The Mon state government expressed dissatisfaction over a recent billboard for the 67th Mon National Day (MND) that included part of a prayer from the late Mon King Manuha’s stone inscription, according to Dr. Min Kyi Win, first vice-chairman of the MND organizing committee.
The prayer that was taken from the stone inscription said, “if he do not reach Nirvana, but remains in this life, he should be the king and never be defeated by the enemy”.
The issue was raised by the government during a Jan. 6 meeting with the central organizing committee.
The Mon king from Suvanabhumi inscribed the prayer on stone at the site of giant alms bowl and Buddha statue he also built in Myin-ka-bar quarter of Pagan following capture by Burman King Anawrahta. The Burman king invaded into Manuha’s kingdom in 1057 AD.
“Although we displayed this, it won’t affect ethnic nationalities unity,” Dr. Min Kyi Win, stated at the meeting, “we displayed only the text of King Manuha’s stone inscription, and it is a historical fact. They did not say to change it but to re-think and discuss it,”
“Now that we already set up the billboard it’s not possible to just pull it down and redesign it again. I just did what the organizing committee told me, it was their idea to design the billboard. We have already distributed the billboards to other townships,” said U Min Min Nwe, who created the billboard.
The first billboard already went up on Jan. 4, in Kamarwet village, Mudon township, Mon state; the central location for MND festivities.
MND commemorates the Hongsawatoi Kingdom that was established by Mon princes and brothers, Samala and Vimala in A.D 572, or in the Buddhist calendar, the 1st waning day of the 11th month, year 1116.
