Celebrations for the 41st anniversary of Mon State Day, which is commemorated annually on March 19th, were held in three townships across Mon State this year in Moulmein, Mudon and Thanbyuzayat townships.
The 41st anniversary celebrations were attended by Mon State Chief Minister U Ohn Myint, Minister of Economics and Planning Dr. Min Nwe Soe, New Mon State Party (NMSP) Chairman Nai Htaw Mon, representatives from Mon State government departments, Hluttaw representatives, as well as representatives from various ethnic group leaders.
“As Mon State Day is recognized, I would like to request that Mon National Day be officially recognized too. Concerning peace, a nationwide ceasefire must be signed. From that, political talks must be held, and genuine and lasting peace must be solved through political methods; then we will achieve real peace and development.
That is how we [NMSP] see it,” stated Nai Htaw Mon in a speech presented at the commemorations.
President U Thein Sein also released a statement for Mon State Day’s 41st anniversary celebrations remarking that since the ceasefire agreement was signed with the ethnic armed group in Mon State, peace has been able to be held in a friendly and transparent manner.
The President stated that he is glad to see that there is stability and peace in Mon State, and that development is taking place within the infrastructure, education, health and economic sectors of the region. The President went on to urge for continued stability and peace for the benefit of future generations.
“During this government term, Mon State Day has been held for four years already. In the first two years, [celebrations] were held in Moulmein City, while [celebrations] were held in Setse beach, Thanbyuzayat Township last year. This year, [celebrations] are held in Moulmein [Capital], Mudon [Town] and Thanbyuzayat’s Setse beach. In Moulmein, we did alms-giving as part of the state day celebration, while we held the ceremony for the 41st anniversary in Mudon town, celebrating with entertainment in Thanbyuzayat’s Setse beach,” said Dr. Min Nwe Soe, who served as chairman for the Mon State Day committee.
Celebrations in Mudon Town hosted an attendance of about 10,000 people, while celebration events at Setse beach, including traditional ethnic dances and government department exhibits, were also attended in large numbers.
“I am glad that Mon State Day [has been officially recognized] because there are also showrooms [where the] public can also learn and gain knowledge. Now, we can observe the showrooms and learn, when once we could not get the chance to,” remarked event participant Nai Aung Lin.
Setse beach celebration events were held over four days, from March 19-22nd, where events well attended and happily held as famous singers from the country entertained the celebration guests.
Under the Union Constitution, drafted after Burma gained independence in 1948, the current Mon and Karen states were part of Tenasserim Division. However, in 1973 under the administration of the Burma Socialist Program Party, only Mon and Karen states were formed, due to the Mon and Karen ethnic peoples demands.
Mon State Day is marked as March 19, 1973, as it was written in the 1974 constitution draft.
