In Japan, the Punnyakari Mon National Society (PMNS-Japan) and Mon Family FC Japan organized a fundraising event to support resistance fighters and displaced civilians from Mon State, who continue to suffer from the conflict in the Ramanya region.
For the fundraiser, PMNS-Japan and Mon Family FC Japan hosted a football tournament in Misato City, Japan, on August 31, running from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A total of 52 teams competed in the tournament. Mon nationals living in Japan, along with other ethnic groups — including Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Rakhine, and Shan — also took part, according to one of the organizers.
“We organize this kind of event regularly to raise funds. We hope that Mon people living abroad, no matter which country they are in, will contribute in similar ways to support our fellow Mon nationals — both the resistance fighters and those forced to flee the war,” he said.
Traditional Mon food was also sold at the event, including Thingyan rice, pork curry with Mon spices, fried chicken with spring onion, various desserts, drinks, and mixed fruit salad.
The fundraising event reportedly raised 1.6 million Japanese Yen. Organizers said that once the accounts are finalized, the funds will be directed to support resistance fighters and war-displaced civilians.
Mon youths in Japan urged continued solidarity, saying that Mon people abroad must never forget the Mon heroes fighting on the frontlines and the civilians displaced by war, but instead provide them with consistent support.
PMNS-Japan, together with other Mon youth groups in Japan, has a tradition of organizing such fundraising events to aid Mon communities affected by war, natural disasters, and social or educational needs, as well as to support those engaged in the armed struggle against the military junta.
