IMNA
: Following pressure from Major-General Own Myit, a significant number of Mon Literature and Culture Committee (MNLCC) members have been told to resign from the committee, if they plan to continue their membership in the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMRDP).According to IMNA field reporters, Major-General Own Myint demanded that committee leaders the order the resignations on July 25th of this year, during a meeting in Mudon Township’s Kamawat Village with the Monk Ein Taka, a chairman of the MNLCC; the orders have only been made effect around Mon State and Mon areas since mid-August.
The orders were allegedly a result of Mudon Township’s relative disinterest in the official government-backed political group, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), closely affiliated with the former social group known as the Union Solidarity and Development Association. Reportedly, Mudon Township’s residents have shown more interest in the AMRDP, leading Own Myint to curb Mon groups he felt supported the AMRDP’s cause.
According to a MNLCC member, “Major-General Own Myit arrived in Mudon on July 7th , and he met with the USDP in Mudon. On the Mudon USDP list, they have about 30,000 member, but at the meeting only about 100 people attended that meeting. Own Myit discussed [the political situation] with the TPDC [Township Peace and Development Council], SP [special police], and intelligence officers”.
This man informed IMNA that the Mudon Township residents choosing to participate in the 2010 Burmese elections seem uninterested in joining the USDP, and instead largely favor the AMRDP. He explained that the majority of AMRDP members are typically also affiliates of other Mon groups, including the MNLCC, the Mon National Day Committee, or the Mon Youth movement.
“The people who are included in the AMRDP have to resign from the Mon Literature and Culture committee. The Monk Ein Taka said to [the committee’s] members, that the monk is worried [the government will] affect the MNLCC [restrict activities], that’s why the members who want to stay with the AMRDP party, need to resign from the committee,” a Mon youth told IMNA.
Several members of the Mon political scene expressed their disapproval of Own Myint’s mandate to IMNA, including Mon National Democratic Front joint-secretary Dr. Nai Hong Dein, who made a point of mentioning his additional role of MNLCC chairman. Many of the individuals interviewed felt that committee activities did not interfere with political alliances.
“In my opinion, nobody needs to resign from the committee [MNLCC]. . .and also the AMRDP is a legal party. The government is worried that the political party will use the outside groups, like the MNLCC, but the AMRDP is a legal party [and is following the Election Commission’s rules]. If someone wants to join in the AMRDP , I think they do not need to resign from the committee,” said a central committee member from the AMRDP.
The Mon Literature and Culture Committee runs a number of projects dedicated to preserving Mon literary, linguistic, and cultural heritage. Perhaps most well-known of these is the famous “Mon Summer School Program”, an intensive course of Mon literature, history and culture conducted among schoolchildren in Mon-populated areas of Burma and the Thai-Burma border during Burma’s hot season school break. It is unknown if the mass resignations of committee members associated with the AMRDP will affect the continuance of such programs.
