Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets cabinet members of Taninthayi Region Government, district and township level departmental personnel and town elders
Nay Pyi Taw January 13
Chairman of State AdministrationCouncil Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met cabinet members of Taninthayi Region Government, district and township level departmental personnel and town elders at the meeting hall of the regional government office in Dawei this morning.
Present were SAC members Admiral Tin Aung San, Phaedo Mahn Nyein Maung, Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, Union ministers U Tin Htut Oo, U Hla Moe, U Khin Maung Yi, U Aung Than Oo, U Khin Yi, Dr Nyunt Pe, U Shwe Lay, Taninthayi Region Chief Minister U Myat Ko, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, Commander of Coastal Region Command Maj-Gen Saw Than Hlaing, cabinet members of Taninthayi Region Government, district and township level departmental personnel, town elders and officials.
Chief Minister U Myat Ko reported on salient points of the region, marine resources production, farming, town shipwise fresh and clean water supply programs, the project to set up an auction market and finished marine products manufacturing industrial zone, power consumption, maintenance of hydropower stations and electricity distribution, generation of wind power, hotels and tourism business, health and education undertakings, issuance of NRCs for all eligible persons under Pankin project, regional development undertakings and future programs.
Union ministers Admiral Tin Aung San, U Tin Htut Oo, U Hla Moe, U Khin Maung Yi, U Aung Than Oo, U Khin Yi, Dr Nyunt Pe and U Shwe Lay, Deputy Minister for Health Dr Aye Tun explained ministry-wise undertakings including the resumption of flights to Myeik, Dawei, Kawthoung, Boikpyin, survey for choosing new routes for trains to carry more passengers and facilitate the commodity flow, upgrading of transport infrastructure in the region, departmental involvement for the success of region-friendly agriculture, farming and mechanized farming in the region which is rich in land resources,
fishing plus environment-friendly cage-breeding to produce marketable fish resources, technological dissemination and investment programs for small and medium scale industries for rural socio-economic development and income generation, national-level projects to conserve and manage aboveground and underground and coastal and deep-sea marine resources, natural environment and marine ecosystems, rational consumption of electricity, ongoing power projects to ensure sufficient supply in the entire country, implementation of the national level Pankin project by the Ministry of Immigration and Population with the cooperation of all relevant ministries to issue NRCs for all qualified citizens, programs to lecture economics and law, apart from normally taught subjects in Dawei and Myeik universities, opening of a marine science training centre that will support region friendly marine resources production and conservation, upgrading of roads and bridges to improve transport in the region, prioritize infection in the region during COVID-19 third wave, the drop in infection rate of the whole country at present, and dynamic national vaccination program as a preventive measure against the possible fourth wave and progress of the vaccination program in the region.
Then, the Senior General discussed regional development, saying as there were voting irregularities in the last elections, an emergency was declared and political changes took place. Although the Tatmadaw requested responsible officials to deal with the incorrect voting lists, they failed to address the matter.
As the Tatmadaw was born out of the people, it took measures to continue on the multi-party democracy path aspired by the people firmly and shaped the process of democratic reforms by studying the democratic practice adopted by the international community before the democratic transition of the previous Tatmadaw government.
After the Constitution (2008) was approved with the support of 92.18 per cent of eligible voters, it took measures to take the democratic path aspired by the people. During the first term of democratic governments, the government led by President U Thein Sein had to exert efforts amidst political, economic and administrative crises, pressures from other countries and armed conflicts.
Although the NLD won the 2015 elections, there were weaknesses in implementing slogans and commitments made during the campaign and administrative issues and the people lost confidence in the elected government, resulting in no-vote movements. Therefore, the NLD government was worried about the elections and it was found that only 14 per cent of the eligible voters cast their votes in the 2019 Yangon City Development Committee Elections ahead of the parliamentary elections and only 14 out of 100 eligible voters cast their votes. As free and fair elections could not be possible with the no-vote movement and the people would not be able to elect a government in accordance with their will, I urged the public in every place I travelled in to cast their votes.
Based on the no-vote movement and experience encountered in the YCDC election, the NLD government was worried about the victory in the 2020 Multi-party Democracy Elections and issued various orders during the campaign before the elections. Suspicious election results were found when they were announced. There were 340,000 voting lists that could lead to voting irregularities in Taninthayi Region alone.
Among them, there were 708 centenarians. Therefore, the Tatmadaw had to scrutinize the voting lists with the assistance of computer technicians, leading
to the discovery of voting lists that could result in voting irregularities and the findings were announced. Although the enormous discrepencracies were reported to the responsible officials repeatedly, they failed to handle the issue and the Tatmadaw had to declare emergency and state responsibilities had to be assumed under the power transfer arrangement of a vice president.
As we did not take over the State power but has taken measures to preserve the sound democratic system, it is necessary for us to observe the existing State Constitution (2008).
Therefore, the SAC was formed with appropriate numbers from both the military and civilian sides and proceeded with civilian rule information of the government, state and regional governments and administration councils at various levels.
