A Mon youth discussed about how honorific titles such as ‘U’ and ‘Daw’ should not be added in front of Mon names during a peace talk held between the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Mon State residents at Mawlamyine University in the Mon State’s capital Mawlamyine on June 14.
“We want to add ‘Mi’ for Mon girls and ‘Mehm’ for boys. This is sacred for us. When we go to the national registration office, there are conflicts because they regard it as a normal [issue],” said Mi Ngwe Lay.
Mi Ngwe Lay explained that the Election Commission added the honorific title ‘Daw’ in front of Mon female candidate ‘Mi Lawi Han’ when she ran in the 2015 General Election. When she requested the commission to change it, the commission told her that the honorific ‘Daw’ must be added in front of her name.
Mi Ngwe Lay urged Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to prevent such cases from happening again.
“People who don’t know much about the Mon culture may call you Daw Mi Ngwe Lay or Ma Mi Ngwe Lay in order not to be impolite. This isn’t because they want to attack the Mon culture. They don’t want to attack you. They just talk as they understand. Some people called our Ethnic Affairs Minister as U Nai Thet Lwin. This is a way of showing respect. It’s not to make him feel humiliation,” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in response.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi pointed out that the Mon people can tell other people not to put the honorific title in normal writings but national registration cards and government documents need to follow specified rules and regulations.
U Aye Min Ko, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, said the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population has given instructions to write ethnic people’s names as stated by them.
Ethnic people criticize that they feel as if they have been subjected to ‘Burmanization’ when the honorific titles U and Daw are added in front of their names.
Ko Kyaw Zin Oo (third year math student), Ma San Thiri (nurse), Khun Htoo Aung (NGO), Mi Zin Min Mon (Nyein Foundation), Saw Kyaw Moe (restaurant business), Mi Yin Non San (second year law student), Ko Tun Tun Lin (teacher from private school), and Mi Ngwe Lay (Cetana Development Foundation) participated in the peace talk with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
