KAOWAO NEWS NO. 125
Newsletter for social justice and freedom in
March 18 -
Readers’ Front
MAU: New umbrella organization takes over
MNU:
New checkpoint upsets
Myanmar border clashes kill 17, wound 19 – rebels
Mon having difficulty obtaining refugee status in Malaysia
Public unite with New Mon State Party
Sudden death of beloved Mon entertainer, Mon Chit Soe
The Legend of
King Naresuan: a glimpse into Mon Buddhist history
War pays a nighttime visit: By Thira Thura
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Dear readers,
We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kaowao
newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kaowao News
will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice
in
Regards,
Editor
Kaowao News
kaowao@hotmail.com, www.kaowao.org
__________________________________
Dear Kaowao team
It is a very good approach to develop kaowao in Burmese
version. It will benefit someone who cannot get full understanding from
both English and Mon.
Kwae Mon (
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MAU: New umbrella organization takes over
Kaowao:
Organizers of a new Mon umbrella organization is planning a
meeting to strengthen unity among the
According to Nai Baeng of the Mon Affairs Union (MAU), based on the Thai-Burma border, the Organizing Committee will meet this month to review their work and prepare for another conference with wider attendance by the general public.
“The MAU actually is not a new umbrella organization even though we were not widely known as the MUL. The MAU was not born overnight. It was the result of Mon National Conferences held over the last two years, in 2005 and 2006. The Mon National Conferences were sponsored by the New Mon State Party and attended by several delegates including community leaders, religious leaders and those from overseas. These conferences gave us the mandate to form the MAU,” said Nai Baeng.
The Mon Unity League (MUL), the former umbrella organization of the Mon people, transformed its strategy to focus more on mobilizing civil society than taking a political stance during its strategic meeting held on the Thai-Burma border in February 2007.
A Mon political observer said, “After the withdrawal of the New Mon State Party from the MUL, the MUL is no longer an umbrella organization and it is run only by a core group. However, it’s a pity that a new umbrella organization has emerged while the MUL is well known for its work in international campaigns.”
The MAU is now headed by a leading committee comprised of Nai Damrong, Nai Saha Mon, Nai Chan Toi, Ms. Sardar and Nai Baeng Gang Yeaeng.
Some critics worry that the new MAU may not serve all Mon people, while the NMSP may use this platform for its political agenda and to dominate other member organizations.
The MAU is organizing Mon people in four areas, namely
inside
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MNU:
Kaowao:
Mon educators are organizing to re-establish the non-campus Mon National University (MNU), founded by Dr. Jamlong Thongdee.
According to Sumit Punnakari, Project Manager of the Humanitarian Assistance
& Reconciliation Project (HARP) for the National Catholic Commission on
Migration (NCCM) based in
The decision to reopen the MNU was enthusiastically made at
a Seminar on Mon education, held in Bangkadee, a Mon
village near
“It is necessary to have a Mon university since there are
many
Even though there was no formal agenda to discuss the MNU,
over 60 participants were enthusiastic and impressed with the attendance of Dr.
Jamlong Thongdee, a
well-known Thai Mon scholar. He is the founder of MNU and past President of the
Mon Youth Community (
Dr. Jamlong founded the MNU in 1994, though its opening was postponed due to limited human and financial resources.
The Mon Education Seminar was organized by the Mon Education Supporting Group, headed by Mahar Uthai and Nai Ponya, to support young Mon monks studying Buddhism. The Committee has already raised about 350,000 baht for young monks to study religion, find temples and acquire basic education supplies.
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New check-point upsets
Kaowao:
Residents of the border town
According to Nai Aye Win, a
resident of
“It is another restriction for the cease fire groups because this (checkpoint) can closely monitor the movement of their groups. It is just a few yards between the two gates,” added Aye Win.
The other source says the new checkpoint is under control of the Burmese Army’s Infantry Battalion No. 18, headed by Lt Col Hla Min. Apparently it was opened so that the commander can make some extra money. Some traders use this route to avoid other main check points operated by local police and immigration officers.
The border closure and addition of this new checkpoint has caused local residents to have gasoline shortages and higher consumer prices.
