Aug 08, 2003

Cease-fire group under a close eye


The New Mon State Party is under close scrutiny of the Burmese Intelligence after an officer was arrested and accused of being involved in a State assassination plot
The New Mon State Party is under close scrutiny of the Burmese Intelligence after an officer was arrested and accused of being involved in a State assassination plot.

According to the state run media, authorities of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) arrested 12 suspects including two members from the cease-fire NMSP on July 17 and were charged of being involved in an explosion that occurred in Moulmein and other cities.

The Military Intelligence (MI 5) raided the house of Nai Yekkha (Mehm Ne Win) in Moulmein and seized some document papers and a cell phone linking him to the explosion.

The NMSP officer Nai Yekkha was later tracked down and captured by the intelligence and tortured. Following the brutal investigation, on August 2, the MI raided the Mon Dhammar Sarlar (community center) looking for other NMSP members who work with Nai Yekkha.

The Mon community centers in Rangoon and Moulmein host pilgrimages for villagers from the rural areas and facilitate meetings for literacy and religious gatherings.

The NMSP liaison office on the Thai/Burma border says the MI has tracked some members supporting Nai Yekkha. The NMSP activities in Moulmein have slowed down because of the junta’s search and destroy tactics for insurgents. While the Public Relation Department is being closely watched over by the MI, NMSP members have been instructed to not hold any arms in their travels to urban areas.

Many Mon activists fled from their homes because of the MI raids. In Pegu, a respected community leader Nai Min Kyi and two youths were arrested and sent to Rangoon for interrogation. A source from Pegu said Nai Min Kyi’s wife is alone faced with the difficulty of feeding their big family, while her husband is in prison.

Nai Min Kyi was a member of the Township Judicial Board during the BSPP government and the MNDF candidate for the Pegu Constituency during the 1990 general election.