Background of Conflict and
Situation of Indigenous Mon People in Burma

I. History of Mon People

Among the present various inhabitants of Burma, the Mons are the oldest. The Mon migrated into today’s Burma from Mongolia and Northern China, possibly between 2500 and 1500 B. C. The Mon are close cousin to Khmers and they settled in parts of Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. Before the establishment of the first Burman kingdom, Pagan, in Burma, the Mons both in Thailand and Burma were politically organized as the confederacy of Ramanya, and their kingdoms were stable until the 8th century. However, Mon kingdoms often suffered from invasions of Burman kings from 11th to 17th Century, A.D.

The 3rd and the last Mon kingdom, Hongsawatoi, located in lower Burma was invaded and annexed by U Aungzeya, a Burman leader, who was also known as Alaungphaya, in 1757 when Mon people lost their rights to self-determination. The Mon have ever since become a people without a country. The conquering of Burman leader U Aungzeya persecuted the Mon by massacring over 3000 learned monks near Rangoon (Today’s Yangon); burning down Holy Scriptures and monasteries; by proscribing Mon language and literature; and by genocidal mass execution whereby thousands of Mon were exterminated in several stockade-inferno holocausts. In the modern human rights terminology, it was a drastic ‘ethnic cleansing’ process. 

After 68 years of under Burman rule, the entire Mon territory of lower Burma was colonized by the British in 1848. The British imperialist annexed the whole Burma in 1886 and installed administration as a colonial district of India. Through the anti-colonial struggle to free Burma from the yoke of the British imperialism, the Mon worked together with their indigenous brothers especially with Burman leaders up to the end of World War II. 

However, the Mon asserted their identity and self-determination rights at the eve of Burma’s independence. In order to fulfill Mon people’s demands, some Mon cultural and political organizations such as the All Ramanya Mon Association, United Mon Association, and Mon Freedom League were formed and urged the Burman leaders to recognize the Mon identity. Burman leaders flatly rejected the proposals and claimed that “the Mon and the Burman were identical and so there was no reason for the Mon to crave for a separate ethnic identity”. This refusal to recognize their primary demand created the Mon national upsurge, and resulted in escalation of their demand to reclaim their old homeland which covers the whole lower part of Burma.

II. Mon Politics since Pre-independent Era

After Burma retained her independence from British in 1948, the political conflict between the politically dominated Burman people and other ethnic nationalities had escalated. In 1947, in signing the Aung San – Atlee agreement for the independence of the whole Burma, the Burman leaders approached the frontier ethnic nationalities to join the Union of Burma. An agreement was reached to safeguard racial equal rights of ethnic nationalities and establish a Federal Union. The Burman leaders and leaders of ethnic nationalities singed the agreement at Panglong, Shan State (north eastern part of Burma). But the Mon, the Karen, and the Arakanese ethnic nationalities were not included in the Penglong Agreement. 

The Mon leaders organized several Mon national conferences, consultative meetings and seminars among the Mon people in 1947 and 1948, and demanded to Burmese government, formed with Burman majority, in Rangoon for the creation of Mon State which covers lower Burma. But, the Mon people’s demand was again rejected. In addition, the ruling Burman leaders employed severe repressive actions against the Mon. Some Mon leaders were assassinated and many were imprisoned. More than 100 Mon villages were also burnt down and destroyed by the government’s defense force, Burmese Army. These repressive measures pushed the Mon to take up arms and continued their struggle with an armed resistance movement. Under the leadership of Mon People’s Front (MPF), the Mon armed struggle had continued until 1958. In July 1958, MPF agreed with the then Rangoon government led by Premier U Nu, to transform itself as legal political party, and exchanged the arms for a democratic system in Burma. However, two years later, Burma’s democratic system was ended and some of MPF leaders were arrested and put in jails. 

The Mon armed resistance was continued by the New Mon State Party (NMSP) which replaced the outgoing MPF. NMSP fought against the Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) led by Gen. Ne Win and succeeding Burmese military regime, State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), which took bloody coup from pro-democracy demonstrators in 1988 for four more decades. During four decades of civil war, thousands of Mon people abandoned their homes and sought asylum in Thailand as refugees. The NMSP had also relied on Thailand for its logistics and movement. 

During 1990-1992, Thai government changed its policy toward Burma and initiated with a policy of Constructive Engagement with Burma’s military regime, SLORC in order to exploit natural gas and natural resources in Burma. As a result, Thai authorities put pressure on the NMSP to enter into a ceasefire deal with the military regime in Rangoon. The NMSP initiated ceasefire talks with the SLORC in late 1993. In mid-1995, it reached a ceasefire agreement with SLORC, which later changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997. 

After 12 years of ceasefire agreement between the NMSP and Burmese military regime, no political solutions were reached. Mon people were not granted any rights. The human rights situation in Mon region (lower part of Burma) has not been improved. The political activities of the NMSP have been under constant pressure and disturbance by the SPDC. The deteriorating situation following the NMSP-SLORC ceasefire agreement has led to the formation of a new political forum for the Mon people. In early 1996, the Mon Unity League (MUL) came into existence as a common Mon united front. But because of intense pressure from military regime, NMSP resigned from MUL in 1999. MUL later changed its strategy and maintains a stance as a forum for the Mon civil society. 

