The International Committee for the Mon National Day (ICMND) is united in celebrating our 58^th National Day.  Celebrating the Mon National Day with music and dance is banned in major cities in Burma despite these activities being peaceful and unrelated to political conflict.

The Mon people have lived in lower Burma and Thailand for over two thousand years and peacefully co-existed with other ethnic groups where we preserved our language, culture and traditions.  We were once one of the leading civilizations in Southeast Asia with a social and institutional foundation we received from the teaching of Buddha Gotama.  Our political sovereignty was destroyed, our cultural heritage was damaged and our language was assimilated by the Burman nationalist elites many decades ago. 

We have struggled for over 247 year to regain the peace, equality and prosperity we had enjoyed under our royal institution before the Burmans and the British occupied our land and sovereignty. The Mon people have paid a heavy price for the cause, being killed, persecuted, raped, displaced and discriminated against in our homeland by the military led government of Union of Burma/Myanmar.  Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, no longer exists as the symbol of the Mon community under an oppressive Burma military regime. 

Meanwhile, in Burma we are unable to teach, read and publicize Mon language newspapers, magazines and radio broadcasting in our community.  Teaching the Mon oral and written language is banned at public universities and public schools in urban areas.  Mon children are only able to read and learn the Mon language in rural areas that are under the control of the Mon leading political party.  We believe that we should be able to teach, read and learn our cultural heritage freely in our homeland. 

It is time for all world leaders to play a proactive role in a Burmese political settlement, to pursue regional stability and economic prosperity for all the citizens of Burma.

We are committed to unconditional peace and an end to the civil war in Burma, with a guarantee of civil and political rights, social and economy rights for all, according to the new constitution of Federal Union of Burma.  The current assembly of the National Convention of Burma is not legitimate until all elected MPs are invited to debate the future constitution.   As long as only the military leaders control the executive power of Burma, the concept of human rights, freedom, liberation, self-determination and federalism is dead and civil war remains as the only political instrument for disadvantaged people. 

Euro-Mon Community (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands)

58th Mon National Day Committee (Akron, Ohio, USA)

58^th Mon National Day Committee (Australia)

Mon Canadian Association (Toronto, Canada)

Mon Canadian Society (Alberta, Canada)

Mon Community (North Carolina, USA)

Monland Restoration Council (MRC-USA)

Mon Unity League (Thailand)

Mon Workers Association (Malaysia)

Mon Workers Union (Thailand)

February 24, 2005

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Posted by

KAOWAO NEWS GROUP

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ABOUT US

Kaowao Newsgroup is committed to social justice, peace, and democracy in Burma. We hope to be able to provide more of an in-depth analysis that will help to promote lasting peace and change within Burma.

Editors, reporters, writers, and overseas volunteers are dedicated members of the Mon activist community based in Thailand.

Our motto is working together for lasting peace and change.