JOINT STATEMENT OF MON ORGANIZATIONS
ON THE 53rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE MON NATIONAL DAY
February 20, 2000

According to the Mon Lunar calendar, Mon National Day falls on February 20
in this New Millennium. Mon National Day commemorates the inception of the
Mon kingdom Hongsavatoi, founded in 1116 Buddhist Era in the city now called
Pegu, in Lower Burma.

The twilight of Hongsavatoi came in 1757, when it was occupied by the
Burmans, resulting in a terrible loss of life among the Mon royal family,
scholars, monks and the common people, as well as destruction of much that
was noble in the Mon culture. The fall of the Mon kingdom not only marked
the end of a flourishing state, but also the loss of all administrative and
political powers exercised by the Mon people. Thus, a nation that had
played a very significant role in Southeast Asian history was reduced to an
ethnic minority, forgotten for the most part by the modern world. The Mons
were denied their political rights with the excuse that there were no
important differences between them and the Burmans after the independence of
Burma. As a result, the Mon people continued to endure the suppression of
their political, social and cultural rights. When the situation became
unbearable, the Mons took up arms and they have fought against the central
government from 1948 to the present time.

In order to keep power for itself the State Peace & Development Council
(SPDC) military junta, has systematically divided the democratic forces and
ethnic nationalities of Burma. Separate cease-fire agreements have been
signed with the ethnic armed forces, but no political solution to the nation
's problems has been attempted. The cease-fire reached in 1995 with the Mon
armed opposition, the New Mon State Party (NMSP), has not addressed the
political and cultural grievances of our people. The schools, which the Mon
people have built in their communities, are not even permitted to teach the
Mon language. The Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) which took part in
the 1990 general election and won seats in the area was abolished and the
Mon MPs and MNDF leaders have been sentenced to long terms in prison for
their support of the democracy and commitment to Mon freedom movement.

The refusal of Burma's military regime to resolve the trouble issue of the
rights of the ethnic nationalities and to allow for the development of
democratic institutions in the country is causing the situation to worsen
day by day. Wide spread of arrest, torture, disappearance, forced labour,
portering and relocation of whole districts and villages in urban and rural
areas continue. Freedom of expression and opinion do not exist. Hundreds of
thousands of all Burma nationalities have fled to the borders as well as to
neighbouring countries and are living there as internal displaced persons,
refugees or illegal immigrants.

The Mon people continue to suffer oppression under the SPDC for we have been
deprived of our most fundamental right, the right to self-determination. On
this auspicious occasion of the Mon National Day, we commit ourselves to be
united and to continue the struggle where we will be able to exercise our
Right to Self-Determination and to enjoy the fruits of a peaceful life.

1. We invite the international community to join with us, specifically to work
    towards the following goals in our struggle:

2. The release of Mon national leaders and all political prisoners immediately.

3. A tripartite dialogue between the democratic parties of Burma, the ethnic leaders

  and the current military regime.

4. An immediate withdrawal of the military regime from the homelands of the

   ethnic nationalities and a stop to the practices of forced labour, forced
   portering and forced relocation.

5.  The opening of Mon national schools and practices of culture and national
    heritage freely.

 

6. Access by the United Nations and international human rights observers to
   all detention centres and ethnic areas in Burma.

 

7. The imposition of trade sanctions against Burma through UN.

 

Australian Mon Association (Australia)
All Mon National Students Union (Australia)
Mon Community of Canada (Canada)
Mon National Democratic Front (Thailand)
Mon National Democratic Front (Australia)
Monland Restoration Council (USA)
Mon Unity League
Mon Youth Community (Thailand)
Overseas Mon National Students Organization (Thailand)
Overseas Mon National Students Organization (North America)
Overseas Mon Young Monks Union (Thailand)