KAO WAO NEWS No. 7

 

January 5-15

 

 

READERS' FRONT

MON COMMUNITY URGES MUL TO LOBBY BETWEEN ARMED GROUPS

REFUGEES ASK UNHCR TO ENTER NEW CAMP

MON NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT FORMS IN THAILAND

STATE PARANOID ON MIGRANT LABOUR

WARRANT FOR REGISTERED WORKERS

GENERALS ENJOY THE OPENING CEREMONY

8TH CONFERENCE OF MRC (USA)

THE SPIRIT OF MON CULTURE IN THAILAND

 

 

READERS' FRONT

 

Dear readers,

Kao Wao welcomes you all into the New Year 2002. We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that KaoWao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice in Burma and Thailand. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. Above all, we hope the newsletter will be used as a vehicle for those who want to share their views and experiences.

 

We reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include your full name and address.

 

Regards,

Editor Kaowao@hotmail.com

 

 

Dear Editor,

 

Regarding your stories about the split among the Mon armed forces, who should be [the ones blamed} for? Not the New Mon State Party nor Col. Pan Nyunt, but the military [Burmese] junta. We have to understand the New Mon State Party has remained politically active in supporting democratic movement and federal union in Burma; and the NMSP was pressured by the regime. Understanding position of cease-fire groups is also important in making conclusion. LehJu Monnya (Zopbu) January 7, 2002

 

 

Dear Kao Wao News,

 

I am expecting to read more about Mon culture and literacy movement whenever it is possible. Would you please focus on culture?

 

Wyman

January 10, 2002

 

 

MON COMMUNITY URGES MUL TO LOBBY BETWEEN ARMED GROUPS

(Kao Wao, January 8, 2002)

 

A gathering of activists, Mon workers, members of Mon Unity League and MNDF (Liberated Area) urged the umbrella organization of the Mon to continue in its lobbying mission between the New Mon State Party and the newly formed Hongsawatoi Restoration Party led by Col. Pan Nyunt. The public meeting was chaired by Nai Sunthorn Sripanngern, Secretary General of MUL and its International Representative, Nai Cham Toik in the liberated area. The agenda evaluated ideas and opinions from the public concerning controversial issues among the Mons in the field of armed conflict and dispute. Through consensus, the participants requested MUL to take the role as mediator among the Mon armed groups to prevent bloody confrontation.

 

The meeting advised the negotiating mission to keep the public informed on a non-partisan basis and to provide an unbiased, accurate report on either side of the conflict. The MUL formed a negotiation mission, comprised of five members, to lobby between the two parties on November 24, 2001. The mission at this point in time is looking at methods to reach a fair resolution to the problem.

 

Meanwhile, fighting broke out between a combination force of Karen and Mon guerrillas led by Col. Pan Nyunt against the Burmese army at Kwan Tamoi and Mae Kasah, near 3 Pagodas Pass border town, opposite Sangkhalaburi District, Thailand on January 7, 2002. Fighting also broke out on the same day between the NMSP and the warrior group led by Major Ong Hmoin. The Mon fighting at Bleh Doonpite lasted for about an hour when the splinter group approached the fort of NMSP near Halockhanee refugee camp. After NMSP army shelled 60 and 80-mm mortar, the splinter group retreated, casualties of both sides were not reported.

 

A liaison officer of Hongsawatoi Restoration Party, formed by Col. Pan Nyunt, said before the incident, the new party had no intention to engage armed conflict with the NMSP, but has vowed to continue the fight against the Burmese junta. The source from the NMSP informed Kao Wao that in spite of Col. Pan Nyunt's movement, the policy of NMSP would not change its position or its principles.

 

 

REFUGEES ASK UNHCR TO ENTER NEW CAMP

(Kao Wao Bangkok, January 9, 2002)

 

About 30 Mon refugees formally made an appeal to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Office in Bangkok on January 8 to enter the new camp.  The Mon refugees including Buddhist monks and students, categorized by the UNHCR Office as Border Cases, are disturbed over new formal relationships between Thailand and Burma and have requested UNHCR to enter the new camp for their safety. They fled Burma due to human right’s violations by the military junta and most of them live in Thailand as illegal immigrants, despite being recognized as refugees by the UN.

