Mon communities in Burma and abroad gathered on Sunday to remember the fall of Hongsawatoi Kingdom.
The 259th Hongsarwatoi Fallen Day fell on May 29 this year. Mon people, young and old, organized vigils to pray for the kingdom’s collapse as well as for those who lost their lives during its descent including Mon monks, civilians and soldiers.
“Last year, I could only pray for the fallen Mon people. However, this time, I also pray for the people who are suffering at this present moment,” said Mi Hongsar Htaw, a member of the organizing committee for the 259th Hongsarwatoi Fallen Day.
Under the Mon youths’ leadership, the memorial events were organized in respective areas including Rangoon, Pegu, Karen State, Tenasserim Division as well as Moulmein City and Mon villages in Mon State.
Likewise, resettled Mon people in Fort Wayne, Indiana State, U.S. staged a protest in front of the city’s court office to remember the fallen Mon Kingdom Hongsarwatoi as they held the poster advertising the 259th Mon Holocaust Memorial Day in both Mon and English.
Using slogans in both languages, the protesters declared “We do not want the 2008 Constitution. The Burmese army must stop intruding into ethnic areas and launching attacks against them.” Furthermore, they staged the protest with the objective of educating future generations about what happened and is currently happening in the country.
Mon people in foreign countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Canada, Australia and South Korea also celebrated the 259th Hongsarwatoi Fallen Day.
It was 259 years ago, on the 8th waning day of the second month in the year 1119 of the Mon/Burmese Lunar Calendar (Christian Era 1757), when the kingdom fell and was destroyed by the occupation of the Barman King Ahlaung Phaya (Aung Zaya), according to Mon historical records.
Along with the fall of the Kingdom, hundreds of thousands of Mon monks, Mon people and soldiers were executed under King Aung Zaya’s occupation. Mon people have celebrated Hongsarwatoi Fallen Day each year to remember this holocaust.
