“The government needs to show recognition and provide support in preserving traditional customs of ethnic people,” said Saw Aung Myint Khine, the Karen Affairs Minister from the Mon State government.

The Karen traditional wrist-tying ceremonies will be held on the township-level and village-level in all ten townships and over 100 villages in the Mon State, where the Karen people reside.

Each township will receive Ks 1.5 million for the township-level ceremony and each village will receive Ks 350,000 for the village-level ceremony.

The Karen Affairs Minister said the state government started providing funding for the wrist-tying ceremonies in the state since last year.

Saw Chit Than, a Karen man residing in the Mon State, said they were unable to hold Karen traditional wrist-tying ceremonies grandly as they had to hold it on their own but now they can hold it grandly due to the funding from the state government.

“The government recognizes and supports our traditional customs. Also, other ethnic people come to celebrate at this event so they get to know our culture. This brings me joy,” he added.

The Mon State government said it has provided funding from its state budget for literature and culture-related programs of the Mon, Karen, and Pa-O people within the first half of the financial year from April to September 2018.

The state government has provided Ks 100 million for Mon people, Ks 150 million for the Karen people, and Ks 100 million for the Pa-O people.

Karen people live in all ten townships in the Mon State and most of them reside in Thaton and Bilin townships.

Over 300,000 Karen people live in the Mon State.