Despite having started decades ago the Mon people’s armed revolution is still ongoing and being continued by a new generation of young Mon revolutionaries, who are fighting alongside other revolutionary forces.
It has been 77 years since a group of Mon youths first launched an armed resistance with the goal of securing self-determination and the right to shape the destiny of the Mon people. Despite this Mon people still do not have democratic rights or self-determination, according to three Mon armed groups fighting the junta, the New Mon State Party - Anti-Dictatorship (NMSP-AD), the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), and the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF).
They believe that now is an opportune moment for them to intensify their struggles to liberate the Mon people and establish a federal democracy, because the armed resistance escalating throughout Myanmar is dismantling all forms of authoritarianism, including the military dictatorship, and establishing a new federal democratic union.
Mon Revolutionary Day, which falls on the Wagaung Full Moon Day in the Myanmar calendar, was celebrated on 19 August 2024 this year.
In a speech for Mon Revolutionary Day Nai Banyar Mon, the spokesperson for NMSP-AD said: "On the 77th Mon Revolutionary Day, I earnestly urge all Mon people to persevere in completing their unfinished revolutionary duties to secure the rights that have yet to be achieved. We must continue to fight with unwavering determination until the end of the military coup regime led by Min Aung Hlaing.”
The Mon people’s armed revolution began in 1948, the year Myanmar became independent from the British and the first year Mon Revolutionary Day was celebrated.
Initially the Mon revolution was led by the Mon People's Front (MPF), but then in 1958 they decided to join the political alliance governing Burma, the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) government. On 23 July 1958 the MPF handed their weapons over to the government in a ceremony in Mawlamyine. At the time the MPF leader Nai Aung Tun said that the MPF intended to leave the armed path and transition into a legitimate political party.
In 1958 the New Mon State Party (NMSP) was founded. In 1970 the NMSP resumed the Mon people’s armed struggle when it joined forces with the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Parliamentary Democracy Party (PDP) led by former Prime Minister U Nu, to form the revolutionary armed organisation the National United Front (NUF).
Not much later, in 1971 the NMSP established an armed wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), to fight for the Mon people.
But, in 1995 the NMSP signed a ceasefire with the then military government and the Mon people’s armed struggle was halted. However, the military coup of 2021 re-awoke the Mon people’s revolutionary resistance, leading to the formation of new Mon armed resistance groups.
After the coup the NMSP, which once held significant influence over the entire Mon nation, failed to provide effective political and military leadership. The group decided that it would not fight the junta. In response some NMSP members who disagreed with this stance broke away to form the New Mon State party Anti-Dictatorship (NMSP-AD) which pledged to fight the junta.
Also, in response to the coup, ethnic, democratic, and revolutionary forces formed the Mon State Interim Coordination Committee (MSICC) on 19 April 2021. On 15 January 2023, the MSICC was expanded into the Mon State Federal Council (MSFC) after its first conference, making it stronger and better able to establish a federal state and better represent the Mon people.
The MSFC also formed an armed wing, the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), which is currently actively fighting the junta. In addition, the MSFC has appointed three ministers to the National Unity Government (NUG) and three representatives to the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC).
Another Mon armed group, the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF), comprised of ethnic groups from Mon State, was founded on 16 September 2021. It is now also part of the MSFC.
On 7 April 2024 the MSRF and the MSDF agreed to share equipment and train and fight together to remove the military junta from power, according to the MSDF commander, Dr. Thiri Mon Chan.
Currently the MSFC acts as the political wing of both the MSRF and the MSDF.
A spokesperson for the MSFC, Nai Mon Sai told the Than Lwin Times that the current Mon revolutionary movement is fighting for all the people of Mon State, not just ethnic Mon people.
He said: ”Our struggle is not just for the Mon ethnic group but for the liberation of all the people living in Mon State. That’s why we encourage other minority ethnic groups in Mon State, who are not Mon, to join us. We also seek public support for our revolutionary fight.”
He also noted that in the over 70-year journey of the Mon revolution, there has never been a situation like the current Spring Revolution, where existing ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and resistance forces against the coup have the same goals and are united in fighting the junta.
Another Mon armed resistance group formed to oppose the coup, which is also currently fighting the junta, is the Mon Liberation Army (MLA). It was established in September 2022 with the aim of eliminating chauvinism, combating military dictatorship, and establishing a federal democratic system whilst striving to protect the lives and property of the Mon people.
Since the coup ethnic groups in many different states have fought with the junta and seized junta military bases and taken over towns and installed anti-junta administrations. In contrast, despite the formation of new armed Mon groups, there has been no similar progress in Mon State.
An analyst closely following Mon political trends noted that the primary challenge facing Mon State is a leadership problem.
He said: "Overall, the main challenge for Mon State is finding effective revolutionary leadership. In fact, even before the coup, the NMSP’s leadership was already in decline. This issue has emerged because, despite its significant influence over the entire Mon nation, the NMSP has not been able to provide capable leadership. The lack of effective cooperation among various organisations is also due to the absence of decisive political and military leadership from the NMSP,”
He also said that the Mon resistance forces should undertake joint military initiatives together. Similar to the collaboration seen among Karenni resistance factions in Karenni State, such as the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), who have come together to fight against the junta.
The MSDF commander, Dr. Thiri Mon Chan claimed that cooperation between the aforementioned Mon resistance groups and the NMSP-AD is increasing. He also believes that now is an opportune time for Mon groups to create a sovereign Mon State.
He said: "Given these circumstances, it can be assumed that the chances of creating our own destiny and establishing a sovereign Mon State—something we Mon people have been demanding for decades—are improving. National strength, defined as soft power, is already fully present among the Mon people. Therefore, by strengthening our hard power, which refers to the armed movement, we will be closer to fulfilling the aspirations of the Mon people.”
