Dr. Su-ed Gajaseni, Professor of Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital and Mahidol University, is well known among the Mons of two countries as "Mor Su-ed" who is the sixth generation of the great Commander Banyae Join's ancestors.
Both Mons from Burma and Thailand gathered to honour and celebrate the 80th birthday of Dr. Su-ed. "I'm really happy to see Mons from Monland and Thailand working together and showing solidarity, unity and cooperation," said Dr. Su-ed in his welcome speech to the people on October 16.
More than 10,000 Mon people gathered at the ceremony that was held at night on October 16. They crowded inside the 17 Rai (about 10 acres) association campus. The long line of people walked up and down on the lane to the campus. Four Thai policemen were providing security to the people and vehicles. The line of taxi, motorbikes and car were sometimes moved ahead and stopped since the lane was busy with walkers. There was congestion everywhere. (It looked like the congested bullock cart in "Takok Khamaing Buddhist Festivals" which are held annually after Songkran in Monland).
At the entrance to the community hall, which was built with two big golden Sheldrake, the people were going in and coming out. Some were talking on cell phones while some were looking for their missing friends. There was decoration and colourful lights along the 150 metre long red floor gravel road from the main gate to the hall.
Parallel to the hall, there was a big stage with a portrait of Dr. Su-ed. Three hundred and fifty tables were arranged for ten persons a table. "Earlier, we arranged for only three hundred tables, but they were gone after three days announcement," said Nai Saha, the convening committee member on this occasion. Besides those on the table, there were many people who had no ticket and were standing around the hall, beside the stage and at the rear of the tables. Advanced table tickets were not enough since many Mons were interested to participate in the ceremony of the great ancestor of Banyae Join, Dr. Su-ed.
Two Thai-Mon ladies announced the agenda for the honouring ceremony both in Thai and Mon languages. About 50 performers opened the ceremony with the "Krak Jalon" song. After throwing open the ceremony, Dr. Su-ed was carefully brought to the stage for welcoming the people. He greeted and thanked the Mon people. He delivered a speech saying how happy he was to be honoured and seeing the unity among Mons from Thailand and Monland. He also urged the youth to work hard in improving Mon literature and culture. Although he grew up in Thailand, he can speak Mon fluently and his conversation was full of old Mon words and grammar.
In the honouring ceremony, Mons from both countries entertained the audience with traditional dances and with a popular vocalist stage show. The children were dancing in unison with "Rehmonya", the most popular classic song. Farmers danced (Leh Samar Bangae) and two Mon merchants (Ta Pao and Ta Bo) also danced and were applauded by the people. Saik Zarn, the Thai-Mon vocalist, entertained the people with a group of back-dancers. After the Thai-Mon vocalist sang for about 45 minutes, the convening committee announced giving the awards to football, volleyball and basketball players. The teams were made up of people from villages and some working in factories.
More than half the people stood up and shouted praises when the popular vocalist Hong Chan suddenly appeared on stage. Almost all the people were Mon migrant workers many of them teenagers. Away from their motherland, they also wanted to enjoy and amuse themselves since they have to work and have no time to spend for pleasure in Thailand. "It's a great opportunity for me to see Hong Chan singing live and honouring Dr. Su-ed," said a Kawt Saik villager who came from Mahachai. Many migrant workers had gathered on the occasion because they almost all have registered work permits.
When Hong Chan sang "Chan Mon Chan Nai", his most popular song, people standing on the sides and infront of the stage were signing together louder than Hong Chan's rendition. Ong Marn, an announcer, kept requesting the people not to hit each other because it would cause problems and the show could be stopped. The people calmed down for a while when Ong Marn said no jumping on the chairs and tables would be allowed.
No different from Hong Chan, when Ramarn, one of the popular singers, sang songs the audience joined in singing in harmony. He entertained people with pleasingly melodious songs. "I think it's the biggest event of the Thai-Mon that I have ever seen," said Nai Sunthorn, secretary of MUL.
Even though the entertainment continued after midnight, the people were not content and kept shouting "once more" and eventually the singers and convening committee members had to end the show for the sake of security. "See you all again somewhere," said Hong Chan to his beloved fans.
The Mon Youth Community in Bangkok (Thai-Mon) and The Light of Mon Youth Organization (Mons from Monland, based in Mahachai) were working together to honour and celebrate the birthday of Dr. Su-ed. This was the second time, that the MYC and LMYO co-sponsored the ceremony. "We want more cooperation of Mons in Thailand and Monland for Mon literature, culture and social issues of migrant workers" said Nai Sahamon Rajanon, the chairman of LMYO. On the special occasion, both sides had eagerly spent a of couple months in preparation despite doing their own jobs. Thai-Mons were also wearing Mon dresses in red and white colours. "With more participation of well respected Thai-Mon scholars, the ties could get stronger in our community and more Mons in Thailand would be proud of being Mons" said Nai Oong Bangjung, the secretary general of Mon Youth Community in Bangkok
On the second day October 17, the ceremony was held in the community hall with religious donations. There was a long line of people waiting their turn for donating honey and sticky rice foods. There were about 15 food booths with many kinds of traditional Mon food. Donating desks, temporary small clinic for first aid, Mon dresses selling tables, publications distribution desk and a place for selling honey were crowded with people. The book of historical background of Thai-Ramarn Association and a brief biography of Dr. Su-ed was distributed. Some of the brief history of the Association and the ancestors of Dr. Su-ed were translated into Mon language by Nai Sunthorn.
The place where Dr. Su-ed sat and accepted people paying their respects was the most interesting, decorated as it was with several kinds of flowers and two big golden Sheldrake. In the community hall, preparations were on for lunch alms donation for monks with a lot of food. About 140 monks were served alms food. Beside the hall, traditional music was being played. The musicians were from Ayudhaya, labeling their resident "Kwan Prasat".
The Mons from Ratchburi, Phetburi, Ayudhaya, Lopburi, Bang Poon, Putram, Pathumthani, Monland, Bangkradee, Weanka and Phra Padeang were serving the people with traditional food. "I miss my native village while serving others in this kind of ceremony" said a "Kaw Zoa" villager. Some were busy serving cold water, Pepsi and Coke while some were doing sundry work.
When Dr. Su-ed accepted pouring of water, the people stood in a long line. While the people were paying their respects and pouring water on Dr. Su-ed, some were talking to his younger brother Supher Gajaseni, the former supreme commander of Thailand.
Dr. Su-ed was born on October 17 of the Buddhist year 2467. He has six siblings. After he studied at Siriraj, he interned as house and senior house officer at Siriraj Medical Department. After that he was chosen as a state scholar and went for further education to Graduate School of Medicine and Episcopal Hospital of Pennsylvania in USA. He also has a diploma in Advanced Hindi from Varanasi University in India. He received his Doctor of Medicine from Mahidol University, Bangkok. Currently, he is the patron of the Thai-Ramarn Association.
