Message sent by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing to the ceremony to mark the 49th Anniversary of Mon State Day
19 March 2023
Esteemed ethnic national brethren in the Mon State I disperse Metta (loving-kindness) with wishes on the significant occasion of the 49th Anniversary of Mon State Day which falls on 19 March 2023, today, for all Mon ethnic national brethren in the Mon State and other regions and entire national people across the nation to have health and happiness with auspiciousness.
Mon ethnics are residing in the Mon State similar to other ethnics with the Union Spirit along the history by preserving traditions and customs as well as cultural heritages.
Mon ethnics are the earliest ethnics who entered and lived in Myanmar. They had established the Thudhammawady State near Thaton region before the enlightenment of the Lord Gotama Buddha, managing propagation and preservation of language, religion, literature, culture and fine arts from the Thuwunnabhumi era to date. It is a State with a fine tradition that had emerged famous his majesty kings who emphasized Buddhist missionary measures, wise members of the Sangha and wise men, literature scholars and courageous heroes.
Mon ethnics had joined the Burma Independence Army together with ethnic national brethren of the Union since its establishment for anti British colonialists and independence struggles as part of showing the solidarity of all national races with the national spirit.
The Day 19 March when Taninthayi Division No 1 was transformed was unanimously designated as the Mon State in 1974 in accord with the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and the commemorative day of the state has been held annually 49 times based on traditions, culture and customs of the ethnics.
According to the geographical conditions, the Mon State is located south of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and north of Taninthayi coast. It shares border with the Kayin State and Thailand in the east, the Bay of Bengal and the Mottama Gulf in the west, the Taninthayi Region in the south and the Bago Region and the Kayin State in the north, as a focal point of the waterway and land roads.
The Mon State is endowed with favourable weather, teeming with hilly areas,rivers and creeks in addition to lush and green forests, and historical cultural heritages. Being a location adjacent to the long sea coastal line, the state possesses plentiful land and water natural resources and industrial raw materials. The state should take pride in enjoying sound foundations for improvement of the national economy and promotion of socio-economic life of local ethnic people.
A large number of ancient pagodas including wonderful Hsandawshin Kyaikhtiyo pagoda are located in the Mon State. As missionary laypersons and Shin Arahan strived for perpetuation and propagation of the genuine Buddhism, it can be distinctly known that historical records mentioned that Thuwunnabhumi region became a region of initiating propagation of the Buddhism.
Mon ethnics have been steadfastly preserving their language, literature, cultural traditions and customs of their State and ethnics in the successive eras.
Hence, new generation youths need to take over the responsibilities for further preservation and protection of literature, language, culture and historical heritages.
Currently, unrests and terror acts, breaking the law and disturbances tarnish the image of some parts of the Mon State in fine traditions and are dangerous for the country. It is necessary to beware of those who commit disintegration of the country and destroy peace, stability and development of the region, and all are to make collaborative efforts for protecting the state and the nation.
Esteemed ethnic national brethren The State Administration Council, in its tenure, is striving for achieving success in implementing the political, economic and social objectives and the fivepoint roadmap.
While specially trying to restore internal peace and implement the nationwide ceasefire, the government is cementing friendly relations with international organizations and foreign countries.
Although the government is striving for ensuring stability and peace with development in all aspects, everybody knows peace and stability of the nation are turning to the disintegration due to unwillingness of foreign countries and international organizations to see development of Myanmar, exile groups under influence of foreign countries and perpetrator organizations to the State and the people, and those who commit the utter devastation with their selfishness to grab the power discarding the State interest. As such, our citizens and all ethnic national people are responsible for protecting the nation against the destructive acts.
As peace and stability, security and rule of law play a key role in development of the nation, all ethnic national people making efforts for ceasing the armed conflicts are to join hands with the government to emerge the Union based on democracy and federalism they aspire to.
The government is carrying out socioeconomic development of the entire nation in all aspects. To do so, the country needs to have monetary capital, manpower, natural resources and above and underground and above and underwater resources for development of the State economy across the nation as well as health, education, widened scope of knowledge, morale activeness of the people and high ambition. On the other hand, everybody needs to take care of the important role of creativity and the human resources with good morale and disciplines, rather than monetary and natural resources. All difficulties, crises and challenges our country and all our ethnic nationals face today are originated in the colonial era. It is necessary for all people to review that the government is still solving these difficulties, crises and challenges within many decades from the postindependence era to date.
It is necessary to take lessons from the bitter events of the countries which escaped from the colonial yoke in the post-World War II but built themselves in unison with remedying injuries in the colonial era and enjoyed fruits of development. Hence, now is time to practically undertake development of the nation by ending the political and armed conflicts our country is facing.
At present, our country is in time of the state of emergency, and everybody knows internal and external terrorists are making utmost attempts to destroy the country in various ways without legal, ethic and disciplinary acts for causing the utter devastation to the country.
They are committing unrests and violence, setting fire, murdering, blowing up and robberies without relentlessness while attempting acts to cause wrong concepts and outlooks with toxic ideas in various ways and means of media platforms in various measures such as social, education, health, culture and religious affairs. Hence, people need to avoid their physical and mental violent acts.
People need to take care of their acts through rationality such as spreading rumours for causing misunderstanding and wrong attitude among the people and seeking political benefit in manipulating the people in order to raise the emotions of the people with negative views. Under the title of resistance, as they utilize the lives of supporters and those who do not understand anything so as to attempt to seek the benefit for grabbing the power and seeking selfishness with the cheating under the various titles. So, all need to expose those persons.
In conclusion, I sent the message as a gesture of honouring the 49th Anniversary of Mon State Day with the best wish for all ethnic national citizens in individuals actually loving the State and the national, including ethnic national brethren from the Mon State, to actively participate in their respective sectors in ensuring peace and stability of the State and restoration of perpetual peace, strengthening the genuine, disciplined multi-party democratic system and building the Union based on democracy and federalism.
Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu
Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman, State Administration Council