Many personnel, notably senior members, have left the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and branched off to create the New Mon State Party (Anti-Dictatorship) on February 15th.
The new party is led by former NMSP Secretary-General Nai Zeya, deputy commander-in-chief Brigadier-General Salun Htaw, and executive committee member and internal affairs department head Nai Banyar Lei. They are going to join the National Unity Government and other anti-Junta forces.
The split occurred at the party’s 11th general meeting, where the NMSP agreed to abide by an agreement of ceasefire in 2012 and the 2018 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. The NMSP has maintained a relationship with the Junta since the coup started in 2021 to avoid conflict.
Nai Banyar Lei, the current head of the new party, said that talks with the Junta would not resolve social and political issues. The NMSP has held three rounds of discussion with the Junta due to disagreements over troop deployments.
Lei said the NMSP (Anti-Dictatorship) would conduct military operations in areas where the NMSP is not currently active to avoid fighting between the two groups.
