October 22: Thai New Prime Minster Surayud Chulanont said he will look after Mon people after the Abbot Rev. Uttama passed away. He is one of the Abbot’s follower and believes in the abbot when he was during in military barrack.

Thai New Prime Minster Surayud Chulanont interviewed by IMNA said, “Luangphaw (Abbot) extended his kindness to me. Thais and Mons are not distant cousins, we have to take care each other. Although Laungphaw is no longer in existence, I will continue to take care of the Mon people.”

He keeps this promise when he pays a respect to Rev. Uttama today who passed away after 5 days. Amid he is busy with many government duties he arrived to to Wengka Mon village in Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi Province Thailand as a faithful follower to Mon Abbot. He directly flied from troubled southern Thailand today.

Thousands of Mon people, Thai authorities and residents in Sangkhlaburi welcomed him warmly and the Mon people also performed their traditional ‘Kathon’ ceremony after the Buddhist Lent.

Most Mon people who live in Sangklaburi are worrying for their security and future to live on in Thailand after their leader, Abbot passed away.

His followers are in mourning and are grief struck in Thailand because they lost a leader who provided shelter to Mon people from Burma for many decades. He had a tremendous Mitta (loving) influence on the Thai people, said a Buddhist monk, Talagon Nee, who wrote a biography for the Abbot.

Thai University professor Cholthira Satyawadhna, Director Center of Thai-Asian Studies, Rangsit Research Institute send a mourning letter to encourage Mon community in Sangklaburi. “It may be understandable that all members of the Mon community at Sankhlaburi have felt loss and had great concern on their future. Please do believe in your virtue, all the virtual and cultural heritage plus with his wisdom, way of thought, both strategy and tactics that you have learned from Luang Phaw would encourage and empower your community to be safe and sound, if you all could make use of them in the right and wise way”.

The royal families sent ‘well wish water’ to clean up ‘Abbot’ body on October 19. Then the monastery authorities opened for his followers to pay respects since then. Everyday, thousands of people from central Thailand and from southern Burma have come and paid respects to him.

Abbot Uttama took refuge in Thailand soon after Burma’s independence when civil war intensified and fighting began between the ‘central government’ and ‘Ethnic Nationalities, like the Mon and Karen’.

He established the Wengka Mon village with a few followers in 1956. He received thousands of Mon refugees who fled from the war under and gave them shelter till 1990 with the help of the Thai authorities.

He also gave a lot of social support to the Thai government by establishing schools, hospitals and clinics, bridges, and roads.