86th Kayin National New Year Day celebrated in Yangon

The 86th Kayin National New Year Festival of the 2763 Kayin Era was held at the Union National Races Village in Thakayta Township of Yangon Region yesterday.
At the ceremony, U Saw Tun Aung Myint, leader of the Central Advisory Body of the State Administration Council, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein, Yangon Command Commander Maj-Gen Zaw Hein, Yangon Region Development Affairs Minister U Bo Htay, Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Win Tint and Ethnic Affairs Minister U Saw Jacob Htoo launched the ceremony by beating the Kayin traditional frog drum.
Speaking at the event, the leader of the Central Advisory Body of the State Administration Council said all the Kayin ethnics residing across the nation celebrate the 86th anniversary of Kayin National New Year Day as a new harvest feast. They also should continuously celebrate the festival with full of essence focusing on the unity.
He also called for preservation of the noble qualifications of the Kayin people, such as honesty, loyalty and so on, pursue education holding moral characteristics, work hard to develop, and keep in mind the fact finding solutions through political means based on Union spirit in implementing the peace and stay in unity with all national brethren in moving forward to a peaceful nation.
He also highlighted the need to preserve their literature, dialects, costumes, traditions and customs with a patriotic spirit and move forward to a modern and developed nation with a union spirit, ensuring the development of the Kayin people and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar joining hands with all the national brethren.
Then, the Yangon Region chief minister and Ethnic Affairs minister made speeches and explained the ceremony.
The ceremony continued with the Kayin Don dance, traditional bamboo dance, rope dance, bamboo pole hitting dance, Mon traditional dance, Rakhine traditional dance, Sakaw Kayin and West Poe Kayin songs, and officials presented awards to the performers.
The Kayin New Year Day festival includes Kayin traditional sports competitions, Kayin songs and Don dance, a DJ and a stage show. The festival ground was crowded with Kayin ethnics and visitors. The Yangon Region government sold food at an affordable price, and the Kayin New Year Festival Organizing Committee led by the Ethnic Affairs minister also donated Kayin traditional food. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/KTZH