The Mon nationals reside primarily in the southern part of Myanmar. In particular, the districts of Thaton and Kyaikmaraw; and the townships of Paung, Ye, Mudon, Chaungzon, Kyaikkami, and Kyaikmaraw are areas with the highest concentration of Mon populations.
In the formulation of ethnic-based states, the essential criteria considered include:
-The historical background of an ethnic group
-Language, literature, and culture
-Geographical territory
-Economic foundation
As the Mon people possess all these key characteristics, Mon leaders have consistently believed that the Mon deserve a state of their own.
Since the era of the original GCBA (General Council of Burmese Associations), Mon nationals have taken a leading role in political efforts across the country, alongside other ethnic groups such as the Burmans and Rakhine.
As Myanmar’s political movements intensified, the Mon nationalist movement also grew steadily.
Nationalist slogans promoted by Burman elite associations — such as “The Burmese language is our language, the Burmese script is our script, and Burma is our land” — served to awaken and mobilize the national consciousness of various ethnic groups, including the Mon, Rakhine, Chin, Karen, Kachin, and Kayah peoples.
Gradually, the Mon community began to unite and recognized the importance of establishing organizations to promote their religion, literature, and culture in order to preserve and revitalize their national identity.
However, prior to the Second World War, Mon organizations did not explicitly demand the formation of a separate state. Instead, they only requested the rights and opportunities to which they were rightfully entitled.
(From “Volume III of Burmese Politics 1958–62,” Rangoon University Press, 1991, pp. 258–332)
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