5th anniversary of Mro National Day observed in Ponnagyun Twsp village

By DMG 18 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
18 May 2021, Ponnagyun 

The 5^th anniversary of Mro National Day was commemorated in Banbwi Mro village, Ponnagyun Township of Arakan State, on the morning of March 18, said U Zani Phyu, chair of the Mro Literature and Culture Association.

“Mro people once disappeared in Arakan State. So, we hold the event to be prominent among the Mro people in the state,” he said.

U Zani Phyu said other ethnic groups such as Arakanese, Thetkama (Daingnet), Kaman and Khami as well as civil society organisations attended the event marking Mro National Day.

U Wai Sein Aung, a Khami person from Maunghnama village in Mrauk-U Township, said he attended the event to show his respect and love to Mro people. In Arakan State, each ethnic group has their own literature, language and culture, he said.

“Each ethnic group has its own national day. People from a different ethnic group attending the event of another ethnic group is just showing respect among different ethnic groups,” he said.

Most Mro people earn their living working in the mountain areas, but they are facing limited space and traditional work because of narrower forested areas, said U Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of the Rakhine Ethnics Congress.

“The job opportunities and business are lessening, but there are not so many educated Mro people. So, we need to help them,” he said.

The event started in 2016 and could not be held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mro people are mostly living in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw townships, and the total population is about 40,000, U Zani Phyu said.