Esteemed people of Myanmar,
I wish all the nationalities of the Republic of Union of Myanmar health and happiness and auspiciousness on the 101st National Victory Day which falls on 10th waning day of Tazaungmone 1383 ME.
Today is the National Victory Day, on which we remember our past glory with pride. It is also a significant day that renews our energy for development of the future State. In addition, the Day also arouses patriotism and nationalistic fervor of the entire nation.
Myanmar has been a country under its own sovereign power and traditions and culture since yore. But when the country fell under British colonial rule in 1885, its culture, customs and education were in low status. Courageous patriots launched anti-colonialist struggles, but they were far from victory be-cause of the lack of technology, modern arms, experience and proper command and control. Colonialists programmed and adopted an education system that was suitable for their ad-ministrative machinery. As a result, Myanmar’s education standard fell and the entire people were in poverty and uncertainties under the slave education system.
In December 1920, the colo-nialist government enacted the Yangon University Act against the Myanmar people’s will. People rose up against the Act on 5 December 1920 (10th waning day of Tazaungmone, 1282 ME). So the Day has been honoured as the National Victory Day.
Today marks the 101st anniversary of the National Victory Day, on which the national edu-cation movement began. Every citizen needs a good education foundation that will strengthen his patriotism and Union spirit.
In this age of information and communication technology, the country is in need of the firm national spirit and true Union spirit to preserve the national characteristics and the ability to weigh the pros and cons of the alien culture and thoughts coming into the country.
The State has already laid the foundation of political, economic and administrative reforms, and is activating them on a national scale with utmost efforts. Edu-cation reforms are the core of all reforms and as the national development depends on the progress of the education sector, the government is carrying out education development undertakings with added momentum.
Likewise, the government is preserving the languages, literatures, cultures, fine arts, traditions and historical herit-ages of all ethnic nationals. I would like to urge all to strive for emergence of an education system as a national duty which can bring development to the State depending on the demand of the era and system while nurturing the human resources endowed with correct critical thinking and good morals.
Political stability, peace and tranquillity, unity, economic growth, food sufficiency of the people, preservation of cultural heritages and good traditions are knowledge and techniques based on the education sector.
Arrangements are being made to ensure the basic education, the higher education and the technical and vocational education to be conformed to Myanmar’s nature and to meet international standards. At the same time, emphasis is being placed on the plans for all citizens to enjoy the special education programme as well as the all-inclusive edu-cation programme.
Good educational environments are being created at universities to nurture the students to become the educated persons with physical and mental capabilities to be able to overcome the difficulties and challenges with the disciplined patriotic spirit. The government is turning out the capable educated youths as a national duty. Those who just win the examination through regular attending the school and regular studies cannot totally be educated persons. Only when they have adequate knowledge to analyze the right and the wrong and the cause and the effect with capability to do things in the practical arenas with critical thinking, will they be identified as actual educated ones. They all need to serve the ethnic nations and the people for improvement of social life based on their learnt knowledge. They all need to further study vocational subjects which can be applied in the daily lives for socio-economic improvement of the entire national people and development in multiple sectors. They have to be capable of uplifting the national prestige and integrity through genuine patriotic spirit and nurture themselves to amicably give a helping hand to each other with genuine goodwill.
All Union people need to strive for implementing the 101st Anniversary of National Victory Day Objectives 2021:
(a) to ensure multiple development of the entire ethnic national people
(b) to enhance education qualification for socio-economic development of the entire Union
(c) to perpeually flourish the Union spirit based on the patriotic spirit
(d) to emphasize perpetually peaceful existence among all ethnic nationals in the entire nation.
All ethnic nationals need to build the mutual trust among them in unison with actually loving the mother country and to strive for development of the nation in the future with good-will through might and main.
In conclusion, I would like to respectfully urge the entire national people to deeply protect the Union the legacy of the forefathers with nationalistic spirit and make efforts for its develoment in accord with the theme of the 101st Anniversary of National Victory Day “Let’s unite among all ethnic nationals for initiating the prosperity of the nation, on the noble occasion of the National Victory Day.