NMSP member killed near SPDC’s Southeast Command Headquarters

Kaowao, Taingtaw
April 21, 2009

For the first time since reaching the ceasefire agreement in 1995, a young and educated New Mon State Party member who was in charge of the Mon Relief and Development Committee, was shot and killed near the SPDC Southeast Command, says a party source quoting the SPDC police officer in charge of investigating the murder.

Nai Minn Naung, 40-years-old, known as a committed Mon soldier was killed with gunshot wound to his back by 9 mm pistol while driving on the high way in Mon State, near to the SPDC‘s Southeast Command and the Government Technical College (GTC) on April 18th, said the party senior leader, Nai Shwe Thein.

Dr. Nai Minn Naung (BVS) had withdrawn funds from a bank in the capital of Mon State, Moulmein to buy rations for the New Mon State Party business affairs when he was shot by an unidentified gunmen, he was found with a roll of 8 million Kyat notes, the Burmese currency, Thein said quoting the police, “They are now investigating the case and cannot determine the motive.”

The carrying of firearms is reserved for the top leaders of NMSP, but are prohibited for the regular members due to security reasons in the urban area. However, other ethnic ceasefire groups’ members such as Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) allied with the SPDC are given the right to hold guns in Mon and Karen States, say the local people from Mon State.

Some senior leaders of the party such as the present Secretary General Nai Hongsar have never visited the area under the control of SPDC for fear of being assassinated even though the two parties reached a ceasefire. Tension between the NMSP and SPDC has reached the boiling point after the party refused to be involved in the upcoming election sponsored by SPDC who continue to show signs of holding onto power at all costs.

Nai Minn Naung (Nai Ai Rot) was elected as a District Committee member at the Party Congress in January 2009. He is survived by his spouse Mi Soe Mon, son Mehm Ong Pon and daughter Mi Mrok Pon.