The
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Myanmar border clashes kill 17, wound 19 – rebels
Reuters: Mae Sot,
Clashes along the Thai border between
Myanmar troops and its allied militia, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
(DKBA), raided three outposts of the Karen National Union (KNU) in the Karen
State along the Thai border at 2 a.m. on Sunday (1900 GMT), a Thai security
official told Reuters.
DKBA troops traveling by boat on the
The clashes, which lasted about an hour, also wounded at least 19 people on
both sides. The KNU retreated and their positions have been taken by
The raids, which prompted 300 Karen villagers to cross the river to the Thai
border town of
"The KNU has broken the agreement with the
No formal peace deal has been agreed and skirmishes continue with government
troops and their allies.
The KNU and its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), have
been fighting the central government for greater autonomy since 1949.
The rebels suffered a major setback in late 1994 when a Buddhist faction, now
the DKBA, staged a mutiny against the Christian-dominated group, breaking away
and eventually defecting to join the
The split was a key factor in the collapse of the KNU headquarters at Manerplaw
in early 1995.
Fighting between the KNU and the
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Mon
having difficulty obtaining refugee status in
Kaowao:
Only a
handful of Mon asylum seekers have been recognized as refugees in
Nai Roy Mon, a social worker at the Mon Refugee Organization
(MRO) based in Kuala Lumpur, said that over two thousand Mons
have registered with the MRO and only about 250 (12.5%) have been able to gain
an interview with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in
the past two years.
Asylum
seekers often look for help in applying for refugee status at the UNHCR office
through the MRO, but their chances are minimal.
“Compared
to other ethnic groups, few
Last
month, the Malaysian authorities raided the MRO office in
With the
help of local NGOs, the MRO offices in Kula Lumpur and
A Mon
youth Apar Hong Mon, who fled
The
UNHCR recognizes many Rohingyas and Chins as refugees, granting them temporary
status. Several thousands have been provided with documentation that
identifies them to Malaysian authorities.
Since
human rights violations continue in southern
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Public unite with New Mon State Party
Kaowao: March 19, 2007
The Mon population has united with the NMSP to fight for their national rights.
During an interview with a Kaowao reporter, Nai Htow Mon spoke modestly about
the grass root communities' movement that is concerned over pressure NMSP has
received by the State Peace and Development Council to lay down their
arms. The Mon population has grown disillusioned with the SPDC's National
Convention and its objective to disarm the cease-fire groups outright without
reciprocal concessions.
The 61-year-old NMSP President said that the NMSP continues to observe its
cease-fire policy according to what was agreed to in 1995, while calling on the
government to hasten democratic development to solve the political crisis
through a 3-party-dialogue; meanwhile, he listens carefully to what the public
wants saying that everyone has the responsibility to promote freedom in their
country.
According to the NMSP source, the majority of Mon want the NMSP to retain its
arms until such a time that country is well on its way down the path of freedom
and that the SPDC ceases from being a threat to their people who have suffered
so much.
The NMSP is one of the strongest ethnic ceasefire groups and occasionally
speaks out in support of an open dialogue with the military regime. It
also supports the UN Security Council decision to include
Established by Nai Shwe Kyin
in 1958, the NMSP is the only major political party with a military wing, the
Mon National Liberation Army, which has fought against the regime for almost
five decades.
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Sudden death of beloved Mon entertainer, Mon Chit Soe
Kaowao: March 18, 2007
Ye – The number one most popular Mon entertainer, Mon Chit Soe,
38, suddenly died soon after he was sent for treatment in a
The cause of his death is still unclear and relatives and fans are awaiting
news from the doctor's medical record. He died around 1:00 pm local time
on March 15, 2007.
Mon Chit Soe (aka) Nai Soe Tin, the owner of two
Dance Troupes was strongly in touch with the Mon community who appreciated his
creative performances in southern
"Everybody is absolutely stunned. How can he die, I can't believe
it! His last performance was recently at the funeral of Rev. Uttama. Many fans and even the older people enjoyed
his show. He was a role model and a first class entertainer," said Nai Tin Mon, a community leader of Waengka
Mon village, Thai-Burma border.
