MUL Role & Activities in Mon Community
(August 2007)

---

1. Migrant Workers’ Education Activities

A Mon and Thai language combined ‘teaching curriculum for migrant workers’ came out by the help of MUL to Non-Formal Education Department in Ministry of Education.  Since there is a need for migrant education in Thailand in order to educate them about Thai laws and Thai language, MUL collaborates with Thai non-formal education department and developed a Curriculum for Mon migrant workers to learn both Thai and Mon languages.  Although the Curriculum was developed, MUL must have to take time to have full participation from migrant workers to teach both Thai and Mon languages under a proper adult education program.   More adult and children at Maharchai, Bangkadee and Kanchanaburi are learning the Mon language in their respected venues such as in the monastery and government schools.

2. Awareness workshop for Bilingual Education Program

From August 14 to 17, there was a Workshop on Bilingual Education Program held in Wat Wiweikaram School in Wengka Mon villages.  In the Workshop, the officials from Ministry of Education (MOE) and researchers from Mahidol University involved and discussed on the Bilingual Education Program (school system of teaching mother language and Thai language in classes).  The program was developed Mahidol University and UNESCO in Thailand.  After a workshop in July, the MOE has allowed different local ethnic community to initiate the program. 

There are about 15 Mon teachers are getting involved in teaching of Mon language to Mon children in Wengka Mon village as mobile project activities for over one academic year.  It has founded some successes and good coordination between Mon and Thai teachers.  But there is a need to improve the teaching skills of Mon teachers. 

3. Consultation on The Constitution of the Federal Republic of the Union of Burma

All leaders from non-Burman ethnic nationalities from Burma intend to establish a ‘Federal Union of Burma’, and ‘Ethnic Nationalities Seminar’ formed ‘Federal Constitution Drafting and Coordinating Committee (FCDCC)’ with many representatives from ethnic people in order to draft a Federal Constitution that guarantees to democracy, human rights and equal rights of all ethnic people.  While this FCDCC has been drafting (draft) Federal Constitution, the committee members also conducted trips to ethnic areas of Burma and have met with the people from various organizations of concerned ethnic people.

From August 10 to 12, FCDCC arrived to Mon area and consulted on their draft Federal Constitution, to give feedback and discuss on the power share between States and Federal.  MUL with along other Mon organizations, New Mon State Party and other Mon civil society organizations participated in consultation.  Main discussion on the consultation varied from basic principles of guaranteeing the equality for all ethnic nationalities to sharing power between Chamber of Nationalities (like Senate) and Chamber of People’s Representatives in the Parliament of Federal Union.

In order to connect in genuine Federal Union of Burma, each ethnic people has the rights to draw their own State Constitution.  Therefore, many non-Burman ethnic nationalities of Burma, Kachin, Chin, Shan, Karenni, Karen, Mon, and Arakan drew their own State Constitution in previous years.  Therefore, Mon representatives in consultation also contribute their opinions what central powers they should offer to Government of Federal Union; what concurrent power both States and Federal should exercise, and what separate powers that the State has to exercise are discussed. 

The Mon representatives learned that many Burman leaders in pro-democracy oppositions agreed on establishment of Federal Union in their political objectives. But the Burman leaders have no intention to draw a draft Burman State Constitution, just agreed on to form ‘Burman State Constitution Study Group’, to learn the steps of drafting constitution.  FCDCC informed that there has been no progress from Burman State Constitution Study Group to move forward in drafting Burman State Constitution (draft) to show their desire for equality among all ethnic nationalities.