 

Since the Thai-Burma Joint Committee meeting being held in Phuket on January 7-9, the possibility of repatriation has feared the applicants. The Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung and Lt-Gen Kyaw Than, Chairman of the Burmese-Thai Culture and Economic Executive Committee, led a Burmese delegation for the sixth meeting with Thai counterparts. The meeting had reached some progress on fishery agreements and repatriation of illegal migrants, but there was some concern on how to define “displaced” by the Burmese in reference to Thailand’s request to having a third party monitor the repatriation process. The Burmese government agreed to set up a refugee holding center on the border in Myawaddy for deported illegal migrants staying on Thai soil. Recently, Kachadpai Buruspattana, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said the Thai government would ask Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi on his upcoming visit, to assist Thailand on the issue of repatriating. He also said he wants to limit the UNHCR's role and mandate in the repatriation process.

 

Last month on December 27, Thai authorities forcibly shut down the Maneeloy Burmese student center in Ratchaburi, 150 kilometers west of Bangkok, and sent the students to a new camp, Tham Hin, about 10 km from the Burma border.  The new Tham Hin camp, provided by the Thai government and the UNHCR office is situated in the same Ratchaburi province but communication and transportation are difficult and facilities such as electricity and water supply are not up to standard as they were back in the old camp.

 

 

MON NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT FORMS IN THAILAND

(Kao Wao, Thailand, January 6)

 

A special meeting was organized at a liberated area with participants electing the new Executive Committee of the Mon National Democratic Front (Liberated Area- Thailand) on January 6, 2002. Nai Tun Way, the leader and candidate of MNDF who fled Burma after 1990 general election was chosen as the Chairperson, Nai Popha as Vice-Chairperson and Nai Pong as the General Secretary respectively.

 

The Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) was founded in Burma after the 1988 nation wide uprising and gained popularity among Mon civilians inside Burma. It was disbanded in March, 1992 by the military regime despite MNDF winning 5 seats in the general election. The Mon national movement was suppressed by the regime and key leaders of MNDF, Nai Ngwe Thein, Dr. Min Kyi Win and Dr. Min Soe Lin were arrested due to political activities and for supporting the Committee for Representative of Peoples Parliament (CRPP) in 1998.

 

 

STATE PARANOID ON MIGRANT LABOURS

(Based on Independent Mon News Agency, January 2, 2002)

 

The Mon State Peace and Development Council of Burma issued a statement forbidding people to seek employment in neighboring countries due to concerns over the continual flow of people who have opted to leave Burma to work in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore as migrant labours.

 

In the statement reported by IMNA, Mon State PDC warned “If someone goes to a foreign country illegally, it is [understood as an action] that is breaking the existing law and the person must face punishment while the traffickers must face severe penalty.” It further added that migrants will face penalties on their arrival back in accordance with the Burma immigration law and must learn to feel encouraged to work within the country to support development and pay gratitude for the country of origin.

 

Since October and November 2001, the junta has called public meetings in different villages in Mon State. At Ye, Mudon and Thanbyu Zayat townships, mass meeting were held ordering people to inform their families and relatives who worked abroad to return home immediately. Township authorities instructed village headmen to spread the order to all villagers. The migrants are given a deadline to return by the end of year 2001 and those who return home later must face legal action.

 

Meanwhile, living costs are very high and the income is too low in Burma to sustain even a basic existence, consequently many people leave. At least 25 people a day enter Thailand through Three Pagodas Pass alone reported by IMNA.  A monk from Mudon said, “A lot of people are planning to leave as migrant labours, they contact traffickers [to assist]. There are no young people to work in the community anymore and I have to be involved with the community. We can't stop them from going abroad because of the deteriorating economy. They have no jobs to feed their families” he added.

 

 

MIGRANT WATCH

 

WARRANT FOR REGISTERED WORKERS

(Kao Wao Reporter, January 7, 2002)

 

(11) Workers were issued warrants after they were arrested and deported to Burma because of a demonstration that had taken place at “THAILAND DAY FOODS SEA COOL STORAGE CO. LTD” on December 6, 2001, a worker reported.

 

The demonstrators demanded their work permit cards. All migrants’ belongings were kept by police after being arrested and were subjected to inquires by immigration officers at Mahachai. After they were arrested at Mahachai (3) days, they were sent to Immigration Detention Center (IDC) at Bangkok (2) days and then deported to Burma through Mae Sot, Thai- Burma border, said Nyan Mon a deported Mon worker.

 

The migrants’ photos were then plastered over walls of working sites along with the issued warrants, including their names and information committing them in a criminal case. Now they have returned from Burma after being deported and they dare not walk freely around looking for employment at other factories, fearing that an employer may have seen their warrants for arrest.

