Closing Ceremony of Mon Literacy Training for more than 10,000 Students held

Independent Mon News Agency

April 11, 2005

A closing ceremony of 13^th Anniversary of dry season Mon literacy training led by a senior Mon monk, Rev. Palita, was held in the evening of April 10 in Mudon town for more than 10, 000 students and about five thousands of people from various Mon villages attended the ceremony.

The ceremony was started at 7:00 p.m., and facilitators conducted the offering of certificate to outstanding students from different villages in Mudon Township. Then, the audience also had the chance to enjoy Mon traditional dancing and live song singing from the entertainers.

In the speech given by the Chairperson of Organizing Committee, Rev. Palita, he explained the historic background of Mon language which was used in stone scripture for 800 years and then it was used in Mon kingdom’s administration during 15-16^th Century A.D. He also added that after the Burman king annexed the Mon kingdom in 1757 in Hongsawatoi Mon Kingdom, the use of Mon language was totally banned in lower part of Burma. He asked the audience that therefore, the Mon people needs to maintain their literature and language, which had been well-known and civilized in the past.

After celebration of closing ceremony in Township level, the respective village tract Organizing Committees also hold the similar ceremony at their village tract. Nyung-gone village tract, which is about 3 miles far southern of Mudon town, holds the ceremony today.

Last year ceremony was held in Kamawet, the biggest village in Township, and the students from all 11-village tracts in Township attended the ceremony. About 10, 000 students in age range of 5 years to 18 years old completed the training especially learning for reading and writing of Mon language.

“The objective of Mon literacy training is to have children to be able reading and writing of Mon language. If they know how to read and write and then they could understand Mon history, respect the value of Mon literate and culture. Now, some Mon children do not know Mon history well”, said a student parent, Mr. Nai Aung Moe.

“Dry season Mon literacy training was arranged only in a specific time. We do not offer all the time. So the students are so willing to learn”, added Mr. Moe.

A Chairman of Mon Literature and Culture Committee, Mr. Nai Tun, from Three-Pagoda-Pass border town said that the general objectives of training: to protect Mon literature and language from disappearance, to let the Mon people how to read and write the Mon language.

Mr. Tun also added now the organizing committee in Three Pagoda Pass Township is announcing to Mon children and their parents for the similar literacy training. He said that for children who lived in rubber plantations and farms far from training locations, they would go and provide them with textbooks, stationary and teachers.

About 63, 000 students have involved in this dry season Literacy Training in the whole Mon areas – 16 Townships in Mon State, Karen State, Pegu Division and Tenasserim Division – and about 1000 teachers including many Buddhist monks are appointed as ‘trainers’ in the year.

Besides Mon areas, this Mon Literacy Training is also arranged in Mon communities in Rangoon, Mandalay and Pegu (Pago) cities in Burma.

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