision comes in response to the military’s escalating violence in Mon State, including arrests, killings, artillery shelling, airstrikes, and arson. The group’s statement highlighted the impossibility of further discussions with the military council amidst such aggression.
The Mon National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the NMSP, has a long history of conflict with Myanmar’s military, dating back to 1949 under various names. The NMSP’s participation in the 2018 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, aimed at ending decades-long conflicts over minority rights and self-determination, marked a period of relative neutrality, even after the military coup on February 1, 2021. Despite this, recent engagements with junta officials have yielded no substantial progress, leading to the current shift in strategy.
The splinter group is led by Nai Zeya, the former general secretary of the NMSP, indicating significant internal divisions within the organization. This move has been welcomed by the National Unity Government’s spokesperson, Nay Phone Latt, who emphasized the difficulty of achieving peace with the military council and the importance of unity among ethnic revolutionary forces.
Last week, Myanmar’s ruling military announced plans to enforce mandatory military service starting from April. According to media reports and statements from junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun, the Southeast Asian nation will require young men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve in the military for up to two years.
The junta’s decision to activate a conscription law, first introduced in 2010 but never enforced, highlights the growing challenges the military faces in suppressing opposition forces. The law stipulates severe penalties for non-compliance, including up to five years in prison for draft evasion. The planned conscription will commence after the New Year holiday in April, a period marked by Myanmar’s most important celebration, Thingyan.
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