Monland Restoration Party plans to step up movement in 2008

Row Mon, Loa Htaw
IMNA Mon-News
January 18, 2008

The Monland Restoration Party (MRP) plans to step up its movement in 2008 and has launched its first trip to Malaysia, said chairman Nai Pan Nyut.

Nai Pan Nyut began the trip on January 11 and it will conclude this weekend.

MRP plans to step up both its armed revolution and diplomatic maneuvers this year the chairman said. Compared to the past, the Thai local authorities have now started understanding the MRP and it can work more easily in Thailand, he added.

The Malaysian trip is aimed at encouraging all Mons in Malaysia to set up a main group together and to cooperate in working for the Mon national cause, Nai Pan Nyut said.

"We wish for all Mon here (in Malaysia) to work together and help each other," he added.

The chairman and party members Major Tamoa Chan and Kong Seik held a meeting on Wednesday in a Mon Refugee Organization at Kaula Lumpur. Similarly, MRP also had a meeting with Mon migrants in Penang province earlier this week.

Many migrant workers were pleased to meet their leaders. They want to understand about the Mon national movement both the political and the armed revolution. They also want to meet Mon revolutionary leaders often, said a Mon political observer in Malaysia.

Most migrant workers who came to the meeting also wanted to know the relationship between MRP and NMSP, he said.

"We met most of the Mon local social groups based in Kaula Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia and mostly discussed the national activities for the future," said Nai Pan Nyut.

"We also discussed how we can help prevent Mon migrant workers in Malaysia from being trafficked by Thai and Malaysian local authorities" he said.

MRP is known as the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party (HRP) and it separated from the New Mon State Party in October 2001 saying it did not like the ceasefire agreement between the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Burmese military regime. HRP changed its name to MRP in 2004 after the HRP headquarters was captured in the fighting by a Karen National Liberation Army and Muslin armed group.

During the attack, all the five children of Nai Pan Nyut were killed along with his two soldiers. He and his wife were also seriously injured and they got a lot of sympathy from Mons around the world.

"I was very pleased to meet Nai Pan Nyut and got the chance to listen about party activities. I am very proud of him because he is still able to continue to work for the Mon revolution although he lost all his children" said Nai Zay Yar Mon a migrant from Penang province.

Mon migrant workers in Malaysia support both the movements by the NMSP and the MRP. While middle aged migrant workers mostly support the NMSP political movement, the youth under 25 supports the MRP movement, which envisages attacking the Burmese military government with arms, added the political observer.

Last year, NMSP secretary General Nai Hong Sa also went to Malaysia and met Mon migrant workers.

The NMSP is one of Burma's ethnic ceasefire groups which reached a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military regime in 1995. The party aims to solve Burma's political problems through a tripartite dialogue for reconciliation.