The Statement of the Overseas Mon organizations on the 59th Anniversary of the Mon Revolution Day

The full moon day of Ka Dot Soi, the Fifth Month of the Year 1367 in Mon Lunar Calendar (8th August 2006) marks the 59th anniversary of the Mon Revolution Day and we, Mon around the globe commemorate our Mon Revolution Day. On this memorable day, we pay tributes to those who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle and also to those, who are still struggling to get to our ultimate victory with a united and invaluable supports of Mon people.

Since Burma gained independence from the British in 1948, the successive ruling government has adopted the policy of chauvinism and has never recognized the basic rights of other ethnic nationalities .The reasonable and peaceful demands of the rights of our Mon were responded with brutal suppression. The brutality, violence, and various kinds of oppression by the Burmese government left the non-Burman ethnic nationalities including the Mon with no other choice but to take up arms and these armed resistances have led to the over five decades long of ongoing civil war in the country. Obviously, Burma's political problems including civil war and the general uprising for democracy in 1988 were the outcomes of the ignoring of the rights of ethnic people and their basic democratic rights.

Though the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the leading Mon political party with its armed wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), reached a cease-fire agreement with the military regime with the intention of settling political problems by means of political dialogue for more than a decade, no political development has been noticed. Worst still, numerous cases of land confiscation, human rights abuses including summary execution and rapes against Mon girls and women, restrictions on Mon literature campaigns and harassment on Mon educational schools are frequently reported and documented in these years, in parallel with extensive militarization in Mon State.

The National Convention held by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) is also widely seen as illegitimate and has often been questioned by international communities for its integrity and legitimacy without the participation of the 1990 Election winning parties, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and other major ethnic political parties. Hence, it has proved `that the convention could not lead to national reconciliation, democratization and restoration of ethnic rights in Burma. As a result, the NMSP has withdrawn from the convention. Moreover, the military regime has extended the house arrest for Aung San Suu Kyi and there are more restrictions and pressures on the political movements of ethnic cease-fire groups including the NMSP to lay down their arms.

We do not believe that any political problems can be solved by force and, as a result we fully support the NMSP for its firm stand on its political objectives in such difficult circumstances and the withdrawal of its delegations from the SPDC's National Convention. We strongly believe that the political problems in Burma can only be solved by means of tripartite dialogue, which is strongly recommended by the UNGA resolution in 1994 and it is yet the best solution to Burma problem. Further more, peace and national reconciliation can only be built on the basis of equal rights for ethnic nationalities and democratic rights for all citizens of the country.

Therefore, on this Mon Revolution Day, we demand:

(1) All the Mon people living in Burma and abroad to firmly stand behind the vanguard of Mon national parties and all Mon parties be well prepared to effectively lead the Mon people.

(2) The ruling Burmese military regime to immediately stop its extensive militarization and offensive in Mon State , and stop all its human rights violations including summary execution, tortures and rapes against Mon women and girls.

(3) Release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, U Kun Htun Oo, and Mon political prisoner Nai Yakka and Nai Myo Htwe .

(4)The SPDC to immediately initiate a genuine tripartite dialogue comprised of leaders of ethnic nationalities, elected representatives, and military regime as recommended by the United Nations;

(5) The international community to support the efforts to bringing Burma case to the United Nation Security Council.

This statement is jointly issued by:

1. The Australia Mon Association (AMA)

2. Euro-Mon Community

3. Mon Canadian Society of Alberta

4. Monland Restoration Council (USA)

5. Mon National League for Consolidating and Aiding (Mae Sot, Thailand)

6. Mon Unity League (Thailand)

7. Mon Women's Association of America

8. Mon Youth Progressive Organization (Thailand)