The Mon, one of the earliest indigenous people in the Thai-Burmese area, were instrumental in disseminating Buddhism to the region. Nowadays they face a fight for cultural survival... " CONCENTRATED in the mountainous border area of Burma and Thailand, up to three million Mon are struggling to preserve their culture and language. Researchers and anthropologists worry that Mon culture may disappear entirely, deliberately assimilated through the policies of both the Thai and Burmese governments. Thai military officials observe a Mon festival in Samut Sakhon near Bangkok. (Photo: Bangkok Post) As evidence, they point to Moulmein, the capital of Mon State in Burma, where the name of the Mon National Museum was changed by Burmese authorities to the ?National Museum,? and members of the Mon Literature and Culture Association were replaced by junta associates. In Thailand, meanwhile, security officials pressured organizers of the annual Mon National Day festival in February to refrain from singing and dancing, to limit the festival to one day, to identify the organizers of the festival and ban the participation of unregistered workers from Burma. In addition, Thai officials also urged the public not to support the Mon cultural events at Samut Sakhorn, home to almost 200,000 workers from Burma, the majority of whom are Mon..."