“KAO WAO” NEWS No. 3

 

(November 23- December 3, 2001)

 

 

MON UNITY LEAGUE URGES COMPROMISE

(Sangkhalaburi, November 27, 2001)

 

Leaders of Mon Unity League (MUL) held an ad-hoc meeting on November 24 at Sangkhalaburi to discuss the motives and issues surrounding the splinter group led by Col. Pan Nyunt.  At the top of the agenda was the splinter group’s advancement for revenue into the Three Pagodas Pass border town last week, an area that had been under the New Mon State Party’s control until 1990 when the Burmese army moved in and seized the area.  As the situation may well reach an armed conflict confrontation between the New Mon State Party and the splinter group, the meeting formed a negotiation mission comprised of 5 members, including a senior Mon abbot, to lobby between the two parties.  Other issues discussed were Mon national affairs such as drafting a State Constitution, the celebration of Mon National Day and preparation for its upcoming annual general meeting. From a confirmed source, MUL has no intention to interfere in the internal affairs of its former member, but will lobby with the splinter group and the NMSP to avoid the possibility of a bloody conflict.  MUL will take the role as mediator as it concerns Mon armed groups, to prevent confrontation, otherwise the military junta will have the advantage to strengthen its position, argued a MUL leader. According to the DVB radio, the Burma Military Operations Management Command No. 19, which is stationed at Ye Township, Mon State ordered the Mon State Prisons Department for an emergency supply of 500 prisoner porters to be recruited which is believed will be used for an offensive against the splinter group.  Burmese IB no 62 led by Col. Way Tun burnt down Htee Wah Doe a Karen village, which is 5 kilometers from Thailand border on November 27, in retaliation against their support for the insurgents. When the NMSP entered a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese junta in June 1995, a couple of troops broke away from the party.  The Mon National Liberation Army of Mergui Division led by Major. Chan Dein separated in 1996 and operated in the area opposite Prachuabkirikan Province in southern Thailand.  Nai Hloin, who later formed Mon National Defense Army, also recruited guerrillas and remains sporadically active in the Ye and Yebyu areas.  The split of the NMSP this time gained more attention among the public as Col. Pan Nyunt is a Central Committee member of the party and Commander of Tactical Command No.1 of the Mon army.

 

 

FEAR AT CLOSURE OF SAFE AREA

Maneeloy, November 29, 2001 (Based on local reporter and The Nation)

 

The safe area for Burmese students in Ratchaburi province will be closed on December 15 and there is growing concern amidst fear that refugees have nowhere to go. Asylum seekers not eligible to resettle in a third country will be relocated by the Interior Ministry and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to a temporary shelter for displaced persons.  There are about 300 refugees from Burma including 70 Mon nationals in the camp said a student from Overseas Mon National Students Organization (OMNSO).  Among the 100 interviewed to resettle in the USA, only 7-8 Mons are included he added. The refugees were informed that the UNHCR plans to move them to a camp either in Ratchaburi's Suan Phung district or Kanchanaburi's Sangkhla Buri district. The Maneeloy centre was set up in 1993 to accommodate students from Burma fleeing brutal suppression in their home country but became embroiled in controversy when many of its charges were suspected of taking part in hostage-taking raids at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok as well as Ratchaburi provincial hospital.

 

A Mon family who has lived in the camp for two years said most were worried they will be deported to Burma, plus the new shelter will not be a safe for them.  One family member reported that she has been under intensive pressure of finding a sponsor in a third country to leave the camp before its closure.  There are Mon communities in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Finland, who originally migrated from the camp but Mon issues gains less attention with sponsoring groups and overseas Mon communities are too weak to help. Migrant Watch

 

 

HELL’S GATE AT FISHING SITE

(Reported by Gong Ong, November 29, 2001)

 

Geeta Mon, a popular Mon band, performed at Wat Kumphar of Maharchai temple festival this week for 3 nights from November 28 to 30, attracted thousands of fans.  The Mon people have longed for this kind of excitement, which has been missed for many years back home.  Leading Mon celebrity star, Hongsar Marn, Jeol Marn, and Chem Hongsar attracted the lively crowd during the concert which was accompanied by traditional dances performed by migrant Mon girls during the fund raising event for this annual festival at Maharchai, 30 kilometers west from Bangkok.

 

“All seats were sold out,” said Nai Win Oo, one of organizers for this festival.  The partygoers, mostly teenage boys and girls, are recent migrants seeking a better life in Thailand from that in Burma.  Many came straight from work to enjoy the live entertainment with gleeful animation. People were in good humor, the atmosphere was reminiscent of home back in Burma, with young girls chatting to one another, their faces painted with Thanakhar make-up, people milling about wearing sarongs, smoking cigars and greeting boisterously to one another in the Mon country style manner.  “The temple ground seems like Monland and the happiness is everywhere,” said a girl from the prawn-processing factory who came to Thailand after she quit middle school in Burma.  “We have missed this opportunity in Burma because of force labour and the lack of jobs back home.”  Even well known Mon bands inside Burma have left because the government prohibits Mon national day and cultural events.  “Singers and musicians have left home to Thailand, Malaysia and other countries for better life”, said Ong Chan, a young Mon singer who entertained the appreciative crowd.

 

The registration of alien workers in Thailand as migrant workers has brought a sense of relaxation to the Mon community of Samutsakhorn (Maharchai) these days.  The number of Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian labours in Thailand was estimated at over 700,000 people, who work in the 4D types of jobs (demand, difficult, dirty and dangerous).  Jobs that Thai workers refuse to do, such as sea fisher, construction worker, coal-miner, domestics helpers, water transport and labour force in the agriculture sectors.  Over half a million aliens from Burma registered this year 2001.  Their identity cards will expire in six months though, at which time the Thai government may decide to repatriate them to Burma.

 

“Workers do not have to worry and run away from police raids as before,” said Nai Sorn a migrant from Ye township.  “But I have been waiting for 3 months to go to sea on a fishing boat, as I am jobless now and need to work,” he worried.  Many migrant workers here registered with the Labour Ministry but fishing fleet owners refuse to assist with the registration fee.  Most workers pay out of their own pocket, and some owners advanced money for the fees.  Registration fees were exploited by employers, which range from 3500 to 5000 B, when the original fee was set at 3250 Baht for each worker.  Owners also keep the identity cards of migrant workers, who are not permitted to hold these cards under any circumstances; with their movement being restricted it is difficult for them to go out, even to the clinic.  Apart from the police raids and extortion, other conditions such as the lack of access to medical care and the denial of freedom of movement are the same as before.  Commercial fisherman upon returning after many months of working on fishing trawlers are not allowed to come to shore, while others are restricted not to leave the fishing docks.

 

Recently two Mon workers were beaten to death at Wat Jed prawn processing factory early this month.  A Thai owner of fishing factory at Wat Jed (7) savagely beat two Mon migrant workers from BiLu Kyun (Chaung Zone) Township, Mon State of Burma, both worked at the fishing factory of Wat Jed (7), Maharchai.  On November 10, 2001 around 8 A.M. the two migrants named Nai Myo Win, age 37, and a woman named Mi Tin Shwe, age 46, were tortured and beaten directly in front of their coworkers in the prawn processing factory. Mi Tin Shwe is confirmed dead and the other person is missing.  Following this incident, a Thai NGO contacted the husband of the victim and sent a lawyer to investigate the case.  But the husband of Mi Tin Shwe could not find coworkers who will act as witness to confirm the torture and lawlessness, as most of them fear retaliation by the Thai owner.

 

 

HUMAN RIGHTS REACHING OUT

Chiang Mai, Bangkok, December 1, 2001

 

At the end of a two-day Consultation on “Toward More Effective Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Asia” in Bangkok, representatives of rights organizations from eighteen Asian countries and peoples’ groups urged governments in the region to improve their rights records and to protect human rights defenders from violent reprisals.  At the meetings, attended by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Ms. Hina Jilani, participants called for increased international cooperation to end attacks on individuals and groups striving to defend and promote human rights in the region.

 

The Consultation was held at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok organized by Forum Asia, Human Rights Watch and other International NGOs.  Zahan Ong of Mon Unity League and Ms. Mi Ainon of Mon Workers Union were among 80 human rights advocates from Asia and Pacific region.  The keynote speaker and the lecturer for this two-day gathering from November 30 to December 1 was UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, Ms. Hina Jilani. The participants were able to join with different workshops and open discussion with the UN Special Representative during this gathering.

 

In Chiang Mai, a workshop on how local community can promote and protect human rights also took place on 22-27 November 2001. This workshop was organized by “Friends Without Borders” and was attended by people from various organizations, which included local Thais and refugees.

 

The participants made the (6) day workshop lively by freely exchanging experiences and sharing ideas.  They agreed to develop new ways to combat human rights violations that is dependent upon their ability to remain unified.  The participants included 2 youths of Mon Unity League, who were pleased with the opportunity to develop alliances and will plan to network together on future developments concerning human rights.  The main objectives of the workshop are to provide basic information on principles, international and national mechanisms, and to strengthen the civil society network.

 

 

COMMITTEE FOR REVITALIZATION OF MON CULTURAL HERITAGE

(Bangkok, December 1. 2001)

 

The Committee for Revitalization of Mon Cultural Heritage was recently founded by a gathering of Mon at Wat Chana Songkhram in downtown Bangkok. Their first initiative is to preserve the old Mon palm leaves, which is stored at several Thai Mon monasteries.  Thousands of bundles of palm leaves were retrieved from the dusty shelves when the Thai Education Ministry decided to launch a survey last year at two monasteries in Thailand.  It inspired the Mons to work closely together on preserving this important national heritage of old palm leaves in the Thai Mon Monasteries.  The second meeting of Mons from both Thailand and Burma gathered together with leaders of Thai Raman Association, Mon Youth Community (Bangkok), Mon Unity League and Mon National Democratic Front (LA) formed a new committee to restore their cultural heritage.

 

The main committee is named “Committee for Revitalization of Mon Cultural Heritage” by the group and appointed Dr. Sued Gajaseni, the President of Thai Ramarn Association, Ms. Amphai Markmarn, the Chairperson of Mon Youth Community and a Mon history scholar Dr. Emmanuel Guillon as members of the Advisory Board.  Nai Phisarn Boonphoke was selected as the Chairman and Ms. Bussba Prapasapong, who led the survey team last year, was selected as the General Secretary of the newly formed committee.

 

 

[KAO WAO NEWS GROUP

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