A conference to find a solution to the problems plaguing the Mons will be hold in April. Representatives of Mon nationals worldwide will participate, according to a decision of the implementing committee.

The implementing committee of the Mon national conference held a meeting recently and decided to hold a conference on April 25 said Nai Suthorn, an implementing committee member.

“One obvious issue to discuss in the ensuing conference is to prevent the Mon people from disappearing from their own state as more and more Burmese from upper Burma migrate to Mon land because of a government policy” said Nai Suthorn general secretary of Mou Unity League.

He added, “Mon people have migrated to other countries and the Burmese migrated to Mon land. These are two different issues. The Mon people will go back when they have enough money for investments in their hometown and they can’t stay in other countries forever without citizenship. But the Burmese have citizenship and they can stay in Mon land forever.”

“We are afraid that the Mon people, Mon language and Mon literacy will disappear and they will become landless when they go back home” he said.

Mon national conference has been held annually from 2003 based on these objectives and to make of Mon people aware about the rights of self-determination. “The purpose for holding the conference is to make Mon people take interest in celebrating the Mon National Day and to acquire more rights regarding Mon literacy in Thailand.” Nai Suthorn said.

“We also want our people to talk about their problems to the representatives from the areas so we can discuss and find solution in the conference, ” he added. In the ensuing conference in April, representatives from both inside the country and Europe, US, Canada, Australia, Malaysia among others will be involved.