Network Media Group / BNI Online | August 27, 2018

Mon youths from the Karen (Kayin) State have joined Mon youths and Mon people during the 71st Mon Revolution Day ceremony, which was led by Mon youths in Mudon Township, Mon State.

The Ceremony Organizing Committee said the Mon Revolution Day central ceremony was held at Win Sein Taw Ya Sasana grounds in Mudon on the full moon day of Wagaung, which fell on August 26.

“We pay respect to Mon leaders who sacrificed their lives in the fight for nation liberation. We are holding

[the ceremony] with the aim to continue to fight for national liberation, which has been striven by our leaders and hasn’t been achieved yet, and [boost] revolutionary spirit and revolutionary directives among the future generations until we gain our freedom,” said Min Zarni Oo, leader of the Ceremony Organizing Committee.

The Ceremony Organizing Committee had to remove the slogan ‘You will gain your freedom only if you dare to rebel”, which was written in the Mon language, from the 71st Mon Revolution Day ceremony signboard after it was prohibited by the Mon State government.

“You don’t need to take up arms to stage a revolution. There are many instances in the world where revolutions have been carried out within the law without taking up arms. Since this ceremony is held to honor the people who took up arms and revolted [against the government], they (the government) think we are referring to the armed revolution when we say ‘revolution’. Actually, all of us want independence in accordance with the law. We want justice. I want to say this is a revolution that is in line with the law,” said Dr Aung Naing Oo, an MP from the Mon Hluttaw.

The Mon Revolution Day ceremony was also held at the New Mon State Party (NMSP) headquarters and respective districts under its control. Although the Tatmadaw prohibited the NMSP from wearing full military uniform during last year’s Mon Revolution Day ceremony, it has not made any restrictions this year, according to the NMSP.

After Myanmar gained its independence in 1948, Mon nationals demanded self-determination from the government led by the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League but they were unable to obtain it. A group of Mon youths seized a police station in Zar Ta Pyin Village in the east of Mawlamyine and villages along the Gyaing River on the full moon day of Wagaung in 1948, sparking the Mon revolution.

The full moon day of Wagaung has been designated as the Mon Revolution Day and it is celebrated by the NMSP and the Mon people every year.

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This article originally appeared on BNI Online on August 27, 2018.

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