Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHO ARE THE MON?
The Mon people have a proud history, but today they are in danger of being lost forever. As well as introducing
Theravada Buddhism to the region, their Dvaravati kingdom covered much of the central plains of Thailand and
Burma between the 6th and 11th centuries.
Many Mon have fled the oppressive regime in Burma and live as refugees around Sangkhlaburi. Less than a
million people speak the Mon language and they face a fight to preserve their heritage, beliefs and independence.
For centuries there has been conflict between the Burmese and the Mon. The British exploited this tension dur-
ing its colonisation of Burma by promising the Mon independence in return for their support. Once Burma
achieved independence in 1948, the Mon launched a campaign for self-determination but protests were swiftly
crushed, with Mon leaders killed and their villages razed. In 1974 a semi-autonomous state, Monland, was cre-
ated and a ceasefire was declared in 1996, but clashes continue to this day.
Lai Phipit, who is in his 60s, is one of many who left their homeland due to violence. He said: 'When I was a
child, soldiers came and told all the men and boys to come and help carry weapons to fight the communists.
Anybody who refused would be shot. My family decided to flee to Thailand.'
Of Sangkhlaburi's 47,000 residents, 23,800 are from ethnic groups. Thailand does little more than tolerate their
presence. The Mon are given Thai ID cards that offer virtually no rights, travel is restricted and there are check-
points all around Sangkhlaburi and Three Pagodas Pass. Many Mon and Karen work for 150B a day or less, be-
low the Thai minimum wage but still more than they would receive in Burma. They fear being fined, deported or
even attacked and so often have a self-imposed curfew.
The Mon people in Burma continue to suffer and reports of rape, beatings and arrests are common. They are
stuck between a country where they are repressed and a country where they have few rights. Because of this,
there are fears their once proud traditions and culture could eventually become completely assimilated and lost
forever.
A Mon village close to E-Thong preserves its culture by offering a
homestay
(450B) and performing a tradi-
tional show. Contact
Phuiyara Resort
(
0 3468 5632) for details.
Getting There & Away
Air-conditioned buses leave from opposite Thanachart Bank on the main road. Tickets are
sold at the back of the nearby
Krua Ngobah
(
0 3459 9377)
restaurant. Destinations include:
Bangkok's Northern (Mo Chit) terminal
(193-248B, five hours, 9.30am, 11am)
Sangkhlaburi
(67-86B, two hours, twice daily)
Local buses leave from the market.
Getting Around
You can try your bartering skills on the motorbike taxi drivers at the market, who may let
you rent their bikes out for around 300B a day.
Sŏrng·tăa·ou
run up and down the main
road and should cost about 10B for rides within town.
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