On November 9, 1945, a group of politically-minded Mon individuals founded the Mon Ethnic Association at the Mon monastery on Yetarshae Road in Bahan, Yangon. The leadership of the association consisted of Mon Phoe Cho as Chairman and Mon Than as Secretary.
The Mon Ethnic Association established a connection with the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL), and both Mon Phoe Cho and Mon Than became executives within the AFPFL. However, the AFPFL did not officially recognize the Mon Ethnic Association as a political party, acknowledging it only as a civil society organization.
Following their affiliation with the AFPFL, a situation arose that necessitated the resignation of Mon Phoe Cho, Mon Than, and Mon Htun Yin from another organization they were part of: the All Ramanya Mon Association.
The conflict stemmed from the composition of the All Ramanya Mon Association, which included salaried employees. This led to a debate at the association’s conference, held in March 1946 at the Thway Say Kan Mon Monastery, over whether individuals active in politics should be permitted as members. The conference ruled that they should not. Consequently, Mon Phoe Cho, Mon Than, and Mon Htun Yin resigned from the All Ramanya Mon Association.
Source: Myanmar Politics 1958-62, Volume III, Yangon University Press, 1991, pp. 258-332.
