Dear esteemed ethnic brothers and sisters of Mon State,
On this day the 19th of March which marks the 45th anniversary of Mon State Day, I am very much honored and happy to have this opportunity to send this Message of Greetings. On this auspicious occasion of Mon State Day which has been recognized by Mon ethnic brothers and sisters as truly special, I send this Message of Greetings to all Mon ethnic nationals and all Union citizens living in Mon State to be blessed with auspiciousness and good fortune.
The 19th of March 1974, the date on which “Mon State” was inscribed in the 1974 Draft Constitution, has been designated as Mon State Day.
Since then we have been celebrating this day annually and this year marks the 45th Anniversary.
Mon State is a place where Mons and Burmans constitute the majority and Kachins, Chins, Rakhines, Shans and Pa-O ethnic races all live in close friendship. In various parts of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, all types of ethnic national races have been living since centuries ago together in close friendship in weal or woe. All our ethnic brothers and sisters have struggled together, hand in hand in unity to free ourselves from the colonialist yoke.
However, since the day we gained independence, our ethnic brothers have been unable to settle their political ideologies through negotiations and compromise. However they have tried to settle these differences through armed conflicts. As a result of this we have moved further away from internal peace and our country had to suffer the bitter experience of armed conflicts for many years. Although successive governments have tried to solve the problem of internal armed conflicts in many ways among our ethnic brothers and sisters, because we have been unable to solve the root political problems through political means, even to this very day we are witnessing the continuation of these armed conflicts.
Our Union Government has been successfully conducting the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panlong Meetings up to the Third meeting. We have also reached agreement on some fundamental federal principles. We have done these things to fulfill the ardent desires of our citizens who have been yearning for many years for durable peace. They know that to achieve this, armed conflicts which are the roots cause of political problems need to be solved through political means; and that a democratic federal union which is acceptable to all ethnic brothers and sisters need to be established.
I have been very happy to note that the New Mon State Party signed the NCA – Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement on 13th February 2018 and that it has participated in the political dialogues at different levels. Our ethnic brothers and sisters need to maintain the agreements reached thus far; I believe that they will continue to participate enthusiastically in our endeavors for the emergence of a democratic federal union as soon as possible.
Mon State which is full of splendor and steeped in culture, history and traditions, has the potential to develop with momentum within a few decades because of its location and geographic situation. I have been pleased to notice this. As we strive ardently for a constitution that would allow us to build a democratic federal union which can guarantee us rights such as democracy, national reconciliation and the right of self-determination, I firmly believe that both men and women of Mon State would join in, strive hard and work hand in hand with other Union citizens.
The opportunity to practically create the dream of a federal union which has yet to be fulfilled, though we have yearned for it for so many years is now within the reach of every Union citizen. This dream of a federal union is the dream of Bogyoke Aung San our national leader, architect of independence and father of the Tatmadaw and other Union leaders to be passed on to the new generation of youths. I send this Message of Greetings with good wishes for our Mon ethnic brothers and sisters urging them to continue walking on the path of National Reconciliation and Union Peace with courage and wisdom. I also pray that they would be able to firmly grasp the stability and peace of Mon State to strive in unity for the emergence of a socially harmonious, equitable, modern, and developed state within the coming decade.
signed / –
(Win Myint)
President
