22 December 2022

Esteemed national brethren people and all Kayin ethnic nationals, Today, 22 December 2022, 2762 Kayin Era, 1st Waxing of Pyatho 1384 Myanmar Era, is a significant day adored by Kayin ethnic national brethren. Being an auspicious New Year day, I extend my greetings with a wish for all Kayin ethnic nationals to enjoy physical and mental well-being with auspiciousness on the occasion of the New Year.

Although all ethnic people residing in Myanmar have different cultures, traditions and customs, they all live in the country together by culturing the family spirit in their relations with each other with mutual respect. No matter what their natives, residences, usages of literature, languages, faiths, traditions and customs are, they all have been living in the same place in unison as close relatives by sharing the same future with each other through thick and thin. The Kayin national represents all Kayin ethnics and tribes regardless of lineage, religion, ism and faith.

The Kayin National New Year Day is the first day of the Kayin era. Whenever it falls on the 1st Waxing of Pyatho, it is learnt that Kayin ethnics build new houses and repair the equipment. Moreover, they reclaim new croplands in new hilly areas. It is known that all Kayin ethnics honourably recognize the Kayin National New Year Day wherever they are.

The prominent landmark of Kayin State is the River Thanlwin and the cultural emblem is the frog drum and buffalo horn. Kayin ethnics enjoy religion-related traditional festivals such as the New Year festival, house-warming ceremony, new harvest feast and soul call festival, and the Kayin don dance is lively and very popular.

With regard to the faiths, Kayin ethnics pay respects to gods whereas Buddhist Kayin ethnic people pay homage to the Lord Buddha, visit religious edifices, perform meritorious deeds, and listen to sermons delivered by members of the Sangha. At the same time, Kayin Christians attend prayer services. Moreover, all Kayin of different faiths hold religious festivals. Hence, Kayin New Year Day is grandly celebrated together with funfairs in the history of Kayin ethnics.

Esteemed ethnic national brethren,

Kayin ethnic people residing in Myanmar and all Kayin ethnic brethren everywhere have to preserve traditional culture and customs in unison and hand them down to posterity. They all should have to emphasize the preservation of culture and traditions of ethnics not to be faded out whatever lifestyles are changed.

Ancestors of Kayin ethnics have been preserving the literature, language, culture, fine arts, customs, and historical heritage from generation to generation. Hence, I’d like to exhort a new generation of youths to continue the preservation of honest, hardworking, loyal, and decisive undertakings. If all ethnic national people residing in the country can always maintain their fine traditions, the Union will last forever.

Currently, the State Administration Council is taking State responsibilities in accord with the Constitution while striving for peace and stability of the State and development and improvement the socioeconomic life of the ethnic national people as much as possible by implementing the five-point roadmap and nine political, economic, and social objectives. I’d like to invite Kayin ethnics on the New Year occasion to harmoniously join hands with the government for the State with courage based on knowledge, braveness based on compassion, and the noble Union spirit.

Esteemed ethnic national brethren of Myanmar,

If efforts can be made for ensuring success in micro, small and medium-scale enterprises, agriculture and livestock farms, and the tourism industry by utilizing the existing natural resources and sound foundations from Kayin State, it is sure that Kayin State will have progress in businesses and improvement of socioeconomic life of local ethnic people in a short time.

At present, two national missions such as prosperity of the nation and food sufficiency are being implemented for the improvement of socio-economic life. Economic development will contribute much to the prosperity of the nation and stability. Hence, the endeavours of regions and states to develop the economy will help the whole nation enjoy prosperity.

The word socioeconomy comprises social, education, health, etc, and education plays a key role among them. As the country can be built with the strength of educated persons, it is necessary to arrange for the youths to learn education and to realize self-reliance basis. Some people have not had any schooling, and a large number of students drop out from different grades. Especially, it can be seen a large number of people in rural areas did not have a learning school education, and the average number of people who did not experience learning school education in some states is larger than that of the Union. According to the statistics, as the literacy rate for persons above 15 accounts for 75 per cent in Kayin State, I’d like to urge them to have greater progress in the education sector.

It is necessary to primarily promote the education sector of rural people as 70 per cent of them are working for the economic development of the nation. Only when all regions develop will the whole nation progress. As such, all ethnic people from all parts of the nation including rural areas need to have an accumulation of knowledge and skills, and it needs to nurture a new generation of educated human resources. School education contribute to accumulation of knowledge, and those who have knowledge will be qualified to study techniques. Only when an emphasis is placed on the creation of learning opportunities for the youth will they effectively serve the interests of the State in the future.

It is important to give proper training to new generations for the persistent development of the nation including Kayin State. The youths who would become intellectuals and intelligentsia in the future have to accumulate knowledge and skills and have to learn to culture the spirit to adore the State and the nationals as well as religion and language.

The State Administration Council has adopted and is implementing the political procedures to ensure the strengthening of the genuine, disciplined-flourishing multiparty democratic system and building the Union based on democracy and federalism in accord with the wishes of ethnic national people. The unpeaceful region will lag behind the development as well as socioeconomic life such as economic, social, health, and education, etc of the people will meet a downtrend. In this regard, peace and stability of the nation are key points.

As such, the government is subtly controlling the terrorism and unrest under the law while holding talks with ethnic organizations along the route of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement-NCA, and is gaining progress. As political and ethnic issues cause armed conflicts in Kayin State, efforts are being made for overcoming the hindrances to socioeconomic development triggered by the deterioration of stability and peace.

To bring about practical progress in the peace process, the government meets with ethnic armed organizations to talk about the actual needs of the region and the nation based on the Union Spirit. Now, good results came out for the people and the State. The forthcoming Independence Day which falls on 4 January 2023 will be the Diamond Jubilee Independence Day. As internal armed conflicts which emerged soon after regaining independence have lasted for many decades, I’d like to say that now is the time to struggle free from the circle of endless and answerless armed conflicts.

Restoration of perpetual peace across the nation is the primary requirement for building the Union based on democracy and federalism the entire people aspire. Hence, it is very important for leaving the armed struggle line and the armed conflicts for the sake of the country and the entire people and to peacefully walk along the correct political path through dialogue.

Only when relevant ethnic organizations and all ethnic national people cooperate with the government in realizing the perpetual peace, and tranquillity of the nation will the path to the new nation and development be smooth.

If the entire national people implement the restoration of peace and stability and development of socio-economic development the country needs today, Myanmar will stand tall as a modern and developed nation among the global countries. So, I send a message to mark the ceremony of Kayin National New Year Day, urging ethnic national people and officials at different levels from regions and states on the occasion of the Kayin National New Year Day to make cooperate with each other for the sake of the country.

Senior General Maha Thray Sithu

Min Aung Hlaing

Prime Minister

Chairman, State Administration Council