MUL Role & Activities in Mon Community
(November- 2007)

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1.Mon State Draft Constitution

The MUL has involved in Mon State Constitution Drafting Committee with other experts from New Mon State Party, civil society groups in drawing draft constitution.  The drafting of constitution aims to figure out what and how is Mon State (or Ramonnya Monland) in Federal Union of Burma. This is a preparation for the Mon people that if there is political solution one day in the future in Burma, the Mon people will fully exercise their rights to self-determination in Mon State like other ethnic States in Federal Union with a legal and proper constitution.  MUL Representatives and Experts are discussing on the sharing three main powers of Legislative, Administrative and Judicial in Mon State, and they also discussed how legislative power or regulating laws and rules between the Federal Parliament and Mon State Parliament.  Some current powers that need to exercise in both parliaments are also discussed.

Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) – State based non-Burman ethnic umbrella organization – has been adopting to all ethnic States to have a preparation for their own State Constitution drafting process and each State’s State Constitution Drafting Committee are formed.   First draft of Mon State Constitution completed in early 2007 and it has been reviewed in ENC’s Constitution Seminar.  By suggestion from International Experts, Mon State Constitution Drafting Committee has to consider some of its articles and have to make some changes.  Similarly to Mon State Constitution (draft), other ethnic nationalities, Shan, Karen, Karenni, Kachin, Chin and Arakan, also completed their first draft constitution. 

2. 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. 

3. Printing Booklet – Discovery of Rehmonnya Desa

After the International Conference on Mon History, Identity, Culture, Language and Performing Arts in the 1st week of October, MUL plans to develop a booklet containing presentation paper from some authors or presenters in various sessions.  MUL plans to use the booklet as ‘public relations’ tool in the international advocacy for the rights of Mon people.

The Booklet will include Nai Sunthorn Siripangern (MUL President) Presenting research Mon literature paper: Comparison of Mon chronicles: Raja-thabuut and succeeding chronicles; Nai Ponnya Mon (Chairman of Monland Restoration Council – MRC in US) Mon Identity research paper: Mon National Identity – Demographic Study, Nai Kasauh Mon (MUL General Secretary) research paper on Mon National Education: Struggle for Survival – Mon Literature and Education in Monland, Ashley South (The author of Mon Nationalism and Civil War in Burma) research paper on Mon national movement: Mon Nationalist Movements – Insurgency, Ceasefires and Political Struggle.  It also adds MUL’s political philosophy and its structure.