Esteemed ethnic national brethren of the Kachin State,
Today, 10th January is the auspicious 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of Kachin State Day for ethnic national brethren residing in the Kachin State.
On this significant day, I would like to extend my warmest greetings as well as the best wishes for the auspiciousness and physical and mental well-being of all ethnic national people born in the Union together with all Kachin ethnicities residing in the Kachin State.
All ethnic national people have been residing together in Myanmar since yore and standing tall among other countries across the world by sharing the future through thick and thin.
The country had been prosperous during the period to safeguard the sovereignty and independence for ensuring the development of the socioeconomic life of the State and the people whenever all ethnic national people were in unison. At a time when their unity disintegrated with weakness in all aspects, the country fell under the colonial rule of tremendously powerful British colonialists, losing its sovereignty and independence.
Nonetheless, those from various areas of Myanmar including ethnic people who did not wish to accept the colonial rule could grasp the sovereignty with the sacrifice of life upholding the patriotic spirit in fighting against the colonialists. The 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) Independence Day recently celebrated on a grand scale showed the result of unity among all ethnic national people. Hence, I would like to urge all ethnic national people to continue safeguarding their independence and sovereignty.
On 10 January 1948 when Myanmar regained independence, the first session of the Kachin State Council Congress designated the 10th January as “the Kachin State Day” as a gesture of honouring the formation of the Kachin State government. From then on, the commemorative day of the Kachin State has been held every year, and today’s celebration turns 75 years as well as the Diamond Jubilee. The Kachin State is home to more than 1.7 million population comprising Kachin ethnics such as Kachin, Htarom, Dalaung, Jingphaw, Gawri, Khakhu, Dulan, Lawwaw, Rawang, Larcheid, Zaiwah and Lisu together with Shan ethnics namely Tailay, Tailai, Tailon, Taisa and Taikhamti and Bamar ethnic and other ethnics amicably.
The Kachin State is the origin of Myanmar’s main artery Ayeyawady River through the combination of the Maykha and Malikha rivers, endowed with precious gems and minerals such as gold, jade and amber as well as the beautiful and pleasant natural environment. The scenic beauties of the whole year snow-capped mountains and the pleasant scene of the Myitsone (confluence of rivers) are invaluably and panoramically picturesque scenes of the state.
Dressing styles, traditional dances and literary cultural customs of Kachin ethnics are pleasant and these heritages of ethnics catches the attention of foreigners. The Manaw dance in which participants in traditional costumes present dancing in harmony is an impressive culture of Kachin ethnics.
All our ethnic people adore the traditional culture and national characteristics. Preservation and enhancement of national characteristics and national culture make the State and the nationals ensure a strong and dynamic Union spirit, bringing a lot of benefit to all. As our country is being built to have peace and tranquillity and development and build a Union based on democracy and federalism, now is a very important time for all to foster the national spirit.
The Kachin State endowed with pleasant scenes and plentiful natural resources has not been enjoying the natural beauties and not effectively utilize national resources in the development tasks of the state till today because of armed conflicts. Only when the area is peaceful and stable with the prevalence of law and order will it successfully implement the development projects.
The government is striving for building the Union based on democracy and federalism in accord with the desire of the entire ethnic national people. Strengthening the genuine, discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system and development of the nation primarily need peace and tranquillity, the prevalence of law and order, stability of the State and restoration of perpetual peace. Hence, an emphasis is being placed on restoring perpetual and durable peace and harmonious development across the nation for all ethnic national brethren.
To achieve success in peace processes, stakeholders and relevant organizations need to uphold the correct attitudes and the common desire for the sake of the State. The government on its part manages control of all measures without harming the peace processes. Everybody knows if the country cannot restore peace and stability, it will be far from the future tasks to build the Union based on the democratic system and federalism and development undertakings of the State. As such, I would like to notify all of reducing and stopping current terror acts and armed struggling lines.
The State Administration Council is focusing on the continuous implementation of the peace process in accord with the objective “Emphasis will be placed on achieving enduring peace for the entire nation in line with the agreements set out in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement-NCA” so as to build the Union based on genuine, discipline-flourishing democracy and federalism. Tatmadaw on its part has issued statements on ceasefire 21 times during more than four years period from 21 December 2018 to 31 December 2022 to suspend its military operations except for the time when defending the State and administrative mechanisms were harmed. Currently, the military operations and campaigns were further suspended for one more year from 1 January to 31 December 2023 except the time when State defence and administrative mechanisms would be harmed to continuously implement the peace talk processes in a practical manner and to restore perpetual peace the entire people aspire to.
I would like to urge all stakeholders in the Kachin State and the entire ethnic national people to harmoniously strive for serving the interests of the nation with a united strength based on the national spirit but anybody or any organization individually cannot achieve success.
Esteemed ethnic national brethren of the Kachin State,
Currently, the State Administration Council is assuming the responsibilities of the government in accord with the Constitution while implementing the five-point road map and nine political, economic and social objectives to ensure peace and stability of the State, undertake development tasks and improve socioeconomic lives of ethnic national people as much as it can.
Moreover, the government adopted the plans on transport, electrification, agriculture, livestock, education, health and human resource development for uplifting all sectors so as to improve the socioeconomy to have overall development of the nation including the Kachin State.
Democracy is an administrative system in that the people themselves elect their representatives to be authorized. The federal system is a concept to organize ethnics and tribes from different regions and states and divides the powers among them. Actually, the federal system is living in integration and sharing benefits. With regard to the Union based on a democratic system and federalism, entire ethnic national people are living in the Union together through thick and thin under the administrative system the ethnic national people of the Union choose, and they all shall have the right of self-administration under the relevant constitutions of regions and states. If so, a genuine discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system will come out. For the time being, our State Administration Council is implementing the objectives and work plans with momentum in accord with the desire of ethnic national people.
Consideration and rationality, a highly intelligent quotient and genuine goodwill of all ethnic national people residing across the nation are very crucial in building a new peaceful, prosperous, modernized and developed democratic nation. They all should take everything into consideration for the sake of the whole nation as well as the entire people. They all have to objectively review their standing whether or not right or wrong. Likewise, I would like to urge all to nurture the youths who will shape the future of their State to have a widened scope of knowledge, forge a patriotic spirit and possess development of human resources.
As such, I firmly believe that all ethnic people would have the capability to overcome any difficulties, crises and challenges through patriotic spirit and solidarity based on the Union spirit of all ethnic national people in implementing the future plans of the State and the nation. Today is the time to initiate the restoration of perpetual peace across the nation which needs compulsorily to build the Union based on democracy and federalism the entire people aspire to. On the significant occasion of the 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of Kachin State Day, I disperse loving-kindness that may the entire ethnic people from the Kachin State have the essence of justice, liberty and equal rights.
That is why I send the message with a wish for all ethnic national people residing in the Kachin State to have the capability to initiate the emergence of peace and stability in the region and development undertakings and to serve the interests of the country, the state and the citizens from the 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of Kachin State Day which takes place today.
Senior General Thadoe Maha
Thray Sithu
Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma
Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman, State Administration Council