Ethnic ceasefire group condemns junta's constitutional process

By Loa Htaw, IMNA

February 19, 2008 - Burmese ethnic ceasefire group, the New Mon State Party (NMSP) has condemned the Burmese (Myanmar) military government's constitutional process where the regime announced holding of referendum in May and elections in 2010.

The NMSP said they condemn the process after the regime announced the referendum and election timetable on February 9.

"We do not support the constitution where people's representatives have not been involved and which does not guarantee ethnic rights and a federal government," said NMSP spoke person Nai Ong Manye.

Australia based Mon National Council (MNC) also announced today that it strongly condemns the constitutional referendum.

The MNC advised Mon people as well as all nationalities of Burma to demonstrate their objection by all means against such a constitutional referendum immediately before the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) could really carry out its dirty plan which would shove the nation into a catastrophe. And at the same time to put more pressure on the SPDC to respect the will of Burmese people who demand a meaningful tripartite dialogue, the statement said.

The MNC sees the constitutional referendum as a dirty trick played by SPDC which is desperately trying to push Burmese people into a dilemma where there is no choice for them except to dance to the dirty tune played by it, the statement added.

Recently, the Mon political party in Burma, the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) which contested the Burma 1990 election also requested Mon people to ignore the Burmese junta's constitutional referendum and election.

MNDF leaders said the ensuing referendum and election is just to prolong and extend the junta's life and to keep clinging to power.

The NMSP believes Burma's political problems can only be solved through a tripartite dialogue which includes the Burmese military government, the ethnic and opposition political parties, said Nai Ong Manye.

The NMSP reached a ceasefire with the Burmese government in 1995 to solve political problems across the table.

"We do not want the ceasefire to break and keep requesting the government to hold tripartite dialogue," he said.

In 2004 the party attended the National Convention (NC) along with other ethnic ceasefire groups and requested the government to change its laws included in the draft constitution of the NC and to guarantee clauses based on a federal system.

However the government rejected the demands and since than the NMSP stopped sending representatives to the NC and only attended as observers. "It means we do not support the NC, constitution and referendum," said Nai Ong Manye.

The government announced holding of a referendum and elections proving that they do not care for the people, opposition leaders, ethnic leaders and the international community, he said.

Both MNDF and NMSP represent Mon people in Burma. The MNDF contest the elections in 1990 and it was banned by the SLORC in 1992 while NMSP agreed to a ceasefire in 1995.