MUL Role & Activities in Mon Community
(July 2007)
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1. Bi-lingual Education Activities
From July 4-6, there is a Workshop on Bi-lingual Education (local and Thai languages) held in Bangkok which was organized Bureau of Academic and Educational Standard Office, Ministry of Education (MOE). MUL President involved in this Workshop and discussed with other ethnic education groups from Thailand to improve the system of Development of Learning, In the trend of bilingual, the teaching of Mon languages will be extent not only formal education system but also in migrant communities.
2. Review of Mon State Constitution
Mon State Constitution Drafting Committee which involves MUL leadership held a meeting on July 13, to review Mon State Constitution and adjusted with Articles in (Draft) Federal Constitution of Burma drawn by many ethnic nationalities. About over 15 participants from different organizations involved in discussion and they have reviewed ‘power distribution’ between Mon State and central Federal government and concurrent power in the Constitution. The Committee also have to propose to ‘Federal Constitution Seminar’ held 16-20 July, about the formation of Mon State.
3. MUL’s 4 Points Proposal on Formation of Mon Highest Authority
On 14 to 15 July, many Mon participants from different organizations based in Thailand discussed on the issue of forming an umbrella organization adopted from 3rd Mon National Conference in 2006 held in Nyi Sar, the area under control of NMSP. In the Conference, Mon Affairs Union (MAU) was informally agreed to form and all participants discussed on the name of MAU, the aim and objective, mission, and the authority.
Regarding to formation of MAU or an organization which highest authority in Mon community, the MUL has the following 4 points proposal in brief:
- Re-naming the MAU: MUL found the name is not appropriate for an organization which has the highest authority in Mon community. ‘Union’ is not meant a body that highest political authority. MUL gives suggestion of some names: ‘Mon Affairs Council (MAC)’; ‘Mon National Congress’; ‘Mon People Parliament’.
- Formation and Structure: MUL proposes to deeply consider how the structure of the new umbrella can be practically workable because of barriers of traveling and communication. Representatives from the organizations can not meet easily. In the working committees, committees like education and health are already implemented by NMSP’s departments and how the new committees could work because there are no professionals from other organizations and the activities could be overlapped.
- Independent of Civil Society Organizations: When this new umbrella organization is formed, it should encourage the activities of various Mon organizations and it should NOT control these organizations.
- Strategies Planning Body: The new umbrella or highest authority body should be ‘Strategies Planning Body” for the whole Mon people in Monland, Thailand, and abroad. It should not get involve in various activities that are already implemented by Mon organizations. It should provide strategies for these organizations, does assessment for a various issues, analyze on the specific issue, find out information for strategy planning and advised work plans for Mon organizations.
4. Mon Language Teaching in Migrant Community
MUL President helped Thai Mon Development Center, which has education program to many migrant children in Samut Prakan District. The leadership of this organization has lack of human resource to contact Thai authorities for the continuation of their school and security of children. MUL provided a helping hand to them.
5. Protection to Women
In second week of July, a Mon woman was gang-raped in a migrant community in Bangkok. Women and her relatives are so afraid of gang’s revenge and they did not want to stay in Thailand longer. MUL encourage the woman to fight of Justice in courts. MUL leaders went to Pavena Foundation, a foundation that protect women and children, and inform about the case to bring to courts for justice.