MUL Role & Activities in Mon Community
(December 2007)

1. Presenting Concept Papers to Conference on Mon National Affairs

In order to propose the political opinions of MUL in the coming Conference on Mon National Affairs, MUL is preparing a concept paper for preparation of political agenda for the rights of self-determination of Mon people.  MUL wrote the concept paper and proposed in the meeting of ‘Representing Group of Thailand-Burma border and Thailand’ to the Conference, and the concept paper was reviewed.  Some parts of paper were suggested and edited. Besides MUL, another groups those wrote the papers empowering civil society and strengthening unity among the Mon people are also proposed. 

In the concept paper by MUL, it has the following suggestions to the Conference:

• Prepare for tripartite dialogue: MUL welcomes UN mediation for the political dialogue between the ruling regime and democratic opposition: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and National League for Democracy (NLD).  It encourages UN role to push for tri-partite dialogue that will include representatives from ethnic nationalities.  If the Mon ethnic is invited to participate in this dialogue process, they need to be ready to select appropriate dialogue partners. 
• Prepare for armed struggle: If the ruling SPDC does not want to engage in dialogue, and pushes for their 7-points road map, one day it will force the New Mon State Party (NMSP) to disarm their armed force – Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA).  If there is no complete rights of self-determination, NMSP and MNLA should not surrender and keep armed struggle as promised to the people. 
• Prepare for elections: If the SPDC keeps their 7 points road map and arrange an election accordingly to one point in road map, one Mon political party should participate and contest in elections whether it is fair or not in order to show their representation of Mon people.
   

2. Participation in Formation of Mon Affairs Union (MAU)

The Conference on Mon National Affairs was held in a NMSP’s liberated area from December 27 to December 29, 2007.  About 65 representatives from Monland, NMSP area, Thailand-Burma border and Thailand, and overseas attended this national level Conference.  In the Conference, all representatives agreed to form a united Mon national front in order to facilitate the unity among the Mon people, to encourage and empower Mon civil society like Mon Literature and Culture Groups, Mon Youth and Women Groups, Mon Traditional Dance Performance Group and other civilians based organizations.  Whether there is political change or not, they must involve in upholding the preservation of Mon literature and culture, Mon national education, economic development and participation in community development.  In order to coordinate these activities, the united front of Mon organizations in the name of Mon Affairs Union (MAU) was officially formed by the votes of majority. 

Although MUL is standing as networking organization in Thailand, it agree to be a member in this united front with a purpose to help in coordinating for the activities of Mon people.  MUL believes by participating in this united front or union, it can enlarge networking with other organizations and support a lot of their activities.  Ultimate goal of MAU is to struggle for the rights of self-determination for the Mon people.
 

3. Bi-Lingual Education System in Thailand

In order to facilitate ‘Bi-Lingual Education System’ in ethnic people dominated Thai Schools, MUL has been intensively helping Thai academics in developing Mon language curriculum for kindergarten and Grade I levels.  The Thai education experts has used Wengka Mon village (in Sangkhlaburi) Wat Wiweikaram School to test their project and so that they often travel to have regular training in order to develop curriculums for the kids.  Mon Teachers are also trained how to develop curriculum with local knowledge in order to upgrade the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of these children. 

The experts instructed that when the non-Thai kids came to school, first they should meet with their teachers who speak the same language or mother tone.  By communicating with mother tones to the kids, the teachers can provide creative thinking among the kids by telling stories and questioning to think.  But they said that the curriculum is very important in order to promote critical thinking among the kids, and the stories must close to their daily life.  Then after Grade I, during Grade II, there will be bridging to move and learn second language, Thai language.  But the Mon language will still remain as subject until Grade VI. 
However, MUL founds that some Mon parents did not welcome on this ‘bi-lingual education system’, and it is a need to have awareness program among the parents.   MUL with collaboration with teachers and community leaders will have to express the parents those do not understand system, to accept the new change.