Monland Update (May 2007)
Monland Update (June 2007)
Monland Update (July 2007)
Monland Update (August 2007)
Monland Update (September 2007)
Monland Update (October 2007)
Monland Update (November 2007)
Monland Update (December 2007)

Monland Update (January 2008)
Monland Update (March 2008)
Monland Update (April 2008)
Monland Update (May 2008)

Politics/ National Movement:
Mon National Day in NMSP Areas

The New Mon State Party (NMSP) – the Mon polical and armed organization hold the Mon National Day (MND) in three main locations: Headquarters area, Moulmein District and Tavoy District. The MND by the NMSP was hold with military parades from Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) in its controlled ceasefire zones and and thousands of Mon people joined in the ceremony.

In the MND Statement, the NMSP also anlayzed the current political situation in Burma and has opinion that the ruling regime’s plan to hold a Referendum and elections cannot move for national reconciliation. NMSP Statement also described that without consulting with democratic oppostiion and ethnic nationalities, it seems the urgent declaration for referendum and elections is making obstacle to National Reconciliation. 

In the Statement, NMSP also asked the Mon people and members of the party and MNLA that they have to participate in the movement until the rights to self-determination to the Mon people is recognized. In that case, NMSP is attempting to unite all Mon people from its ‘4th Mon National Conference’ and formation of Mon Affairs Union (MAU). (Source: MUL Information Sheet)

Mon Unity League (MUL) has been participating in arrangement of holding Mon National Day (MND) in Thailand especially in Bangkok and Samut Sakhon areas where the majority of Thai-Mon communities and Mon migrant workers are living. MUL is coordinating with Thai-Raman (Thai Mon) Association, Mon Youth Community (Bangkok) and other local village organizations in Thailand for arrangement of Mon National Day.

First MND ceremony was held by Thai Mon community in Ban Rai Monastery in Samut Sakhon Provincial area on February 3, 2008 and then Mon monks and Mon migrant workers can hold the MND ceremony in Sri Migalae Monastery in Samut Sakhon Provincial area on February 22, on the right day of Mon National Day. In both ceremony, thousands of Thai-Mon people and Mon migrant workers attended the ceremony. (Source: MUL Information Sheet)

Although there is security risks in Malaysia, the Mon migrant workers in Kuala Lumpu (the capital of Malaysia) and Pe-nang, an island city, hold the MND with Mon dance performance. They celebrated at Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur and over 1000 people attended the celebration. About 800 people also attended Mon national day in Pe-nang said a migrant worker in Pe-nang. Most of them are illegal workers. (Source: IMNA)

Economics

Agents in Burma making passports in Rangoon are into a thriving business as more and more people continue to migrate to other countries seeking jobs. Every day about 800 people register for passports at the Burmese Embassy said an agent. The agents get Kyat 8,000 for getting one passport done. The agents who have businesses helping the people from countryside for applying the passports in Ministry of Immigration, police departments and population registration departments have been making a good profits in the corruption circle of Burma. (Soure: IMNA)

Hundreds of young Mon people from rural areas of Mon State go to Rangoon and applied for passports to leave to neighboring countries especially Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore for especially employment opportunity while a very little number of them apply for education. These people decided to migrate into the neighbouring countries legally to avoid dangers posed to them. But for ordinary people in rural area, they are difficult to approach officials and authorities from various departments and so that they give jobs to the Agents who are able to approach the authorities in Immigration departments and offices.
(Soure: MUL Information Sheet)

Culture

The Burmese regime has modified statutes in front of the Mon Cultural Museum in Moulmein to hide their traditional Mon dress. Originally, the statues were painted to look as if they were wearing red and white Mon national dress; they are now painted completely white. The move comes after the regime changed the name from the “Mon Cultural Museum,” to the “Literature and Cultural Museum of the Burmese Cultural Ministry.” The museum exhibits Mon artifacts including traditional Mon dress, palm-leaf scripts, musical instruments and furniture. Mon manuscripts written on palm-leaves are stored on the first floor, which has now been closed to the public. The texts are vital to people researching Mon history and literature, and Mon historians worry they will be destroyed by the regime, said a monk in Moulmein.

The monk, who visited the museum to view one of the most famous texts, “A Brief Account of Mon Kings,” written by a well-known monk in 1745, could not find it in its usual place. “At first I couldn’t find it and thought it was stolen,” he said. “Then I asked a museum official and he said it had been moved to the first floor.” (Soure: IMNA)

Health

Under-funding, corruption, and mismanagement in Burma’s health sector are contributing to suffering and unnecessary deaths. People in need of medical care in Mon State are forced to pay unaffordable fees for treatment at corrupt private clinics which provides better care while receiving poor treatment at the public hospitals which is under-funded. According to local people, patients without referrals from private clinics are denied treatment at the public hospital in Moulmein, capital city of Mon State.

