59^th Mon National Day Statement, 2006

February 13, 2006

The founding day of the Mon Kingdom Hongsawaddy or Pegu, which falls on the 1st waning day of the 11th month according to the Mon lunar calendar, has been designated as our National Day and it is celebrated each year with the aim of inspiring the spirit of freedom, strengthening unity, safeguarding our identity and national heritage.  We celebrate openly and freely with music and dance in liberated areas and abroad an event that is banned in major cities inside Burma. On this day we salute those who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle for our national heritage and the historical duty of Mon freedom.

The Mons who have lived in Lower Burma and Thailand for over two thousand years are considered to be its oldest inhabitants and enjoyed freedom and prosperity for many centuries in their own sovereignty.  The Mons have lived peacefully with other ethnic groups while preserving their own traditions. The Mons were pioneers of civilization in Southeast Asia and have played a significant role in the development of language, art, architecture and political and legal arrangements and in the transmission of Theravada Buddhism in the region. But we Mons have become a people without a country and been reduced to a minority in Burma since we lost our sovereignty in 1757.

Nevertheless, we, the Mon people, along with other ethnic nationalities continue the struggle for equal rights and democracy by peaceful means. But the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) of Burma has refused our peaceful demands. Though the New Mon State Party, a Mon political party with armed wings, made a cease-fire agreement with Burma’s military regime aimed at solving the country’s political problems, after more than a decade there is still no political accord which could bring about a solution to the country’s crises.  The withdrawal of the NMSP from the SPDC’s National Convention clearly shows that the regime has no desire to solve political problems peacefully.

Moreover, grave human rights violations such as rape, torture, arbitrary killing, portering, forced labor and forced relocation continue. Rape is used as a weapon of ethnic suppression during the SPDC’s military operations. Fundamental rights such as the teaching of the Mon language and culture shows are banned and the right of free association and assembly has been denied by the current military regime. Oppression of this kind sets back efforts for reconciliation and peace in the country.  We strongly believe that Burma’s peace and prosperity depend upon a union of federal states that will guarantee equal rights to all nationalities, including the Burman. 

We, the Mons in exile, are fully committed to joining hands with our people inside the Mon homeland in the struggle for equal rights for all nationalities and democracy in Burma.

On this occasion of our 59th National Day;

We fully support the NMSP’s decision to withdraw from the SPDC’s sham National Convention and urge the Mon people to rally around the NMSP in its stand against SPDC pressure and call on all Mons to unite together in forming a more effective political movement.

We strongly condemn the human rights violations of the SPDC, and we demand that these violations cease forthwith. The perpetrators should be brought to justice and all SPDC troops should be withdrawn from ethnic nationality areas.

Moreover, the exercise of fundamental human rights such as free assembly and political participation and organising should be allowed, and the teaching of Mon literature and other traditional and cultural activities should be permitted.

We encourage the international community to demonstrate its solidarity in support of our call for a tripartite dialogue comprised of the democratic groups, the ethnic nationalities and the SPDC in compliance with the 1994 resolution of the UN. We also ask international community to support the move to bring the Burma issues to the United National Security Council.  

This statement is jointly issued by:

·     Australia Mon Association

·     Euro-Mon Community

·     Mon Canadian Society

·     Monland Restoration Council (USA)

·     Mon Unity League (Thailand)

·     Mon Workers Association (Malaysia)

·     Mon Women Organization (Canada)

·     Mon Women Organization (USA)

·     Mon Workers Union (Thailand)

·     Mon Youth Progressive Organization (Thailand)