The State Peace and Development Council in Mon state has shown a good gesture to the Central Celebrating Committee of the Mon National Day (CCCMND) on the 61st anniversary of Mon National Day (MND) this year said Committee members.
This year, the state SPDC formally sent a letter to CCCMND for the first time. The letter is said the authorities will allow CCCMND to hold the 61st anniversary of MND on February 22 which is being celebrated in the first time in Mudon Township as a (state level) celebration, said the Committee member.
"In the past, the SPDC never sent a letter which was said they would allow celebrating MND. Before we celebrated, we informed them on the day we celebrated and they never told us whether they allowed it or not," he said.
By now the CCCMND has put up over 100 MND signboards around Mon state and there is no interruption from the authorities yet, he added.
Almost every year, the authorities ban and order CCMND and villages not to put up the signboard for the Mon National Day after they had put up some.
The CCCMND celebrates MND to improve it at the same level everywhere where Mon people reside inside the country and started move to Mudon Township . They will move from place to place every year starting this year.
CCCMND celebrated at a central place in Moulmein, capital Mon state for 11 years since 1997 to 2007 and encouraged all townships and villages to celebrate MND.
Mon National Day falls on the first waning of Maigh, the ninth month in the Mon lunar calendar (which falls on February 22 in this year). Mon National Day began in 1947 and it honors the founding of the peaceful Hongsawatoi, Mon Kingdom (Pegu) established in 1116 of the Buddhist Era or 573 AD Common Era, located in the south-eastern parts of Burma ( Myanmar ).
Worldwide MND movements and activities
Mon people inside Burma, on the Thai-Burma border, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, USA, Canada and European countries started preparing to celebrate MND about two months ago.
Mons inside Burma and migrants in Thailand and Malaysia will hold celebrations on February 22, while in USA , Canada and Australia it is to be held on February 23. In London it will be held on February 16 while the rest will have the celebrations on the appropriate day depending on which days are available for most people to attend.
Mon state ( Burma )
In Burma, MND celebrations will hold in 19 townships including in Mon state and several places where the Mon community lives including Rangoon , Pegu, Mon state capital in Moulmein , said CCCMND member. The biggest celebration will be held in Mudon Township for the first time.
CCCMND hope due to the first time celebrations in Mudon Township there will be more crowds than last several years, said committee members.
This year, the youth are more active and CCCMND is more organized than the past said local youth leaders.
CCCMND has increased its activities on MND such as Mon traditional lady beauty to encourage more Mon youth to involve themselves in MND movements, said a committee member. In the past they had competition such as in literature and sports.
Mudon township residents are excited about the event, said youth residents.
CCCMND has also provided training on the way to celebrate MND professionally and are teaching national songs to townships and village level committee members.
By now, the youth have distributed about 10,000 old Mon flags and hope to distribute about 30,000 more flags.
New Mon State Party flag distributed for the first time to Mon state people.
The youth have distributed about 300 New Mon State Party flag for the first time in Mon state on Monday, said a distributor. Each flag cost 700 Kyats and they will continue to distribute to Mon people in Rangoon and Pegu in the near future, he said.
The NMSP flag is mostly used by party members and some oversea Mon people. The youth wanted people to recognize the NMSP flag, said one of distributors.
Mon people have created several flags and all leaders are yet to decide which one to choose as the national flag.
The flags which are familiar with some Mon people are the ones created around 1947, one from 1958 by NMSP and one from MNDF in 1997, according to Mon politicians.
The oldest flag created in 1947 has a red coloured background, a step forward to the golden Sheldrake and is the most in use among Mon people, especially during Mon National Day. The MNDF flag is similar but is replaced with a white coloured star.
The NMSP flag was created when the party was founded in 1958 with a red coloured background, blue star and flying Sheldrake.
Every year Mon youth distribute Mon the oldest flag around Mon state during MND. Many Mon people put up the flag at their homes on MND and the youth stick the flag on their motorbikes and go around Mon state.
During the MND celebration everyone wears the national dress, respect the leaders and the flag with the national song and leaders give speeches to remind the Mon people of their history.