Worried about their reputations, most private clinics in Moulmein do not help patients who seem likely to die. People feel that clinic owners and doctors are more concerned about their reputation than the health of the people, because each prospective patient who chooses a different clinic represents lost profits. Seriously ill patients, the very people who need advanced care offered by the private clinics, are sent to public hospitals where care is of poorer quality. (Soure: HURFOM)

Human Rights

Forced Relocation: The Burmese Army battalions based in Mon State, southern Burma has ordered villagers to build community housing, forcibly relocating them into main road, so that the army commanders can sell the valuable roadside plots as real estate to them. The Burmese Army’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 31 operates in Kaw-zar Sub- Township in southern Mon State committed this forced reloction. It has told people in a local village, Kyone-kanya, to move into an area close to the planned road, claiming it will improve the development of the village. Kyone-kanya villagers are being forced to move to the new place even though no one wants to because they have to spend money to rebuild their houses on new land. And it's a waste of time. The Burmese Army is selling the plots of land for 150,000 Kyat (126 US $) for villagers who need to take apart their houses and 400,000 Kyat (336 US $) for others.
(Source: IMNA & HURFOM)

Movement Restriction/ Taxation: The Burmese Army with the full sanction of the military junta ruthlessly oppresses people in the country. In southern Mon State, the villagers have alleged that the oppression of the Burmese Army battalions has increased compared to pervious years. Toe Thet Ywar Thit Village from Khaw-za Sub Township, Mon State said that "the villagers from my village have to apply for travel documents for each person in their homes". Even if they have five people, they have to apply for each member.

In pervious years, villagers did not need to register each family member with the local Burmese military battalions. Last year they had to register for one travel document per house, said Toe Thet Ywar Thit villagers. The cost of registration is 1,000 Kyat per book this year compared to last years cost of about 200 Kyat. Other villages are not subject to the new registration regulations in Khaw-za. On February 22 Burmese Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 31 torched about 20 plantations around Yin-ye and Yin-Done villages because they could not capture Mon rebels of Monland Restoration Party (MRP), the new name of Mon splinter group which is active in the area. (Source: IMNA & HURFOM)

Forced Labour & Taxation: The Thanpyuzayat Township Peace and Development Council in Mon state has forced tractor-trailer owners to buy sand at a cost of 4,000 Kyat for each tractor load in order to revamp the Shwe Phyu Yatana golf-field in town, said locals. Tractor-trailer owners in every Village of Thanbyuzayat Township have no option except sending money to the VPDC office in the township, said a resident tractor-trailer owner. They started paying 4,000 Kyat for each load since the beginning of this month, he said.

The Village Peace and Development Council in Thanbyuzayat Township held a meeting in the end of December 2007 and sent a letter to tractor-trailer owners in the second week of January 2008, saying that they have to pay 4,000 Kyat to the VPDC office for a pile of and. Tractor-trailer owners have not mentioned anything concerning the forcible collection of money for construction of a golf-field. However they said that the traffic police had already taken 25,000 Kyat to allow them to go around in Thanphyuzayat Township. They also collected 21, 00 Kyat as wheel tax from each for one year. (Source: HURFOM)

Migrant Workers

Four Mon migrant workers were murdered and one young man was seriously injured in Surat Thani of southern Thailand. One of the victims was a pregnant woman. “An anonymous Thai mob gunned down the two couples in the rubber plantation on February 4. The victims were Nai Win Naing and Nai Khaing Thein and their wives, all four came from Thanbyu Zayat Township of Mon State and worked there as migrant labourers. The two couples had worked in the area for a long time,” said a sibling of Nai Win Naing.

An anonymous source at the plantation told Kaowao, “Seven people come to the plantation and ‘investigated’ the workers, posing as Thai intelligence. They arrested the two couples and a 14 old boy, placing them in their car and proceeded to shoot them. Whereupon the young boy managed to escape certain death but was shot seriously in his back and arm as he fled. He is now in Cha Ya hospital receiving medical treatment.” The injured boy reported, “They tied our hands behind our backs and began to shoot, but I ran away.” Currently the Thai police are investigating the murders, said a relative of one of the victims. (Source: Kao Wao News)

In February 2008, thousands of migrant workers have moved back to Burma from southern part of Thailand during closing season of rubber sap tapping. In every day, the Mon and other ethnic migrant workers in southern part of Thailand informed to Thai immigration officials and request for official deportation them back to Thailand Burma border. In Three Pagoda Pass area bordering to Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province, at least about 200 migrant workers are daily deported back by immigration office and police officials. 

They migrant workers are put with big buses and their belongings are brought by trucks along with them. Even they have no checking problems along the way, but their belongings are checked by the army in the border area. If the army officers found some illegal materials or goods especially prohibited goods, like parts of motor-bikes, these materials will be confiscated. Migrant workers have no rights to reclaim these things. (Soure: MUL Information Sheet)