Statement of 62nd Anniversary Mon National Day

တုိင္းရင္းသားအသံ

Statement of 62^nd Anniversary Mon National Day

By

Overseas Mon Coordinating Committee (OMCC)

and Mon Unity League (MUL)

All Mon People, and concerned persons to the Mon People,

We, Mon people, who lives in overseas countries and in Thailand are the generations of the civilized Mon ancestors from the various parts of Monland - Thaton, Bassein, Muttama, and Hongsawatoi, are holding this historic day of 62^nd Anniversary Mon National Day, around the world. We, with a patriotic sentiment and a remembrance of our great ancestors, issue this Statement which reflects our political stance and commitments for our national liberation.

We, Mon people, one of the nations in Southeast Asia who established prosperous and peace “Rehmonnya Dehsa” Nation-State of kingdoms from Suwanaphoom (Thaton) era in first millennium under King Sinharajah to Hongsawatoi (Pegu) era by end of King Taladakarotpoik in 17^th Century in lower part of Burma. Now, we lost our kingdom or the rights to self-determination for 252 years since 1757. However, our leaders without any fears and by sacrificing with their blood and life, have constantly resisted the Burman Kings and latter Burmese military governments; those invaded our motherland.

After our Kingdom was annexed, we Mon people have totally enslaved by the successive Burmese military rules. Since we lost our political rights to self-determination, all of our national affairs: religious and belief; literature and culture; economics, and social sectors have been gradually degraded. Lack of political authority for the Mon people and in the enslaved lives, we Mon people in lower part of Burma suffered as below:

1. Countless number of Mon people escaped from their natives since destruction of Hongsawatoi up to present days to avoid from systematic persecution.
2. Suffering from daily “Assimilation Policy” of the ruling regimes, which denies the use of Mon literature and language on a daily basis and pushes for disappearance of Mon race.
3. Land and properties belonged to Mon people are confiscated and our livelihoods attached with lands are systematically destroyed.
4. Facing the daily basis discrimination because of our race as a symbol of historical enemy by Burmese military rulers.

Since we, Mon people, are defined an endangered and dying race, it is morally RIGHT and FAIR for entire Mon people to commit in our national liberation movement.

All Mon People, and concerned persons to the Mon People,

In the presence, the Mon national movements have been carried on by New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) as political parties and by many Mon civil society organizations in order to resist any ruling regimes’ attempt to assimilate and abuse against the Mon people, and have kept this movement alive.

In near future, the current military regime in Burma, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), will plan to hold elections in 2010 in order to keep their power in a sham parliament accordingly to its Constitution. We believe, this election will be a sham one which is NOT FREE and FAIR, for all democratic opposition parties and ethnic political parties in Burma. Therefore, our Mon political force, armed resistance force and Mon people in the country must consider how to clearly adopt our national movement strategy in this political crisis.

All Mon People, and concerned persons to the Mon People,

We, the Mon people, hold this 62^nd Anniversary Mon National Day with a remembrance of our ancestors, and then add our commitments to re-establish our Monland and participate in the national liberation movement as below:

1. While the Mon people have no political power and face degrading situation in every sectors, we should form the Mon organizations in any location and in any time, and help each other.
2. Keeping in mind for the liberation of Mon people as our ultimate goal, all Mons must take any type of responsibility, create collective leadership, and sacrifice for the nation.
3. Building up the national solidarity among the Mon people and strategize for every movement of national liberation.

We, Mon people, ever founded the first Nation-State and delivered a high civilization in Southeast Asia, in which we can fully practice our rights to self-determination for many centuries in the past. In order to maintain these heritages, we urged all Mon people in this 62^nd Anniversary of Mon National Day to participate in the national liberation movement.

Overseas Mon Coordinating Committee

(US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe) and,

Mon Unity League (Thailand)

Date: February 10, 2009