Ethnic Mons Celebrated their National Day
20 February 2011: Burma’s ethnic Mon people across the globe celebrated their national day on 19 February 2011, marking its 64th anniversary in their respective residing countries.
A joint statement issued yesterday by a coalition of global Mon communities said: “The Mon National Day is annually celebrated on the founding day of the last Mon Kingdom, Hongsawatoi, by the two Mon princes, Samala and Wimala in 572 AD.”
“It has been 64 years since the Mon National Day was conceived with the purpose of promoting the Mon national spirit and unity to regain the rights of Mon people.”
In London, Mon Community in UK is to hold their national day celebration on 26 February 2011 in which Mon heroes will be honoured by singing Mon national anthem, performing live music and traditional dances as parts of promoting their culture and identity.
It is reported that Mon National Day was yesterday celebrated at Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma.
Burma’s military regime continues oppressing and denying the rights of the Mon as well as other ethnic nationalities in the country and acting nothing but just to prolong its stay on power, according to the statement.
In their statement, the Mon coalition called for a support of convening the secnond Panglong conference in order to establish a genuine federal union and of bringing national reconciliation, and urged the international communities to continue their support for democratic changes in Burma.
Burma’s lasting political solution can be reached only through a tripartite dialogue between democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leaders of ethnic nationalities and the military regime, the coalition stressed.
The Mon established prosperous kingdoms in today’s lower Burma and enjoyed the rights of sovereign nations for many centuries. However, the last Mon kingdom, Hongsawatoi, was invaded and occupied by the Burman in 1757. Ever since, the Mon have been enslaved in their own land by the political duplicity and military might of the successive Burmese governments.
Van Biak Thang
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