Mon Chit Soe, from Taung
Bon of Northern Ye, was talented in dancing, singing, and acting. He worked
tirelessly to develop the modern Mon Dance Troupe that he started fifteen years
ago. He even was invited to perform in
Last year, Ye township police charged him after his truck caused an accident
that killed two of his dancers in early December while his vehicle loading the
group crossing the bridge between Hnit-kayin and Anin suddenly lost control. While feeling guilt over being
responsible for their deaths, he negotiated with the local authorities to close
the case spending several million Kyats to settle the lawsuit.
"I cannot get my head around the fact that he is not with us anymore, we
will hugely miss him for his service to the
"He was a larger than life character, he wasn't afraid to try something
new and mix it with the traditions of Mon culture," said Cham Ong, a fan.
Than Oo, a boyhood friend from his village, Taung Bon, recalls fondly, "I saw him when he was a
young boy moving about on stage, to perform at the village festival. He
was just 38-years-old and it is a loss for us. He will be remembered for
the joy he brought them and for his passion."
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Entertainment
The Legend of
King Naresuan: a glimpse into Mon Buddhist history
(By Lita
Davidson)

Mon migrant workers in the kingdom rushed to movie theatres
recently to catch the latest Thai
flick in the biographical rendition of the legendary King Naresuan, a Thai
nobleman known as Phra Naret who at the end of the 16th century took
Thai to independence after throwing off the yoke of Burman domination.
The first two films released earlier this year are a part of trilogy directed
by Chatrichalerm Yukok, the last will be shown on December 5th in
commemoration of King Bhumipol Adulyadej’s 80th birthday
celebration.
“I am proud to
be Mon and can share what I know of Mon history with my Thai friends: that the
Mon had a big hand in the Thai achieving freedom from Burmese repression,” said
Nai Ong who went to see the movie twice with his friends in Bangkok.
The film
gives some sense of Mon culture under occupation of the Burmese King, Bayinnaung and depicts Honsawatoi
(Hanthawaddy or Pegu) a Mon empire which was one of
Southeast Asia’s finest cities during the 16th century, a cosmopolitan
axis made up of a diverse population from England, France, Portugal, Africa and
the Middle East among others. However, according to historical chronicles, the
city was mostly made up of Mon who continued to control different aspects of
the religious and trading networks under Burman domination after the fall of
Pegu in 1539 to the Burmans.
Since the
advent of Buddhism in
“My Thai friends
are a little confused. The term ‘Pamar Ramarn’ in Thai (Mon Burmese) is
often used instead of the Burmese phrase. For me, it is understandable
because the old Mon kingdom was under the Burmese kings (Tabin Shwe Htee and
Bayinnaung) at that time,” said a migrant worker, Nai Aye who went to the
theatre with his Thai friends.
The film
captured the imagination of Thai and Mon people alike and many Thai after
watching the film, flocked to travel agencies to book trips to modern day Bago
(Pegu) to browse through the city’s museum relics in the hope to catch a
glimpse into an ancient past, a magical kingdom that saw the rise of King Naresuan’s power with the help of the Mon people. The film
gives a flavour of this region’s history of what life was like, but reading the
history is by far more interesting and revealing of human behaviour, the film
also provides a stark picture of life and of the brutality inflicted on a
suppressed people which is still being felt and played out by the people in the
region. Reflecting on this, one of the highlights of the film however, apart
from the Thai, Burmese and Mon conversations was the use of blessing and
chanting in Mon language that proves how strong the Mon Buddhist culture was
and still is.
In the film, the
young prince was taken hostage by the Burman King Bayinnaung who at that time
sought to fashion himself after the traditions of the first Pagán Kings of the
9th century. Bayinnaung had crushed and conquered the Mon in Lower
Burma, Monland, to acquire not only Buddhist texts from the Mon, but secure the
expansion of rice agriculture in the more fertile floodplain zone of lower
Burma. Siam also figured prominately in his conquests and sought to keep
young Thai Naresuan as the vassal kingdom subservient. Ayutthaya had been
conquered and controlled by the Burman king since 1569 and who had kidnapped
the young boy as a bargaining tool. Naresuan grew up in Pegu and was trained as
a warrior and taught the Buddhist scriptures by Mon monks. He was a novice
under the good care of a Mon Abbot and later escaped to Thailand where he
planned his rebellion after the king’s death.