Since 2004, the Mon people from all walks of life built up their forces again and began to hold Mon National Conferences on yearly basis. Many main political and social organizations including NMSP, MUL, and civil societies from Monland have participated in these conferences and discussed various issues including the rights to self-determination. As a result, in order to strategize political and social movement, a new united front of the Mon people, Mon Affairs Union (MAU) was formed in the 4th Mon National Conference in December 2007. 

III. Human Rights in Monland

After the cease-fire agreement with the SPDC, the NMSP’s armed wing, Mon National Liberation (MNLA) troops withdrew from their former bases or conflict zones and moved the designated cease-fire zones. But, Burmese Army (BA) troops have gradually moved into former conflict zones and have taken a firm control. The expansion of BA in former conflict zones increased human rights violations in the areas. The Mon people especially in southern part of Mon State, western part of Karen State and northern part of Tenasserim Division, have suffered from various abuses and violations such as land and properties confiscation, conscription of forced labour, illegal taxation and extortion.

Additionally, a Mon armed group which was not satisfied with the situation of ceasefire has fought against the BA troops in the southern part of Mon State. Whenever there is a fighting between the BA troops and the rebel group, the BA troops always take revenge against the Mon villagers. Therefore, Mon people who live in those conflict areas have suffered from various human rights abuses such as summary execution, arbitrary arrests and detention, rapes and sexual harassment against women and girls, forced relocation and dislocation, forced porter service, and the restriction of movement. 

The followings are some examples of the human rights abuses and violations in Monland:
(a) Land and properties confiscation:

The main cause of land confiscating is the expansion of BA in Monland. Since 1998, three years after the ceasefire agreement, the BA doubled up its troops in Mon areas. Over 20 new battalions were deployed between 1999 and 2003. The military regime authorized for confiscation of lands not only for building military barracks, but also for creating business for its battalions. The military battalions have confiscated rubber and orchard plantation from the Mon villagers and farmers in various parts of the Mon State. By following the same suit, Burma’s Police Force, Township authorities also confiscated lands from Mon farmers. Although the NMSP complained about these cases, the regime has ignored. The followings are some of the land and property confiscation cases documented by The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), a local Mon human rights organization.

From 1999 to 2003, 8000 acres of lands comprised of paddy farms, rubber and orchard plantations, salt produced lands and home gardens were confiscated by the military regime for the following purposes:

Deployment of 10 new military battalions (from Light Infantry Battalion No. 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 589, 590, 591, 592, 593, and Military Operational Command No. 19 Headquarters) in Ye Township

Deployment of Artillery Regiments No. 311, 315, 315, and 317 in Ye Township and Thanbyuzayat Township

Construction of Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas pipeline

Army businesses, land confiscation in Mudon Township by Light Infantry Battalion No. 299 and in Thanbyuzayat Township by Infantry Battalion No. 32.

In 2004, 2600 acres of land in both northern and southern Ye, Thanbyuzayat (in Mon State) and Three Pagoda Pass (in Karen State but most of the residents are Mon) Townships were confiscated to build a dam and deployment and their businesses. 

In 2005, 1050 acres of land were confiscated in Ye and Khaw-za by Light Infantry Battalion No. 583, No. 591, No. 343 and No. 31.

In 2006, 925 acres of land were confiscated in Mudon, Ye, Khaw-za, and Yebyu Townships by Light Infantry Battalion No. 587, No. 209, Artillery Regiment No. 318 and 413, and Infantry Battalion No. 61 and No. 31. Most land and properties confiscation were for army business of ‘self-reliance’ program.

In 2007, 670 acres of lands were confiscated in Kawkareik, Three Pagoda Pass, Thanbyuzayat and Ye Townships by Karen splinter groups supported by the BA, Artillery Regiment No. 315 and Light Infantry Battalion No. 587 for the purposes of city development projects, resettlement of armed surrendering groups, and army business. 

Since most Mon people are low-lands farmers, their livelihood is seriously affected by this land confiscation. As a result, thousands of Mon people migrated into neighbouring countries to seek jobs and send money back to their families for survival. There are an estimated of over 300, 000 Mon migrant workers in Thailand and Malaysia. 

(b) Mon National Education under Repression

Before Gen. Ne Win seized power in 1962, the teaching of Mon language as a main curriculum in government schools in Mon areas was allowed by the U Nu’s government for over a decade. However, Ne Win’s government which came to power after the military coup prohibited the teaching of Mon language in schools. 

Thus, in 1970s, the NMSP officially initiated ‘Mon Education Department’ under its administrative body in District and Township levels. In every District and Township, education officials and volunteer teachers were appointed. The NMSP officials reached out to grassroots communities and encouraged the initiative of Mon education system in NMSP control areas as well as in the government’s loose control areas. Therefore, the number of Mon schools had gradually increased in Mon areas, and the operating and maintenance costs were supported by both Mon Education Department and the communities. However, those schools often faced disturbances and attacks from the BA troops. Whenever the BA troops operated military offensive, some schools were destroyed while teachers were arrested and forced to leave their schools.

