“At the cabinet conference, an agreement was reached to provide 15,000,000 Kyat for Mon National Day. All government members agreed upon the sponsorship, that it should provide for the Mon National Day event just like it provided for the Karen New Year Day,” said Dr. Min Kyi Win, Mon State’s Minister of Natural Resource and Environment Conservation Ministry.

Dr. Min Kyi Win added that the Mon National Day organising committee must deliver a report regarding where and how they will spend the donation.

Mon National Day has been held over 69 years already and it has taken place not only in Mon State but across other states and regions in Burma as well as internationally, where Mon communities have resettled.

“The donation provided by the Mon State Government will not only be used for the central Mon National Day celebration. We will [also] use it [equally] for the celebrations of Mon National Day in all of the ten townships in order to be able to implement unity between central and township level Mon National Day celebrations,” said Mi Sandar Non, General Secretary of Mon National Day organizing committee.

The 69th Mon National Day Central was celebrated in Kalaw Village, Chaungzone Township, Bilu Kyun [Island]. This year’s 70th Mon National Day Central celebration will be held in Kyaikmaraw Town, in Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State.

Mi Sandar Non also said that according to Mon State’s program, the Mon State Government’s donation could only be spent for Mon National Day celebrations within Mon State but could not be contributed to Mon National Day Celebrations in other states or regions. However, the Mon National Day organising committee will decide how it will spend the government’s donation.

In December, 2016, the Mon State Government also provided 15,000,000 Kyat to the organising committee of the 79th Karen New Year in order to celebrate the event in Mon State’s 10 townships.