71st Anniversary of Kayah State Day
15 January 2023
Esteemed ethnic national brethren of Kayah State,
Today, 15 January is the 71st Anniversary of Kayah State Day which is auspicious for ethnic national brethren and all Kayah ethnics residing in the Kayah State.
On the new year occasion of the Kayah State Day, I would like to heartily extend my greetings and best wishes for all Kayah ethnic nationals as well as all ethnic national people born across the nation to enjoy physical and mental pleasure and well-being with success.
Under the 1947 Constitution, the Kayinni State was one of the states of the Union of Myanmar. The Kayinni State officially renamed the Kayah State on 15 January 1952 in accord with the public desire under the Constitution (First Amendment) Act 1951.
The day when it was renamed the Kayah State was designated as “the Kayah State Day”.
The Kayah State, located in the eastern hilly region of Myanmar, possesses abundant natural beauty and under and aboveground natural resources, and it is pleasant with traditional culture and favourable weather. Friendship, hospitality and honesty of local ethnic and national people are impressive characteristics of the state.
The Kayah State is primarily engaged in agriculture and livestock farming businesses. The Mawchi mine has been a primary source to produce precious natural resources such as tin and tungsten since the pre-Second World War. Up to now, the state endowed with natural resources has been producing marble stones, finest quality silver, metal mixed with Scheelite and so on as well as plentiful forest products for its situation to firmly stand for development.
Likewise, the Lawpita hydropower plant of the Kayah State is crucial for generating electricity on a daily basis as a source for electrifying the whole nation.
Having good natural resources given by the environment, only when the Kayah State efficiently utilizes natural beauties and natural resource products and harmoniously undertakes development tasks will socioeconomic life and employment opportunities of local ethnic national people improve.
The government on its part will encourage development tasks of the state such as health, education, social, economic and transport sectors in all aspects and fulfil requirements.
Now is an important time for ethnic national people from the state to cooperate with the government in striving for the restoration of peace and stability of the Kayah State by firmly grasping the existing sound foundations.
In looking back at the history of our country, independence was regained together with the instigations of the colonialists. Consequently, the disintegration of national unity was triggered by internal insurgencies, incidents of racism and dogmatism as well as suspicion among the ethnic national people. As such, we all including those from the Kayah State practically face bad impacts triggered by long-lasting armed conflicts on the peace and stability and development of the nation till today.
Currently, the State Administration Council is controlling all State responsibilities under the Constitution by adopting the five-point Roadmap and nine political, economic and social objectives in order to restore peace and stability of the State as well as development undertakings. In so doing, strenuous efforts will be made for the enhancement of the socioeconomic life of citizens as much as possible as it is the most important in developing the whole nation.
In regard to socioeconomic development, the government is implementing two national objectives: the prosperity of the State and food sufficiency. As all global countries with more than seven billion population in total always face food requirements, agriculture and livestock farms from our country need to grasp the good opportunities for supplying foodstuffs to these global countries. If the economy booms, the country will be prosperous and stable. Hence, all regions and states need to strive for booming the economy in order to ensure the whole nation with prosperity.
Likewise, efforts are being made for the development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises and cooperative measures so as to emerge the businesses playing a key role in the rapid development of the nation.
The lesser volume of products reflects the weak trading in Myanmar. Hence, it is necessary to manufacture products in quality and quantity. The government assists in operating MSME businesses as much as it can with encouragement to the production of raw materials, inputs, capital and human resources in order to manufacture a large volume of products.
MSME businesses aim to encourage local businesses, substitute imported goods and increase export products. As such, it is necessary to improve the manufacturing process which can transform domestic raw materials into finished goods in line with the natural conditions of the country to achieve the success of MSME industries. Efficient use of products from agriculture and livestock farms and natural resources will help ensure the economic development of our country.
Political conflicts in our country are deeply complicated due to the larger number of ethnics and instigations of colonialists. Everybody accepts that there remain discussions for many items in the peace process of Myanmar. I would like to notify ethnic organizations and all stakeholders of carrying out negotiation and cooperation for the interests of the State and the people over the progress of the peace process.
Every country suffering from conflicts will face difficulties and crises on their paths to a peace process. Only when all stakeholders keep anticipation to actually wish for peace, have correct ways and means, willingness to peacefully negotiate, have patience and tolerance and are steadfast in industry, will the peace process meet the goal. Moreover, although the peace process is a part of politics, it is not a political tool.
Only when an emphasis is placed on nation-building tasks and mainly serving the national interests will it contribute to building the future nation.
The people residing in the areas where armed conflicts happen are facing direct consequences of the conflicts and the remaining people are encountering the indirect consequences of the armed conflicts. Armed attacks become hindrances to the development of relevant societies and regions as well as cause difficulties in education and healthcare services for children. Hence, I would like all to take care of their acts as conflicts which affect the drop of the economy and hiking the poverty rate would bring heavy heart to the future State.
Only when all State service personnel, civil society organizations and entire ethnic people are to join hands with the government and Tatmadaw in building the Union based on democracy and federalism the entire ethnic people aspire to will they all reach the target in a short time. In line with the motto: “The strength of the nation lives only within” which plays a key role in marching towards the goal, all ethnic national people are to forge unity with patriotic spirit and the Union spirit and to protect the State in all aspects.
At present, it can be seen that people in some regions wrongly embrace misinformation, causing disunity and instability because of instigations wedged by some foreign countries, acts of some organizations based on different attitudes turning a blind eye to the State and public interests, fake and fabricated news which pull the State into the plights with breaking the ethics, persuasion and terror acts of some ethnic armed organizations and NUG, CRPH and PDF terrorist groups holding incorrect attitudes. It is necessary to consider that the consequences of these conditions would not serve the interests of the State as well as would be dangerous to the State and all the people.
All need to strive for flourishing the spirit of national solidarity and the Union spirit among the ethnic national people by upholding the Our Three Main National Causes for ensuring the perpetuity of the Union. I would like to urge the ethnic people residing in the Kayah State to unitedly participate in building mutual respect, understanding and trust among the ethnic national brethren born in the Union with correct opinions and attitudes.
In conclusion, I send the message with the best wishes for all ethnic national people residing in the Kayah State to enjoy the restoration of peace and stability in the region, strive for the development of the region and improvement of socioeconomic life of local ethnic people with might and main and serve the interests of the nation and the nationals.
Senior General
Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman, State Administration Council
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