Mon Unity League: June 20, 2005

Thailand’s two times Prime Minister, Anand Panyarachun says he is proud to be a Mon.

PROUD TO BE MON SAYS FORMER THAI PM

 

The former Thai PM, Nai Anand Panyarachun delivered a 30-minute speech at the Mon Youth Community's 30th anniversary on June 20, held in the National Theatre Hall, Bangkok with about 1500 people in attendance.

Nai Anand Panyarachun talked about the problems in 3 of Thailand ’s southern provinces in which he is serving as the chairman of the reconciliation committee.  He said there is a problem of recognition of 

ethnic groups, a problem that began about 50 years ago. Thailand needs to reconsider its government policy toward the ethnic nationalities living in Thailand .  In the south, local language groups including the Mon are proud of their own language and ethnicity. He declared, “These differences do not make Thailand weak, but strong.”

 

Talking about the Mon on the topic "saiel phaen din tae mai saeil chard Mon" (the Mon lost their country, but not their national identity), he said, "I am happy to be born and brought up in Thailand," and narrated his family lineage all the way back to his great grand father who came from Monland. His grand father built a Mon monastery in Ratchburi called Wat Khao Chon Phran where his ancestor's ashes are kept in the monastery.

 

Anand Panyarachun visited the Sangklaburi village where there is a Mon village called ‘Wangka’ in Mon situated on one end of Thailand’s oldest wooden bridge built by the Mon near the Thai-Burma border. The area is a small community with about 10,000 inhabitants including Karen, Burman, and Thai people, with mostly Mon and Karen who share business, social and family links with one another.  Many of the local people warmly welcomed Mr. Panyarachun knowing him to be a Mon proud of his heritage. Anand also visited other Mon communities scattered throughout Thailand where the local people are proud to be both Mon and Thai and who often have Mon festivals in celebration of their heritage along with that of Thai history.  He is also proud to have both Chinese and Mon ancestry together saying that this is why he loves Thailand because it is a country and a people made up of many ethnic groups, all of whom have contributed to Thailand ’s history for many centuries.

 

Another well-known Thai Mon professor, Snan Meekhanmark from Srinakharin Viroj University talked about the same topic during the 30^th Anniversary of the Mon community gathering and, Professor Kochaporn narrated the famous and victorious King Rajadhiraj epic drama.

 

The event was sponsored by the Bangkok Bank and an exhibition on Mon history including a historical timeline of the Mon in Southeast Asia was set up with the Mon OTOP (one tambon one product). Delicious Mon foods, including various Mon curries and noodles were served and prepared by the Mon communities from the surrounding area of Bangkok .  The event included a competition by the Mon Orchestra conducted by the literature and history departments from The Fine Arts Department, and classical dance was performed by the Thai Study Center , Thamasart University and a Performance on Lagon Ein (King Rajadhiraj’s famous warrior) by artists from Sangkhit. 

 

A Mon Unity League member said that the dancers wore colorful local costumes representing the different communities from Samut Sakhorn, Samut Prakarn, Samut Songkram, Ratchburi, Ayudhaya, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakorn Pathum, Lopburi, Uthai Thani, Hongsawatoi (Mon State of Burma) and Bangkok (Bangsaikai, Nonchork, Minburi, Bangkradee, Ladkrabang) which was the highlight of the event.

 

The MYC was founded on the 18^th June 1975 in Bangkok by a group of progressive young Thai Mon. The first president was Nai Sathit Ngonhorm who passed away on the 9^th June 2005. Now Nai Ong Banjoon is the 10th president of MYC.

 

The celebration site was held at Thammasart University , the National Museum and the National Theatre Hall, places of high prominence being called Wang-na (front palace) that included the division of Mon troops of the Royal Thai army who used to be stationed here in past centuries.

 

Please see pictures

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