The following is a full-text message sent by State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing to the ceremony to mark the Kayin National New Year Day, today.
Esteemed entire people in Myanmar and national brethren in Kayin State,
Today, 11 January 2024, 2763 Kayin Era, the 1st waxing of Pyatho 1385 Myanmar Era, is a significant day adored by Kayin ethnic people. On the Kayin New Year occasion, I extended warm greetings with my best wishes to all people, including Kayin ethnics, to be able to enjoy physical and mental well-being with auspiciousness.
All nationalities have settled in various regions suitable for their livelihoods since yore. As the Kayin ethnics settled in Myanmar in BC 739, the calculation based on BC 739, when they first ever arrived in Myanmar, shows that this year is the 2763 Kayin Era.
The 1st Thalay (Sakaw Kayin) 2763 KE and Htaikhaukpho (Poe Kayin) is the New Year Day of Kayin nationals. In accord with the Myanmar Era, it is the 1st waning of Pyatho 1385. The government honours the Kayin New Year Day as an official office holiday across the nation.
Esteemed national brethren,
The wording ‘Kayin national” represents all Kayin ethnics regardless of nationality, lineage, religion and faith.
There are 11 Kayin ethnic groups namely Kayin, Kayinphyu (Gebar Kayin), Palekee (Palechee), Mon-Kayin (Sarphyu) (East Poe KAYIN), Sakaw Kayin, Tahlaypwa (Tahlayywar), Paku, Bwe, Mawnaypwa, Moepwa (Moepwar), Poe Kayin (Sho) (West Poe Kayin). Of them, Sakaw and Poe Kayin are the primary Kayin tribes but differ in culture, customs and languages.
As Kayin ethnics are Myanmar’s ethnics, they reside in all parts of Kayin State and the entire Myanmar. They reside in Mon State, Taninthayi Region, Bago Region, and Ayeyawady Region. They have been residing in all parts of Myanmar together with other ethnicities through thick and thin in unison throughout history. Moreover, it should take pride in its efforts in the independence struggle together with other ethnic peoples with national spirit and patriotic spirit with the sacrifice of life, blood and sweat when Myanmar fell under colonialism.
The prominent symbol of Kayin State is Zwekabin Hill, and the emblems of Kayin ethnicity are the frog drum and buffalo horn. All Kayin ethnic groups celebrate the New Year festival, the house warming festival, the new harvest feast, the soul honouring festival, and the auspicious ceremony of white thread decoration in Wagaung, as well as religious occasions in designated periods. Moreover, Kayin ethnic don dance is a lively and fascinating ethnic culture, catching the attention of local people as well as international guests.
All Kayin ethnics all over Myanmar and all Kayin brethren from various areas have to preserve their traditional culture and customs for new generations in unison. If all ethnics always preserve their fine traditions, the Union will be perpetual for the long term.
As such, Kayin ethnics have been preserving their literature, dialects, culture, fine arts, traditions and customs, and historical heritage through successive eras. Likewise, I would like to urge the new generation of Kayin youths to continuously preserve fine traditions such as honesty, diligence, loyalty, and decisiveness.
Esteemed national brethren,
The State Administration Council is implementing the vision for building a Union based on a democratic system and federalism, the five-point roadmap, and nine political, economic and social objectives in accordance with the aspirations of the people. Region and state, as well as self-administered zone governments, together with union-level organizations and ministries, emphasize the implementation of the missions and visions.
Region and State governments and local ethnic people must cooperate in unison for the nation’s development. The government is bringing peace and stability to the people and developing the nation in all aspects. This being so, priority is being given to operating agriculture and livestock farms for the socioeconomic development of the people. Moreover, efforts are being made to develop other economic sectors through modern technologies.
Moreover, if the investment can be put in agriculture and livestock businesses benefiting the State and the people with long-term guarantees, employers, employees, the government, and the people will have many benefits. As such, encouragement is being given to investments. Strengthening the State economy is one of the primary needs for the nation’s development. As such, improving the economy by directly importing basic inputs for widely operating MSME businesses based on region-wise agriculture and livestock production is necessary. Based on raw materials available in the state, if efforts can be made to operate the scheme of “One Region-One Product”, the socioeconomic life of the ethnic people can be uplifted, contributing to the country’s development on the one hand.
Esteemed ethnic people,
Due to current conflicts in some parts of Kayin State and other parts of the nation, the country and all people face tragic losses in all aspects. People are suffering bad impacts and plights of terror acts and fighting triggered by external and internal instigations without rooting on the truth and conspiracy of some ethnic armed organizations. Those people evade the scenes to safer places, facing many difficulties in food, clothing, shelter, health and education. Peace and development, which were built in a long time, were ruined, and it is necessary to take adequate time, manpower and monetary assistance to regain the previous situation.
All life and property lost in terror acts and armed conflicts in the country are valuable sources of the nation. Everybody needs to notice that the areas lacking peace and stability will not have development and prosperity, and local ethnic people will face low socioeconomic life.
The State Administration Council is upholding Our Three Main National Causes: Non-disintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty as the national concept. I would like to sincerely express that we cannot totally accept any act harmful to the State firmly formed under the Constitution based on these three national duties.
Moreover, the door is always open to welcome them for peace of the State. I want to reiterate that all ethnic organizations are always welcome to join hands with the government in solving all difficulties keeping in line with the agreements of NCA without deploying the armed struggle line.
Only when all ethnic people, including those from Kayin State, make concerted efforts to ensure peace and stability, rule of law and socioeconomic development for our country can Myanmar stand tall as a modern and developed nation among the global countries. Hence, I send a message in honour of the Kayin National New Year Day by urging all ethnic people to strive to minimize fighting and unrest in their regions so as to ensure peace and prosperity of the Union in unison as well as to serve the interests of the State and the people.
Senior General
Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu
Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma
Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman
State Administration Council
