Townships across Mon and Karen States and the Tenasserim Region are preparing for the upcoming 69th Mon National Day on February 24.
In Mon State, Township-level celebrations are, thus far, being planned in Mudon, Ye, Paung, Moulmein, Chaungzone, and Thanbyuzayat Townships, and township-level preparations have also begun in Karen State’s townships of Hpa-an, Kawkereik, and Kyarinnseikkyi. Township-level festivities for Ye will be held in Duya Village and Kawkareik Township’s event is planned for Kawpain Village.
Billboards for the annual celebration have been put up in Chaungzone, Moulmein, Paung, and Mudon Townships.
“Compared to last year, we founded our committees for the 69th Mon National Day a bit late. This is because we also established the [event’s] central committee late. It seems like we have not had much time or activities for setting up the committees yet,” said Nai Mon Yarzar, a member of the 69th Mon National Day Central Committee.
He added that planning committees of township-level celebrations across the different communities will ensure that chairmen give similar welcome speeches and events offer similar talks on Mon literature, as well as using a standard billboard to create some uniformity for event attendees.
Meanwhile, a campaign to make Mon National Day an official public holiday has been spearheaded by the event’s organizing committees and members of the Mon Sangha, or community of monks.
“We have been interested in the recognition of Mon National Day as a public holiday for a long time. But this is a new approach that’s never been tried before,” said Dr. Min Soe Linn, a Mon National Party member and newly elected Mon State Hluttaw (Parliament) representative.
The campaign will include the release of public statements, campaign songs, and distribution of promotional materials like stickers and cloth headbands, according to Moulmein Township’s 69th Mon National Day Committee.
In addition to festivities in Mon and Karen states and the Tenasserim Division, Mon National Day is celebrated in locations across the territory administered by the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and in Rangoon and Mandalay. Ethnic Mon communities living abroad also frequently organize celebrations in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, and the United States.
