Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing sends 71st Anniversary Kayah State Day message
(15 January, 2023)
Dear respected national people residing in Kayah State and the ethnic Kayah races,I wish you all an auspicious 71st Anniversary Kayah State Day which falls on 15 January every year.
On this auspicious Kayah State Day of this year, May all the Kayah races and the entire national people enjoy health and happiness and your wishes be fulfilled.
According to the 1947 Constitution, Kayinni State was included in one of the states of the Union of Myanmar. Under the 1951 constitutional amendment act, the name “Kayinni State” was officially replaced with “Kayah State” on 15 January 1952 through the public opinion.
The Day on which the new name was adopted was officially declared the Kayah State Day.
Kayah State is a mountainous area in the east of Myanmar and is rich in natural beauties, underground and aboveground resources. It is also blessed with cultural heritage and beautiful weather. Besides, hospitality and sincerity of the local ethnic groups are the adorable and honourable characteristics of the land.
Kayah State’s economy is mainly based on agriculture and livestock breeding.
During the post WWII period, Mawchi mine was the main source of valuable mineral resources including tin and tungsten. Till today, Kayah State is producing marble, finest quality silver, tin, tungsten and shalemixed minerals and forest products. It is a state which is developing and firmly standing on its own feet with its own natural riches.
The hydropower station at Lawpita Falls in Kayah State is generating electricity daily for the entire country. So, it is a state which serves as the main source of electricity supply for national development.
Kayah State already has an abundant array of resources provided by nature.
Effective utilization of its inherited natural beauties and resources in regional development undertakings and collective support will promote its socioeconomy and generate job opportunities for the locals.
The Union will also provide allround assistance for the Kayah State’s development undertakings in health, education, social, economic and transportation sectors and will look into its requirements.
It is now the right moment for the locals of the state to strive in cooperation with the Union for peace, stability and progress of their homeland, while effectively harnessing the good foundations.
History tells us that national unity broke up when the country regained independence due to internal insurgency, tribalism, extreme ideologies and doubts among the national races triggered by colonialists’ divide and rule policy.
The result is that the entire country including Kayah State is feeling the heat of the prolonged armed conflicts that last till today and that are harming national peace, stability and progress a lot.
Today, the State Administration Council is taking all the responsibilities of the State in accordance with the Constitution. Forming the Provisional Government, SAC has laid down the Fivepoint Roadmap and the Nine Political, Economic and Social Objectives and is carrying out tasks for stability and peace and development of the nation. In doing so, it is most important to carry out the task to ensure improvement of the socioeconomic life of the people and will keep doing so as long as it has strength and ability.
As regards the improvement of socioeconomic life, two national objectives to ensure prosperity of the nation and to ensure food security have been laid down and being implemented. As the world has over seven billion people and every nation always has the need for food, it is important to take measures to fulfill such a need with foodstuffs produced by our nation’s agricultural industry. If the economy is strong, there will be prosperity for the nation as well as stability and peace. Therefore, basically, regions and states are to make efforts respectively to be strong in the economy and that will ensure nationwide prosperity.
Similarly, to have businesses that play a key role in helping the nation’s economy grow rapidly, endeavours are also being made for development of macro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
As there is less trade because of less production in the country, it is necessary to ensure that products are to be manufactured in quality and quantity. For products, based on MSME, the Government is making utmost efforts to help fulfill the needs such as raw material, import input, capital and human resource.
The goal of MSMEs is to encourage the domestic economy, substitute imports, and increase export items. Therefore, according to the nature of Myanmar, it is to take measures to ensure development of commodity production enterprises turning out domestic raw materials into finished products. Tasks for development of our nation’s economic sector must be carried out through using products from agriculture and livestock enterprises and natural resources effectively.
Due to many ethnic peoples and instigation of divide and rule administration, our nation’s political conflicts are deeply complicated. All have accepted that there are things remaining to be negotiated in the peace process of Myanmar. It is to inform that with the hints of peace growing, what ethnic organizations and all the people concerned are working together constructively looking forward to seeing the interests of the State and the people will be of more effectiveness for the journey of peace.
There are difficulties and crises on the journey of peace for every nation caught in a vicious circle of conflicts. Only if all the people involved in this journey have true desire to achieve peace, the correct way, peaceful negotiation, patience and tolerance, and constant efforts, will be peace achieved. Besides, the process
of peace is part of politics, not a weapon of politics. Focusing on the peace process mainly for nation building and national interests will be helpful to building a future nation.
People in the conflict areas are suffering direct consequences while others outside the areas are suffering them indirectly. Such armed conflicts pose a barrier to societies and regional development efforts. Moreover, the education and healthcare services for children are affected. Therefore, we need to be aware that the economic decline and increasing poverty rate caused by conflicts are a disheartening situation for the future of the State.
We will reach the goal in a short time as we have expected only if the government, the Tatmadaw and all the people including civil servants and CSOs are to cooperate in building a Union based on democracy and federalism as aspired by the people. The main point to achieve this goal is that in accord with the motto “The strength of the nation lies within”, all the people need to be united and safeguard the country with their patriotic and Union spirits.
Currently, the people in some regions have been misled by outside instigations,
acts of some organizations with different ideologies ignoring the national and public interests, fake news designed to put the country on the brink of collapse by breaking the ethics, and instigations and terror acts of some discordant ethnic armed organizations and the terrorist organizations such as NUG, CRPH and PDF. Consequently, there has been disunity and the lack of peace in those regions. The repercussions will not bring benefits at all to the State, and we should be aware that this will be a danger to the country and the people.
We must try to instill the good spirits such as national unity and Union spirit in our national races by upholding Our Three Main National Causes for the perpetuation of the Union. In building mutual respect, understanding and trust among our national brethren, the people in Kayah State are solemnly urged to be united and work together with their correct way of thinking.
In conclusion, I wish all the national people living in Kayah State success in ensuring regional peace, stability and development as well as their socioeconomic improvement. I also wish them to be able to serve the best interests of the State and the people through united cooperation.
Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu
Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman of State Administration Council