The young adult
prince returned to Honsawatoi after the death of King Bayinnaung in 1581 and
was to become a formidable military strategist. King Naresuan later on
declared sovereignty for Siam (Thai) with the help of his Abbot and Mon
ministers who were in the same boat under the rule of the Burmese since early
in the 16th century.
The details of death of Naresuan are unclear, some accounts say he died during a battle with a Burman king, others say he succumbed to smallpox, while the Shan say he died while rushing to aid a Shan in their quest for independence from Burma. Whatever the case may be, King Naresuan has long since been a source of pride for the Thai, whose portrait and bronze statue sitting astride a horse is seen throughout the kingdom.
According to
online estimates, the film has an estimated budget of 700 million baht, making it the most expensive Thai film
ever produced.
The Legend of King Naresuan stars Wanchana Sawatdee in the leading role, a newcomer to Thai cinema and who is a cavalry officer in the Royal Thai Army, Chatchai Plengpanich, Intira Jaroenpura, Sorapong Chatree and Sompop Benjatkul. Much of the film was shot in Kanachanaburi province, the actual area of many of the historical events and a border crossing for the Mon who sought refuge offered by the Thai royal families throughout the centuries.
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War pays a nighttime visit
(By
My comrades in our unit of the Mon National Liberation Army are on patrol and marching quietly through a clearing in the jungle. I know it is close to midnight because the jungle grows still at this time, as if it is taking a deep breath for the oncoming night. I barely notice the night animals in the jungle; there is almost no sound. Then suddenly an ear splitting explosion, the sound of mortar shells thudding into the earth and machine gun drifts cut through the silence with ferocity.
I look around to see through the darkness to find my comrades who were on my left and right. I know at once that our unit is being ambushed by the enemy’s troops. Amid the spitting of bullets and flares of light from mortar fire, fierce fighting breaks out, while I try to focus on what is happening, I hear clearly one of my comrades calling out for my help. I rush to help him and just before reaching him a mortar shell whips in beside me with a mind-numbing thud. In my eyes, I can see nothing except the bright and hot fire from the explosion. My whole body is thrown forward from the impact of the explosion. I am so frightened that my heart is racing. I try to examine my body. My shaking hand is hesitantly resting on my cold body that is covered with sweat. I am amazed that my body is intact without any injury inflicted by the explosion. I am even more amazed that it is not a real battlefield. It is in fact a bad dream, a nightmare. Even when I am fully awake, my heart is still beating with fear.
I cannot go back to sleep. It is already after midnight and I try many times to close my eyes to go back to sleep. Even with my eyes closed, I can still see vividly those images in my dream. I see my comrades who are fighting alongside with me, who get ripped apart by the bullets and explosions. I feel really guilty for that. I know that it is a dream and it is not real. But in the real world this is happening. Most of my comrades are in the jungle now fighting for our freedom. At one time, we all vowed to fight together to the end until we regain our long lost sovereignty and our rights with dignity. But while my comrades are now sacrificing their lives and fighting, I feel deeply selfish to depart from the revolution and abandon my comrades to settle in a third country. I am thoroughly questioning myself and at the same time strongly criticizing my selfish behaviors and attitude. At one time, I have vowed to sacrifice my personal interests and my life for our Mon people. Now, I have completely abandoned and disregarded my dignity and my vows to our Mon people. The Burmese authorities are still oppressing our people and I ignore their plight to live in peace in a third country.
I live like this everyday, so frightened with my heart beating so fast. My body breaks out in a cold sweat, like the mortar and gunfire in my dream. In fact, my heartbeat and cold sweat this time is caused by dispute between right and wrong toward our Mon people. How can I justify my selfish behavior to abandon our cause and struggle for our Mon people while my comrades are still fighting and sacrificing their lives? I ask myself to find the right solution.
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