Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, in his capacity as the Patron of the Leading Committee on Organizing the 23rd Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competition, addressed the opening ceremony held at Myanmar International Convention Centre II (MICC-II) in Nay Pyi Taw at 9 am yesterday.
In his address, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it was in 2016 that the Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competition was last held and that, due to the encouragement of the Prime Minister, the 23rd Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competition could be held again on a grand scale.
The Vice-Senior General interpreted the 23rd Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competition as an augury for the mental and physical well-being of the people and the nation.
According to scholars, Pyu city-states emerged along the Ayeyawady River, the lifeblood of Myanmar, in the second century BC, and Tagaung, Hanlin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra are ancient capital cities of the Pyu era, said the Deputy Prime Minister. He also added that Pyu people were Buddhists and well-versed in irrigated cultivation, handicraft, casting coins, gold filigree work, pottery and systematic construction of houses and religious buildings and that there was concrete evidence the Pyu cultural troupe paid a friendship visit to China in 802 AD.
The Deputy Prime Minister went on to say that religion, culture and fine arts have flourished from the Pyu era to successive eras such as Bagan, Pinya, Inwa, Toungoo, Nyaungyan and Konbaung, that Myanmar is home to various indigenous peoples and each national group has its own language, literature, culture, traditions and fine arts. He also said that, in the current competition, dancers from regions and states would compete in the Mon traditional dance.
The Vice-Senior General continued to say that schools of fine arts were opened in Yangon and Mandalay in 1951 and 1952 respectively and the universities of national culture and arts were opened in 1993. He emphasized that the State Administration Council regarded it as a calling dictated by history to maintain and foster traditional culture and fine arts and so he said that one of the nine objectives of the State Administration Council was “to respect and promote the customs and traditions of all national peoples and preserve and safeguard their cultural heritage and national characteristics”.
Finally, the Deputy Prime Minister urged all professional and amateur participants to cherish and value the national culture and national dignity and preserve them as long as the world exists.
The opening ceremony was attended by SAC members, the chairman of the Constitutional Tribunal, the chairman of the Union Election Commission, Union Ministers, Union-level personnel, Supreme Court judges, the Commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command and deputy ministers. — MNA
