JOINT STATEMENT ON 51ST OF MON NATI

[Honsawatoi@xxxxxxx]

JOINT STATEMENT ON 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF MON NATIONAL DAY

 February 12, 1998


This year marks the 51st anniversary of Mon National Day. Traditionally we
Mon have celebrated the founding of our Nation on the first Waning of Mide, a
Mon lunar date, which happens to fall this year on 12 February.

Mon National Day commemorates the inception of the Mon kingdom, Hongsawadee
(Pegu),  founded in 574 A.D by two brothers, Samala and Vimala, in what is
now called Pegu, in Lower Burma. On this auspicious day may all Mon people be
blessed with physical and mental health.
 
The twilight of Hongsawadee came in 1757 when it was occupied by the Burmans,
with a terrible loss of life to the Mon monarchy, scholars, monks and people
as well as a great destruction of Mon Culture. The Mon and other indigenous
peoples have been oppressed and their culture suppressed by successive
Burmese regimes since U Aung Ze Ya's period over two hundred years ago.

Just before Burma gained independence from the British in 1948, Mon leaders
held a meeting and agreed on the Lunar day of the waning of Mide as the Mon
National Day. Since then, Mon people,  wherever they may be, celebrate their
National Day.

The fall of Mon Kingdom to the Burmans in 1757 not only marked the end of the
once flourishing Mon kingdom but of all administrative and political powers
as well. Thus a nation of great significance in Southeast Asian history was
reduced to an ethnic minority and has tended to have been forgotten by the
modern world.  Mon political forces joined hand in hand with Burmans and
other ethnic groups in gaining independence from the British in 1948. But
after the independence the Mon were denied their political rights with the
excuse that there were no particular differences between the Mon and the
Burmans. As the result of this, the Mons continued to endure suppression of
their rights and their country.

When the situation became unbearable, Mon people along with various other
ethnic groups took up arms and fought against the central Burman- dominated
government. Consequently some 50 years of the protracted civil war has cost
countless lives and caused indescribable suffering. The present military
junta, in cooperation with some of Burma's neighbors, has placed overwhelming
pressure on armed revolutionary movements, to surrender. However, the
cease-fire reached with the Mon armed opposition, the New Mon State Party
(NMSP) has not addressed the political and cultural grievances of the Mon. If
has simply imposed a military cease-fire with its own self interest in mind.
A true reconciliation has not been allowed. The Mon National Democratic Front
(MNDF) which took part in the 1990 general election, won seats in Mon
populated area was abolished in 1992. As long as democracy is suppressed,
peace will not prevail in the country.

Completely ignoring the Burmese military junta's human rights abuses, the
Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) has accepted Burma as its new
member in July 1997. This has received much criticism from the European Union
(EU) and the United States. They have questioned the admission of Burma into
ASEAN while Burma remains a military dictatorship that subjects its
population to practices such as forced labour, rape, corruption and other
gross violation of human rights. 

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC, formally known as SLORC) has
opened its doors to foreign investment and economic liberalization. But the
profits remain with the military officials and their families and the people
remain poor and deprived of any benefits.   If the SPDC remains in power the
people including the Mon and all ethnic groups, will continue to suffer from
poverty and denial of their basic human rights.  We Mon people are still
severely oppressed under the ruling of dictatorship, SPDC, and had been
deprived of our fundamental rights, the rights of self- determination.

In this auspicious occasion, Mon National Day, let us all Mon people commit
ourselves to be united into as a one family and to struggle for freedom of
our homeland where we Mon could exercise the rights of self - determination
and where we could enjoy a peaceful life.
 
On the occasion of the 51st anniversary of Mon National Day, we would like to
urge the international community to support our struggle to gain:

1) A  tri-partite dialogue between the democratic forces, ethnic leaders and
the 
    SPDC;
2) The achievement of democratic freedom through national and international  
    struggle and cooperation;
3) The achievement of peace and true national reconciliation among all 
    nationalities of Burma;
4) The release of all political prisoners;
5) The transfer of state power to the civilian government as soon as
possible.

1) Monland Restoration Council (USA)
2) Mon National Association of Canada
3) Australian Mon of Australia
4) Mon Unity League (Thailand)
5) Individually from Norway


Contact:
Pon Nya (Pon Nya Mon)
Chairman of Monland Restoration Council (USA)
213 Cumberland Ave.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
           USA
Tel/Fax: 219-471-3961
Email: Nyap01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx