“We would like our Mon [historical] property and heritages to be truly recognized as Mon [‘s possession]. Some just want to abandon them [Mon heritages], and they often end up being mistaken for Burman historical antiques,” said Nai Ye Zaw at the press conference.  

Concerned with the fact that Mon nationality, culture and national identity will be gradually diminished, Nai Ye Zaw requested to acknowledge Mon historical heritages as Mon, and he added that regarding the Dhammazedi Bell, named after the Mon King who commissioned it, should not be misconstrued as Burman historical handiwork and should be recognized as a part on Mon’s historic heritage.

“It is not easy to make Pyramids or the Great Wall, but they were made by human beings in the past. Because it was commissioned by a King but created by all people, it’s as though this bell was given by the whole [Kingdom’s] people,” said Nai Ye Zaw.

The press conference, held by Mon Historical Research group at MJN, was held following a  reading about the bell led by U Win Maung and U Myint Thu, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). Attendees said that they couldn’t describe the bell as a Mon artifact.

The conference was attended by Mon Historian Nai Maung Toe, Amyotha Hluttaw representative Dr. Banyar Aung Moe, Mon Historical Research member Nai Ye Zaw, Mon writer Nai Pan Aung and Daw Khin Aye Thein, who helped to discover the Dhammazedi Bell.

“Without being able to speak Mon and with no background in Mon studies, they  [U Win Maung and U Myint Thu] doubted that the bell was really made by Mon [people], by claiming that it was carried from Pegu [former Mon Kingdom and city] to Rangoon and if it was true the bell was carried on a raft by the Portuguese but fell from the raft and sank in the river,” said Dr. Banyar Aung Moe.

Dr. Banyar Aung Moe also said that this historical bell will not be carried back to Mon State and will not be sold, and demanded only that the bell be known officially as Mon’s historical heritage.

“When they do research, they should be looking at Mon history and literature. If they cannot read Mon, they should consult with those who can,” said Mon Historian Nai Maung Toe.

Mon historians maintain that during the reign of Mon King Dhammazedi in Hanthawaddy (Pegu), the King ordered his 4 ministers to conduct a census of households. Upon finding that the ministers had taxed the households obtaining coppers, the King, not wanting to accept the metals given by the people, commissioned the bell as a gift to Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, then known as Dagon.

However in [AD] 1608, Portuguese De Brito allegedly took the bell from Shwedagon Pagoda with the intention to make canons. De Brito had the bell transported by river raft, headed for Thanlyn (Syrian back then) but the raft broke and the bell sank in the Tawpon river.