Statement on Mon and Burman fight in camp

MON NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT (AUSTRALIA)

77/G Kanangra Court R eid ACT. 6212 . Tel: Fax. (02) 62304792

MONS DEPRIVED OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SAFE AREA

NCGUB,

NLD (LA),

ABSDF,

ALL BURMESE DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS,

At 7pm on the 24^th of October 1999, Mon school teacher Nai Pawlar was speaking on the phone in his native Mon language. A group of Burmese young men standing near the phone booth ordered Nai Pawlar not to speak in the Mon language. Nai Pawlar told the Burmese student he does not speak in Burmese and this necessiated his phone conversation in the Mon language. The Burmese students took it as an insult and punched Nai Pawler, to make matters worst Nai Pawler was again punched by Burmese students on the road on his return journey to the Mon school.

Burmese students to cover up their misdeed, falsely accused the Mons of destroying the camp. This is designed to magnify the problem and discredit the Mon people. The Burmese student strategy is to bring anomisty between the Mons and Burmese.

On the morning of 25^th October 1999, Burmese student group systematically set out to destroy the Mon school. In addition the Burmese students also beat up Mon democracy male and female political activists. The atrocities committed by Burmese students towards the Mons is as bad as the treatment Mon receive under the Burmese military government. A Mon student by the name of Bannya Mon who was innocently playing a game of draught was falsely accused of being Burmese military government informer and stabbed in the waist. Following this incident Bannya Mon was handed over to the Thai police. At the present moment Bannya Mon is handcuffed and taking treatment at the Ratchburi hospital, in addition other five Mon political activists by the names of Mehm Achit, Soe Hlaing, Soe Wan, Kyon Dik and Negro were also falsely accused as informers and handed over to the Thai ploice. Out of the five Mon activists one is now being held at Pakthaw detention centre and the remaining four are at Ratchburi detention centre.

To gain independence in 1948, many Mon patriots sacrificed their lives fighting for the cause. In 1988 Mon students and youths took very active role in the nation wide pro-democracy uprising. When the elected MP’s

Dr Sein Win (present NCGUB prime minister ), U Thein Oo ( present minister of justice), Tun Aung Kyaw (former ABSDF president), Dr Naing Aung (present ABSDF president), Moe Thi Zun (present vice-president ABSDF) and numerous Burmese student activists were fleeing Burma, they were given safe passage by Mon revolutionary army, students and families on their way to Thailand. Mons have never instigated Mon / Burmese split.

The destruction of Mon school is a blatant act of human rights abuse. Mon people human rights and justice should be cherished and protected by the majority Burmese democracy activists to ensure the effective participation of Mons in the present and future pro-democracy struggle. Failure to ensure present human rights and justice for Mon people could lead to a future democratic Burma where Mon and other ethnic groups are oppressed on racial lines.

In conclusion the Burma Democracy leaders should do every thing possible, to ensure the Mons regain their rights in the Safe Area, thereby ensuring

future Mon / Burmese co-operation in the political and national sphere.

MON NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT (AUSTRALIA)

7 November, 1999.

OVERSEAS MON NATIONAL STUDENTS ORGANIZATION (AUSTRALIA)

====================================================

77/G Kanangra Court Reid ACT. 2612. Tel: Fax. (02) 6230 4792

To,

The Ministry Of Interior (MOI)

Thailand.

On the 24^th of October 1999, at 7 pm. a Mon school teacher by the name of Nai Pawlar was speaking on the phone in native Mon language. Nai Pawlar was told by a group of Burmese students standing near the phone booth to speak in Burmese and not in his native Mon language. Nai Pawlar humbly told the Burmese students, that he can not speak in Burmese, so to communicate on the phone he has no choice but speak in the Mon language. The Burmese students took it as an offence and punched Nai Pawlar, a nearby teashop owner stopped the fight. After this event Nai Pawlar walked toward the camp, unexpectedly the same group of Burmese students punched him again. The Burmese students misinformed the camp residents, that the Mons are planning to destroy the camp.

At 7 am, on the 25^th of October 1999, Burmese antagonists began to systematically destroy the Mon school. Following the school destruction the Burmese gang entered Mon living quarters and beat up the occupants. On the same day following the above incidents two young Mon lady students by the name of Mi Khin Soe and Mi Ong Htaw were beaten up by a group of Burmese ladies. As a result of the severe beatings the two Mon ladies were badly bruised in the face. Not satisfied with the beating of the ladies the BSA (Burmese Students Association) officials called twenty young Mon men for discussion to their office but it was a trick, as the Mons were blindfolded and severely beaten up by a large number of BSA members. Among the victims of the beating, one Mon young man by the name of Bannya Mon was falsely accused of being an informer of the Burmese military government and stabbed in the waist and handed over to the Thai police. At the present moment Bannya Mon is handcuffed and taking treatment at the Ratchburi hospital, in addition other five Mon political activists by the name of Mehm Achit, Soe Hlaing, Soe Wan, Kyon Dik And Negro were also falsely accused as informers and handed over to the Thai police. Out of the five Mon activists one is now being held at Pakthaw detention centre and the remaining four are at Ratchburi detention centre.

It is quite obivious the detention of the five Mon political activists show that the MOI is neglecting their duty by turning a blind eye to the BSA oppressive acts towards the Mon, because of this the BSA members have taken the law into their own hands. The series of above atrocious incidents shows the Mons in the safe area are fully deprived of their human rights.

We will now like to earnestly request the MOI to do the following for the Mons in the safe area.

To immediately lelease the five Mon political activists under Thai Police detention.

Tfind the Burmese culprits responsible for the destruction of Mon school and punish them accordingly.

To ensure the safety of the Mon people, we strongly request the MOI to immediately house the Mons in a special place.

To immediately curb the BSA misused power.

To ensure human rights and justic for the Mon people.

November 6, 1999.