STATEMENT ON THE 251^st ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALLING DAY OF THE MON KINGDOM HONGSAWATOI

                                        May 27, 2008

Today, Mon people around the world observe the 251^st anniversary of the Fallen of Mon Kingdom Hongsawatoi.  In memory of tens of thousands of Mon who were brutally persecuted by Burman ruler, U Aung Zeya, at the falling of Hongsawatoi, this day is also celebrated as Holocaust Memorial Day of the Mon People.

  In 1757, U Aung Zeya invaded and devastated the Mon kingdom by killing tens of thousands of innocent Mon civilians. Over 3,000 Mon Buddhist monks were massacred in Pegu city alone, while other countless numbers of monks, pregnant women, and children throughout the kingdom were burned alive in stockades or were killed in other unimaginable ways. The ruthless destruction of the Mon by U Aung Zeya and his army was similar to the destruction of Jews by the Nazis.

  Although U Aung Zeya passed away over 200 years ago, his evil spirit (acts of evil) is still alive and well in Burma . The successive Burmese military regime has indoctrinated his evil spirit into its Army in order to launch systematic ethnic-cleansing campaigns in Burma . Over the last five decades, Burmese Army has committed various human rights abuses including rapes, tortures, and killings of the Mon and other ethnic nationalities.  No difference from its predecessors, the current Burmese military regime has continued to nourish the U Aung Zeya’s doctrine and has continued to oppress ethnic people including Mon, Karen, and Shan. As a result, hundreds of thousands people have fled their homes and become refugees in neighboring countries and many more have been internally displaced. 

  This Memorial Day should serve as a reminder to the world about the Burmese regime’s atrocities against the Mon and its capability of repeating this history of horrors against the ethnic nationalities in Burma . It is our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the world’s community not to let such horrors take place again.  In honor of the victims Mon Holocaust, who were killed during the destruction of Honsawtoi Mon Kingdom , we strongly urge the Burmese military regime:

  (1) To immediately stop all forms of human rights violations against the Mon and all other ethnic nationalities including Burman,

(2) To immediately withdraw its military forces from the homeland of the Mon and other ethnic nationalities,

  (3) To unconditionally allow international aids and relief workers in order to provide much needed help to the victims of the cyclone Nargis in Burma, and

  We call on the United Nations Security Council to apply the coercive force as it is necessary in order to prevent starvation and disease outbreaks among over two millions of the victims of the cyclone.

  The statement is jointly issued by

  1. Australia Mon Association (AMA)

2. Euro Mon Community

3. Mon Association ( Korea )

4. Mon Canadian Society

5. Mon Education Network

6. Monland Restoration Council ( USA )

7. Mon Women's Association of America

8. Mon Women’s Organization of Canada

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

10. Mon Unity League ( Thailand )

Media Contacts:

Nai Siri Mon Chan ( Australia ) Tel:  + (61) 433 555 372.

Nai Mot Deep ( USA ) Tel: 260-447-7741, 260-441-0549

Nai Kasuah Mon ( Thailand ) Tel: + (66) 081-365-9140