Mons
write to UN secretary general
Loa
Htaw, IMNA
May
8, 2007
The
Mon community world wide today drew the attention of the United Nation
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to the plight of the Mon people and requested
him to urge the Burmese military junta to
put an immediate halt to human rights abuses and to respect their inalienable
rights as guaranteed by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
The American Mon community also staged a demonstration outside the
United Nations Headquarters in New York
City to mark the 250th anniversary of Mon Kingdom Hongsawatoi (Pegu)
Fallen Day.
The letter to Mr Ban Ki Moon said that
since they lost independence, Mons lost not only their sovereignty but also
the right to freely practice Mon culture and learn Mon language, the right to
freely determine their political, social, economic status and their own future
in Burma.
"I
want to request all of our people to get involved and take responsibility for
the action on the struggle for our independence again.
We do not need to hold arms or fight in the jungle, although we stay at home
there is much more activities that we can involve ourselves for our national
freedom" said the committee for world wide Hongsarwatoi celebration and
Chairman of Monland Restoration Council (USA) Nai Ponnya Mon.
Mon
people including those in Mon state (Burma
), Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, American, Canada and many countries in
Europe marked the fallen day. But Mon people in Mon state will mark the
ceremony silently and secretly as they are afraid of being arrested by the
Burmese junta.
Mon
migrant workers in Malaysia cancelled
their plans to demonstrate in front of the Burmese embassy in the country as
the Malaysian police authorities did not guarantee that the demonstrators
would not be arrested, Chairman of the Mon Refugee Organization Nai Lawi Chan
said.
He
added, they still celebrate their first time ceremony in Malaysia
to mark the Hongsarwatoi fallen day in Kaula Lampur and Penang where most Mon
people are based.
Similarly, Mon migrant workers in Thailand
Samutsakon district where many thousands of Mon people work and Mon people in
Mae Sot also celebrate their first time ceremony this year.
Migrant
worker Nai Layi Mon said "I am both happy and sad to participate for
the first time on Hongsawatoi fallen day celebration. I have never seen it in
my village before. I am sad because we lost our Kingdom and for having to be
migrant workers in other countries. However I am happy to have the chance for
the first time to attend the celebration"
.
According
to Burmese and Mon history, Mon people lost their independent Kingdom and many
thousands of innocent people were brutally executed by the Burman ruler, Aung
Zay Ya (Alaung Paya) on the 8th of May in 1757, the second month
of 1119 in Mon lunar calendar.
Mon
people are one of the ethnic nationalities in Burma and they continue to flee
to Thai-Burma border like other ethnic such Karen, Karenni, Arakan, Kachin,
and Shan as human rights abuses by the Burmese regime continue
under the ethnic cleansing policy by junta.
Despite
being the strongest Mon ethnic group, the New
Mon State Party agreed to a ceasefire with the Burmese military junta in 1995.
Over ten thousands of acres of land were confiscated by Burmese junta from
1995 till now to expand its military battalions according to Human Rights
Foundation of Monland. Increasing militarization has led to more and more
human rights violations such as rape.
Mon people continue migrate to
neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.
"This
year, we have specially mark Hongsawatoi day world wide. We have formed the
world wide Hongsawatoi celebration committee to distribute 250th Mon Kingdom
Hongsawatoi journals in Mon and English languages, albums,
T-shirts, writing to the UN, holding demonstrations, release statement, and
facilitating all Mon community to mark and celebrate the Hongsawatoi fallen
day," Nai Lawi Chan said.
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