As part of the negotiations for ceasefire, the NMSP requested the SPDC to allow the teaching of Mon language in schools. However, Chief Directorate of Education Ministry, U Tin Aung ordered Mon State authorities to arrange the teaching of Mon language only outside the school hours. Although the order granted to teach Mon language outside the school hours, the local government authorities and military commanders have disrupted the process by consistently harassing the Mon language teachers and those who support the teaching and learning of Mon language. In addition, Mon teachers were not allowed to use any school materials and buildings belonged to the government. At the end, the teaching of Mon language even outside the school was totally prohibited. 

After 1995’s NMSP ceasefire, about 200 Mon national schools in Mon areas were operated by the Mon communities, Mon education support groups, and the Mon National Education Committee (MNEC). However, the oppression against Mon national education was again initiated by SPDC authorities in 1998. Some attempts to abolish of Mon national schools by the Burmese authorities are:

On July 1, 1998, the commander of the Military Intelligence Unit No. 5, the MI unit for Mon State, Col. Myo Myint, wrote a letter to the NMSP President, Nai Shwe Kyin, stated that “the operating of Mon national schools is competing with the government schools and is against the education policy of the government”. Col. Myo Myint issued an order to shut down Mon schools and the SPDC authorities tried to close down many Mon schools in Mudon, Thanbyuzayat and Ye Townships.

In mid-1998, the commander of the Southeast Command, which headquarters in Mon State, Maj. Gen. Myint Aung cruelly oppressed Mon national schools. As a result, about 10, 000 students lost their education opportunity in 1998.

In December 1998, Kawkareik Township authorities ordered to close down about 18 Mon national schools in Mon villages. 

SPDC authorities also forcibly transformed many Mon schools built by the communities into government schools by pressuring the local communities and Mon teachers. 

IV. Health Care Access and Health Problems in Mon Areas

Burma’s health care system is the worst in the world according to the World Health Organization. Along with other ethnic nationalities in Burma, the Mon people in Monland also suffered from different types of diagnosis related to tropical diseases. Malaria is another virus which killed people in Monland, especially along Thailand-Burma border where thousands of Internally Displaced Mon People are settled. Thailand-Burma border is well-known globally as a dangerous malaria zone. 

Despite the proclaimed free health care system, the government hospitals and clinics in cities and villages in Mon State have not received necessary supplies. Not only the hospitals are in shortage of medical supplies and skilled health care providers, but there are also a lot of corruptions in Burma’s health care system. Patients often have to bribe health care providers with a large amount of money to receive proper treatments. 

The access to proper health care has been an on-going problem for the Mon people in Monland (lower part of Burma). The followings are just a few examples.

At the beginning of rainy season in May 2007, there was an outbreak of dangue in Mon State and many hundreds suffered from the infectious disease and about 40 children died in Ye, Thanbyuzayat and Moulmein hospitals due to lack of medication or untimely medical treatment. Dangue problems continued in Mon State and along Thailand-Burma border untill June 2007. Local sources said many patients in the rural areas died of the disease but no detailed information could be obtained on the number of deaths. 

Malaria is acontinous problems among the displaced communities along the Thailand-Burma border. However, number of patients who suffered from malaria have increased in May and June 2007, according to the Mon medics who work in a border hospital.

In late July 2007, about 1000 birds died in a day following an outbreak of bird flu virus – H5N1 in a chicken farm in Thanphyuzayat Township, Mon State. The State run newspaper reported that H5N1 has been found in Kyone-kadat and in Thanphyuzayat. However, no further actions were taken to inform the public about the deadly virus.

HIV positive patients have been pleading for free Anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs but most of them do not get access to medicines. The rural populations have no awareness of the HIV and have no knowledge of the ARV. 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has started work on the prevention of malaria among the poor and the workers who live in the jungles and plantations. They are providing free malaria diagnosis, treatment and mosquito nets in areas where malaria infection levels are high. IOM teams are especially targeting those most at risk, living in precarious accommodations in the plantations and farms in Mon state. According to IOM Chief of Mission, dengue fever is breaking out in Mon State and malaria is at a high level in the rainy season in 2007. 

V. Conclusion

Since they lost their last Kingdom, Hongsawatoi, in 1757, Mon people have been living under various colonial rules. Their ethnic rights, cultural rights, human rights, and self-determination rights have been constantly denied under the successive regimes. The present Burmese military regime continues human rights violations and banning the teaching and learning of Mon language and literature in Monland. The regime army troops have unlawfully confiscated thousands acres of land belonged to the Mon people. The land confiscations have caused thousands of Mon lost their farmland and their livelihood. Finally, the systematic abuses and repressions of the Burmese government have left hundreds of thousands of Mon people with no other choices than to seek shelter and employment in neighboring countries.

For more information about the Mon people, please visit the following links.

http://www.kaowao.org
http://www.rehmonnya.org/
http://www.monnews-imna.com/
http://www.mrc-usa.org
http://www.monunityleague.org

"Map of Burmese Military Bases in Monland"