 

The employer of the company, Thailand Day Foods Sea Cool Storage Co. Ltd. has now accused them of murder calling the police to arrest.  There are (9) Mon workers from HtomSa, KreNa, Kyaik Paran, Htaw Plarn, Khayah, Aproah, Tong Parank, Khao Jel villages of Mon State and (2) Burman from Kawkareik, Karen State.  The (11) workers were the suspected leaders of the protest demanding they keep their cards at the fish processing factory at Na Rommit near the Talart Phong Thit, Maharchai and were deported to Burma last month. Many owners keep the cards of alien workers, who are not permitted to hold cards under any circumstances, even to visit the clinic or to show them for rent. Workers were later granted their cards on December 8, 2001 after protest. But the Thai supervisor called the police again to arrest the demonstration leaders on December 17, 2001.

 

 

GENERALS ENJOY THE OPENING CEREMONY

(Based on TV Myanmar and Kao Wao, January 1)

 

The Burmese generals were busy at work attending the opening ceremonies of schools and hospitals in Mon State. As early as 7:30 in the morning on December 27, 2001, a new Pyinnya Yaungkyi Modern Library, in the compound of the Mon Cultural Centre in Moulmein, was opened by Brig-Gen Thura Myint Aung. Mon State Administrator U Tin Pe in a speech extolled the opening of Modern Library and Brig-Gen Thura Myint Aung, chairman of the Mon State Peace and Development Council and commander of Southeast Command deftly cut the ribbon to open the library. The commander then attended the opening ceremony of another Library at Thaton, northern city of Mon State on the same morning at 9:30 while the other Commander, Brig-Gen Myint Swe, presented nine computers and equipment for use at the Pyinna Yungkyi Library. The commanders made their way to another ceremony held at the General Hospital in Thaton to mark the reception of water supply.

 

However, in one case, a local community of Durae, Ye Township, Mon State, recently built a self-funded school and is now ready to open for students. The self-funded high school cost about 10 million Kyats (Burmese currency) and most of the funds were raised by the locals, the government only added a small amount from its Border Development Project. The local community was then asked to organize and fund a receiving ceremony for the Generals to attend. "We don't want an opening ceremony for the Generals. The ceremony means more money for welcoming the generals and officers. They’re very serious for events and very formal with the entertainment and food," said an anonymous community leader. They would (villagers) have to collect money from the villagers for food, ribbon, flowers, and the gathering will cost half a million Kyat, added a village headman.

 

 

8TH CONFERENCE OF MONLAND RESTORATION COUNCIL (USA)

(MRC, December 29, 2001)

 

The Monland Restoration Council, based in USA, held its 8th annual conference on December 25-26, 2001 at Fort Wayne, Indiana. The MRC reviewed its activities of 2001 and widely discussed its future plans and activities. The new Central Committee members, for a two-year term, were elected in the meeting. The leading committee included Nai PonNya Mon as Chairman, Nai Mon Saung as Vice Chairman and Nai Ong Htaw Mon as Secretary General respectively.

 

MRC-USA was founded in 1994 by a small group of Mon and was formerly known as IMCOB (Indigenous Mon Council of Burma). It was the first overseas Mon group to promote and preserve the literature and culture of the Mon, to end civil war, and to establish a federal union in Burma. The largest group of resettled Mons are in Indiana, over the past years a Mon Buddhist temple has been built by the Mon community.

 

 

THE SPIRIT OF MON CULTURE IN THAILAND

(By Lita Davidson in Thailand)

 

In a jovial atmosphere, Thais of ethnic Mon origin and Mon people from Burma celebrated together Mon National Day at Samakkhiyaram Temple in Pathum Thani’;s Sam Khok district in Thailand on January 7, 2002. There was a spirit of generous welcome offered throughout the day to guests and participants, who enjoyed delicious food, an array of drinks and desserts and were entertained with traditional singing and dancing, Mon style. People laughed and were happy to see friends and family they haven’t seen in years, elderly women danced and cajoled with one another out on the open plaza, and young girls, wearing their Thai school uniforms, wore cute yellow and red Sheldrake hats made of paper. While monks chanted in the temple, Mon female dancers, looking like works of art dressed in bright silk blouses and hand woven textile sarongs, danced in perfect unison to the music of a Mon traditional orchestra, which included intricately carved wooden drums, cymbals, gongs and a xylophone.

 

There was a strong sense of one-of-us that even included foreigners, guests walked and talked freely with one another, many were curious and were pleased to learn of each other’s heritage, others sang songs and danced merrily. Several Mons had set up food stands and were selling Mon food and souvenirs, bulletins boards displayed a chronology of Mon history and recent news on the refugees.

 

 

KAO WAO NEWS GROUP Kaowao@hotmail.com