The New Mon State Party-Anti-Military Dictatorship (NMSP-AD) and the Mon State Liberation Army (MLA) have announced their five-point statement on social media on May 24, that they have merged to form the Ramonnya Mon Army (RMA), according to the Independent Mon News Agency.

The NMSP-AD National Military Committee, which includes the NMSP-AD Political Military Leadership and the MLA Leadership, has been formed with 26 members. Under the leadership of the NMSP-AD Political Military Committee, a 7-member Military Committee has been formed, with Chairman as Naing Zeya, Vice-Chairman as Naing Layee Kaung, and General Secretary as Naing Banyar lae to implement the military operations of the RMA.

It is stated that Brigadier General Salun Htaw has been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief, Brigadier General Soe Win as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief (1) and Brigadier General Kyi San as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief (2). Furthermore, the NMSP(AD)/RMA has urged the people to join forces with the ethnic revolutionary alliances and the People’s Defense Forces for the emergence of a Mon State with full self-determination and the immediate end of the military dictatorship.

This is the initial unification of the Mon army, a NMSP(AD) official said, according to the Mizzima report of May 24.

“We can say that this is the initial unification of the four Mon armies. Some are ready for unification. The rest are not yet ready politically. But in reality, we are already fighting together,” said Nai Kaung Sagar, NMSP(AD) information officer.

On December 19, 2024, the four Mon revolutionary armies jointly issued a statement to implement the emergence of a single Mon army that includes all Mon revolutionary armies.

The Mon National Liberation Army- Anti-Military Dictatorship (MNLA-AD), the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF), the Mon State Liberation Army (MLA), and the Mon State Revolutionary Army (MSRF) jointly issued a statement of agreement.

Then, on May 24, from the four Mon armies, the MNLA-AD, armed wing of the NMSP (AD), and the MLA, merged to form the RMA. The merger is said to be aimed at fighting the military dictatorship, equality, and the emergence of a Mon State with full self-determination.

“In terms of political leadership, we will go as an expanded NMSP(AD) party. In terms of military power, we will go as the MNLA-AD and MLA, which will now merge as Ramonnya Mon Army,” said Nai Kaung Sagar.

Moreover, although the military unit does not operate under one banner or name, the four-unit joint military column formed on January 19 is operating jointly in Mon State and adjacent areas, NMSP(AD) information officer said.

Recent reports are that the Mon are making headway in reconciliation and political agenda-setting in a concerted manner and by all means seem to be on the right track.

However, parallel to this is a baby-step reconciliation approach of the two Shan armies, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), which has been reported a few days back.

The two Shan armies has been on war path with each other since 2018 and with a short truce of some months in 2023, they have been fighting each other on territorial disputes ever since. Ironically, both armies called themselves Shan State Army.

Although the two Shan armies know that they have more chance to survive if they band together, they are still bogged down by ideological differences, reliance on different outside stakeholders, and maybe also personal rivalry.

Whatever the case, chief drawback is the group survival mentality of both armies, which is placed as their top priority and not the Shan national cause as paramount.

Even at this crucial juncture the RCSS and SSPP are sending mixed signals to each other although a ten-day truce to mark the 67th Shan Revolutionary Day would expire on May 25. And no one knows what will follow after this.

RCSS talked about the necessary need to unify so that the Shan national cause will prevail only in general terms without concrete suggestion.

The SSPP on the other hand reported the some 90 RCSS former soldiers taking part in Shan Revolutionary Day held in Wanhai SSPP’s General Headquarters, who were either captured or have surrendered to the SSPP.

The inaction, lack of pro-activity and silence to serve the people are deafening. No wonder that the people lost faith in them.

As a result Shan people and Shan youth are so frustrated that they are now even entertaining the notion that Shan resistance groups have lost their original revolutionary zeal and become meaningless to even put their hope on them.

But the Mon, who are also as divided as the Shan are now starting to turn around and able to mend their differences, set common political and military agendas for their people.

It may now be high time that the Shan armies take some cue from the Mon resistance organizations and brace themselves together, if not on a more solidified and determined stance like the examples of Rakhine, Kachin and Karenni people.