Following the decisive victory of the Clean AFPFL (Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League) faction in the 1960 general elections, the Clean Mon National Organization began to advocate for the establishment of a Mon State.
At a press conference held on March 19, 1960, by the Mon National Organization, Chairman U Pe Than and Secretary U Ngwe Soe provided detailed explanations regarding this demand. Prior to the elections, during the Mon Affairs Conference held in Mawlamyine, U Nu, the leader of the Clean AFPFL, had pledged that a Mon State would be established if the majority of the Mon people desired it.
Based on that promise, the Mon leaders expressed hope and trust that the Clean government under U Nu would take action on the Mon State issue.
They further explained that the demand was driven by fears that Mon culture and literature might disappear if a Mon State was not established.
The Mon National Organization leaders went on to clarify that to properly implement the creation of a Mon State, the first step should be the formation of a Mon Affairs Council.
They also stated that they would officially request the new government to give priority consultation to the Clean Mon National Organization on this matter.
Although there were various divisions among Mon individuals and organizations, they affirmed that the Mon people as a whole shared a common goal: the establishment of a Mon State.
When reporters asked about the potential geographic extent of the proposed Mon State, Chairman U Pe Than responded that it would likely cover areas from Kyaikmaraw Township, some parts of Karen State, and up to Ye Township.
(Source: “Myanmar Politics 1958–62, Volume III,” Yangon University Press, 1991, pp. 258–332.)
