JOINT-STATEMENT ON 246TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALLEN DAY
OF
MON SOVEREIGN KINGDOM (HONGSAWATOI)
May
23, 2003
Today is the 246th anniversary of the fallen day
of our Mon sovereign kingdom, known as Hongsawatoi or
Pegu, which covered the whole of today's Lower
Burma.
The last Mon independent kingdom was invaded and occupied by the Burman on the 8th waning day of the second month of year
1119 Mon/Burmese lunar calendar (Christian Era 1757).
After the annexation of the kingdom, the Burman
king, Alaungpaya, brutally killed tens of thousands
of innocent Mon people including many women, children and over 3000 Mon
Buddhist monks. Many of them were burnt in stockade holocausts, similar
to destruction of Jews by Nazis. The Burman king also
destroyed all Mon manuscripts and stone inscriptions he found. Hundreds
of thousands of the Mon populace fled into Siam
(Thailand)
to escape the genocidal operation of the blood-thirsty Burman
king. On this grievous day, we, Mon people around the world, hold the
memorial ceremony in remembrance of our ancestors who were killed by the cruel Burman king, Alaungpaya.
Among the present inhabitants of Burma,
the Mon are the oldest. The Mon people arrived in Burma
as early as 2500 B.C. The Mon had established their own
kingdoms and enjoyed freedom and prosperity for many centuries. Since the fall
of their last kingdom (Hongsawatoi or Pegu) in 1757, the Mon people have become "a people
without a country". Therefore, restoration of our lost Mon homeland
is the highest and ultimate political goal of the present-day Mon people.
The present Burmese military junta, known as
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), has continued to oppress the people
of Burma.
The ethnic non-Burman
have been denied rights of self-determination under Burman
ethnocentric and racist military dictatorship, SPDC.
Therefore, we strongly demand the ruling Burmese
military regime, SPDC:
1) To
immediately stop all human rights violations in Burma;
2) To immediately stop land
confiscation and withdraw Burmese military operation in the Mon areas;
3) To allow the practice of Mon literacy,
traditional and cultural activities;
4)
To release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners,
including our Mon leaders (namely Nai Ngwe Thein,
Dr. Min Soe Lin and Dr. Kyi Win);
5) To start a genuine tripartite dialogue
between the SPDC, the National
League for Democracy (NLD), and leaders of the
ethnic non-Burman nationalities;
6) To recognize the Mon as a nation.
Central
Committee
1. Monland
Restoration Council (USA)
2. Mon Cultural Society (Canada)
3.
Overseas Mon Organization (Denmark)
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