Written by: Allen Ho, USCB Intern
Feature Photo:
Kids raising the Mon flag at a village school in Ye Township
Mi Kamoon/The Transnational Institute
In the fight for democracy, we cannot forget states such as Mon State, which are suffering without much media attention. The U.S. Campaign for Burma previously highlighted Chin, Kachin, Karenni, Rakhine, and Shan voices. We will now be highlighting the unique perspectives of Mon State.
Until recently, activity in Mon State was relatively quiet compared to other states. Even before the February 1st coup, there was little armed conflict with Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) because of the ceasefire the military signed with the New Mon State Party (NMSP) in 1995. This ceasefire has since held for over 25 years, unlike the ceasefire in Chin state. In fact, the party advocated for a peaceful resolution to the attempted coup in a statement on February 11th last year. However, their cooperation has not stopped the military from encroaching on the NMSP’s territory. The towns Khawzar, Magyi, and Ann Din used to be controlled by the NMSP, but the military now occupies these territories. Despite this, the NMSP continues to work with the military after the February 1st coup, drawing criticism from Mon people on social media. Both the Mon Unity Party (the other main party in Mon State) and NMSP met the junta at their peace talks in Naypyidaw, which several EAOs boycotted. The parties agreed to rewrite their constitutions despite most Mon people being opposed to cooperating with the junta.
Although there have not been many notable massacres or major battles in Mon State since the attempted coup, that does not mean it is safe. The Burmese army continues to persecute its political opposition and crush the few in the state who stand in their path. Authorities are conducting nightly searches in major cities to catch People’s Defense Force (PDF) members and Civil Disobedience Movement participants. The military is checking phones at city entrances for anti-coup sentiments and have installed CCTV systems at street intersections to monitor civilians and arrest their opposition. The military’s abuses in Mon State are less shocking than other states at first glance, but are continuous and equally egregious.
Junta soldiers at a road stop
Photo by Human Rights Foundation of Monland
Since the February 1st coup, the military has killed at least 41 people and arrested at least 511 others in Mon State. Human rights violations in Mon State mainly consist of arbitrary arrests, murders, and police brutality. Arbitrary arrests and killings mainly occur in smaller cases. For example, the junta forces arrested an important National League for Democracy member in Mudon Township on June 17th, 2021. Later, the military arrested two teenagers from Mudon on October 13th, 2021, in separate incidents. On March 16th of this year, junta troops arrested three people during a midnight raid in Ye Township. A few days later on March 25th, they killed a man from Thaton Township accused of being linked to the PDF during an interrogation. Recently on September 23rd, junta soldiers fatally shot a villager in Ye Township for allegedly breaching martial law, which enforces an 8PM curfew. Without as much armed resistance in the area, the military is able to keep people under control with fear and random attacks.
Another form of government abuse in Mon State is extortion. During the first week of July 2021, households in four Mudon villages were forced to pay 1,000 kyat each to support junta-affiliated militia forces. On July 9th, the military started requiring permits to go outside in Thaton, Mawlamyine, and Thanbyuzayat Townships after issuing a “Stay at Home” order two days before. These permits cost between 300 and 1,000 kyats.
The situation on the ground continues to deteriorate almost two years after the attempted coup. In addition to the daily abuses, the Burmese military is now simply stealing what they want. Throughout the last week of April 2021, junta soldiers at security tolls stole over 60 million Kyats in at least 50 separate cases. They confiscated at least 23 motorcycles that same week. As of October 2022, they are charging an exorbitant 50-100 thousand Kyats ($24-48) for cars and vans. Trucks even pay double. Another way the junta steals is by confiscating land and undercompensating the owners. The military planned a 3,400-acre airport in Mudon Township on top of privately owned farmland. In October 2022, they forced the farmers to “sell” their land for 6.1 million Kyat per acre, which is far below market value. These tactics show that the junta is always looking for new ways to exploit the people.
A 1000-person protest in Mawlamyine
Photo by The Transnational Institute
The junta does not hesitate to crack down on protests. During a protest in Mawlamyine (the capital of Mon State) eleven days after the attempted coup, soldiers injured five people and arrested four university students. Later that month on February 28th, police killed a man and injured 30 people. Most of those arrested by the junta were arrested for their involvement in anti-coup demonstrations. The military fires rubber bullets into crowds and even threatens civilians by firing real bullets into the air to disperse these protests. Instead of gathering, Mon people have now turned to exact the opposite: boycotting. Like the rest of Burma, they boycotted the Thingyan festival again this year in April. They are opening their own universities to avoid those controlled by the junta. During Mon National Day on February 16th this year, Mon people skipped school and work to protest the day not being a public holiday.
While government abuse has been Mon State’s primary issue since the attempted coup, it faces several other challenges that we will discuss in the second part to be released on Thursday, including armed conflict, economic struggles, and COVID-19.
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