Mon Communities in Thailand Celebrate ‘Songkaran’ with a Popular March

Independent Mon News Agency

April 13, 2005

Mon migrant workers who work in Thailand and various Thai-Mon communities in Thailand cooperate and celebrate Mon ‘Songkaran’ New Year Festival in Phra Padaen District in Bangkok today, said Mr. Nai Oung Murn, a leader of Mon workers’ education program.

New Year festival in Mon tradition is led by Thai-Raman (Thai-Mon) Community, Bangkok, and the organization receives fund from a department of local Thai government authority for maintaining of Mon culture, added by Mr. Murn.

In a series of celebration, Thai-Mon people from the whole Phra Padaen District and Mon migrant workers from various parts of Thailand gather and first carrying and marching with ‘shell-drake’ (Bob – the Mon symbol bird) and pennons in Bangkok’s streets and then worshipping the pagodas, showering to the monks, dancing of Mon traditional dances, feeding ‘Songkaran’ rice to the audiences and playing ‘Ha-nint’ (one type of hard seed) game, added Mr. Murn.

Mr. Murn also explains, “the objective of this ceremony is to maintain the Mon traditions which has been practiced from the old day of Mon people, to have Thai-Mon community maintaining their identity and to have the Mons from Monland and Thailand to cordially meet each other”.

In term of organizing the people, the celebrating committee offers an umbrella with Bob symbol to every woman and a T-shirt to every man, and some Mon migrant workers’ organizations those come to ceremony receive fund supports for transport and foods.

In the last year celebration, about 10, 000 Mon people involved in a popular march in Bangkok, that carrying Bob and pennons and walked around in the city’s streets. This year, it is expected more number of marchers than last year. 150 members of Mon workers’ education program also join in the march, said Mr. Murn.

Mr. Nai Job Chai, a migrant worker from Thanbyuzayat Town of Mon State said: ‘I always returned homes during the new year, but this year I could not manage to return home”, and he also join in this popular march.

“You (Mon migrant worker) can decide whether you would like to join or not. We don’t have to be afraid, because we have labour cards. If we come, we can meet Thai-Mon relatives here in Phra Padaen. They are our old relatives and also the generation of our Mon kings, so it is a great meeting”, added Mr. Chai.

The last generation of Mon royal family and the Mon people, who fled from Hongsawatoi Mon Kingdom after Burman King’s annexation, has settled under the protection of Thai kings in this Pra Padaen District since 18^th Century A. D, and a member of Mon royal family, Dr. Su-et Kajaisani, is still living in this area. He is also the leader of Thai-Mon community and therefore, Thai-Mon communities decided last year to have this District as a center to celebrate yearly ‘New Year’ festival.

Similarly to the celebration in Phra Padaen District, Thai-Mon communities in another areas such as in Bangkadee village (in Bangkunthien District), Pak Krit village (in Nonthaburi Province), Kaw Krit Island, Chon Buri District, Min Buri District, Samut Prakan District and Nakhom Prathom District hold the similar occasion accordingly Mon tradition.

The Mon village, Wengka, in Sangkhlaburi District near Thailand-Burma border also celebrates water festival for 5 days from 13 April to 17 April in Mon tradition, said village leader, Mr. Nai Kyi Win. He also asked the Mon young men in the village to celebrate the festival in a polite way of maintaining Mon culture in yesterday’s meeting.

The similar New Year festival is also celebrated in Mon communities in Mon State, Karen State, Pagu Division and Tenasserim Division of lower Burma.

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