The SAC is exerting efforts for national development by adopting a five-point roadmap and nine political, economic and social objectives. In accordance with the first point of the five-point roadmap “The Union Election Commission will be reconstituted and its mandated tasks, including the scrutiny of voter lists, shall be implemented in accordance with the law, it has been taking measures including the scrutinization of voter’s list in accordance with the law.
In connection with COVID-19, preventive measures are of utmost importance and the government had to face various difficulties during the third wave of the outbreak. As nothing is more important than human lives, we exerted relentless efforts amidst various challenges including the shortages of staff, preventive and control medicines and equipment.
Although the previous government placed orders for vaccines from India, the vaccines could not be delivered due to the enormous outbreak in India.
Therefore, various countries were contacted and more than 50 per cent of the targeted population had been vaccinated at the end of December as planned.
As our country relies on agriculture and livestock breeding, measures are being taken to ensure businesses run with momentum. For the development of a country, there must be good transport, speedy communication system, enough electricity supply, good education and good health.
When it comes to the peace issue, this year sees the diamond jubilee of Union Day while 4 January 2023 will be the diamond jubilee of Independence Day. So, this year is its pre diamond jubilee. For stronger national sovereignty and development of the State that has turned 75 years since independence, it is most crucial to achieving peace. Conflicts erupted politically, racially and religiously.
When we march towards the road to multi-party democracy, every citizen must enjoy equal rights without any difference.
The constitution (2008) has clearly prescribed rights for each and every citizen. Without peace, a free and fair election is impossible. Only if all armed organizations enter peace in line with the law, will there be a free and fair election. This is why efforts are being made to achieve peace by 2022. With this end in view, we are trying to hold informal talks so that non-signatories can enter the peace process for the NCA.
As humans, we cannot stand still and instead we must work if we want to be prosperous.
Likewise, a country will collapse without its capability to improve itself. In building up a State, we are focusing on prosperity and food security. Taninthayi Region has 70 per cent rice sufficiency only and more has to be purchased from other regions. If the region is able to produce food and beverages and consumer goods to meet self-sufficiency, its monetary flow will circulate only inside the region, thereby contributing to the income of local people.
As the per-acre yield of rice is just 70 baskets, efforts need to be made to reach 100 baskets to meet self-sufficiency.
Whatever crop is cultivated, they will be thriving if strain, soil, irrigation water and cultivation method are good. Strains must be good. Land must well-prepared.
Natural fertilizers must be produced and systematically used. Correct cultivation methods are necessary to have good yields. Whatever is done, agriculture or livestock breeding, measures must be taken to obtain good water resources.
Although the focus is on marine produce, systematic engagement in breeding other animals such as poultry, cattle, pig and goat will facilitate the regional economy. With regional sufficiency first, efforts must be made to export frozen meat and dried meat and seek a global market. And that should be done till success is achieved as there are transport opportunities in both water and air routes.
Regarding the health sector, the life expectancy of our country is the lowest in ASEAN and it is just about 67. Like other countries, our country needs the consumption of nutritious food and activities to stay fit and healthy in order to improve our life expectancy. With rice as the main food, we also need to eat
meat, fish, fruit and vegetables to be nutritious. As Taninthayi Region can choose to eat various kinds of fish and get meat and vegetables, people need to eat them fully and nutritiously to improve the health sector.
With regard to the education sector, school enrollment rate and literacy rate are still a law.
So education must be encouraged.
Only if intellectuals and intelligentsia emerge, can more efforts be made for regional development. We must be able to pass on fine literary heritage to the younger generation. The State is teaching basic and university education so that every individual can stand on their own feet and contribute to national development. So, such good opportunities must be grabbed. And this is not for the good sake of the government alone. According to surveys, there were 1.5 million school enrollees and just over 270,000 students who reached matriculation level in the 2007-2008 academic year. Of those who entered school enrollment, about 90 per cent were below matriculation level. Therefore, education must be encouraged to improve the country’s education standard. Students must be taught to be really educated.
Fishery-based industries need to be successful in Taninthayi Region for economic development.
It is necessary to ensure the improvement of the socio-economic status of local people based on rich national resources and prime location. Although the government will make efforts to ensure adequate electricity supply for the region, there is a way of saving electricity costs by using LEDs on the other hand. Projects are drawn and being implemented to operate a Mawlamyine-Dawei-Ye seaside railway route and a coastal waterway linking the cities of Yangon, Mawlamyine, Myeik and Dawei to be able to export local products at a reasonable rate of shipping cost and enable the people to travel along the
routes enjoying coastal scenery.
There are huge natural resources of coal, iron ore, limestone and sand in the Thanintharyi Region.
Therefore, if interested in industries of manufacturing steel, cement and glass, it is needed to make the invitation to enable every entrepreneur to operate such industries.
The government is carrying out infrastructure projects on sports in regions and states and proving relevant sports accessories as well. It is necessary to ensure improvement of sports sector from township to State levels through carrying tasks to improve local sports.
As Taninthayi Region is originally rich in national resources, it is a region having many potentials for the future. It is suggested to encourage education and needed to encourage efforts for the emergence of systematic businesses. With the leadership of the government, supervision of departmental officials concerned at region and township levels and cooperation of local people, efforts are to be made to achieve success in regional development tasks.
After the meeting, the Senior General and party cordially greeted the attendees.