Nay Pyi Taw September 5
The anti-drug drive must be conducted as a national task, and efforts must be made to protect and free the ones’ own place from narcotic drugs. Commodity prices can be reduced through the successful operation of small scale industries that can turn local raw materials into finished goods and agriculture and livestock breeding businesses, said Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the ceremony to cordially converse with local Tatmadaw members in Tachilek, Tachilek District, Shan State (East), members of Myanmar Police Force, local people’s militia groups, border guard forces and local elders, provide honorary cash awards to security forces for their success in the drug seizure operations and donate health aids for COVID-19 prevention, containment and treatment held at the Station Hall in Tachilek this afternoon.
Also present were Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, senior military officers of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army), Commander of Triangle Region Command Maj-Gen Khin Hlaing, U Myint Naing, District Commissioner of Tachilek District General Administration Depart-ment, departmental personnel, local Tatmadaw members, MPF members, local people’s militia, border guard force members and local elders.
The Senior General and party were first welcomed by local elders and officials. In his address at the ceremony, the Senior General said Tachilek is a faraway place. There will be more restrictions because of the COVID-19 infection in the country. It is heard that commodity prices rose by two times in Tachilek during the past two weeks. When the prevailing prices on the ground were inquired through command headquarters and HQs of local units, it was known that per egg price reached Ks-170, beef reached Ks-17,000 per viss and pork reached Ks-12,500 per viss. As Tachilek has border trade, it must be conducted in accord with the rules. Instead of buying foodstuff and social goods from other places, Tachilek should produce them locally as a preventive measure against high transport cost resulting from transport difficulties. The Tatmadaw will provide necessary assistance to the most possible degree. Tachilek must strive to stand on its own feet. It should make necessary preparations to face the possible transport restrictions because of the assumption that COVID-19 is in its second wave.
With regard to narcotic drugs, the Senior General praised the Tatmadaw members and Myanmar Police Force members for seizing 27.63 kilograms of heroin, 1.5 kilograms of raw opium, 35,694,196 stimulant tablets, 1,064.7 kilograms of ICE, 12.35 kilograms of Ketamine and 6,588.6 kilograms of other accessories related to narcotic drugs at a cost of more than Ks-192.6 billion in Tachilek Township from 1 January to 31 August 2020. All need to take preventive measures for the region to be free from narcotic drugs. The Senior General thanked all organizations for active participation in prevention of narcotic drugs. If production and trafficking of narcotic drug is high, number of drug abusers will increase. A large sum of income to be obtained from drug trafficking are black money. To have legal businesses, it is necessary to steadfastly combat narcotic drugs.
The Senior General urged them to encourage local agriculture and livestock breeding tasks and the industries to produce finished goods from raw materials in order to prevent high prices of goods in respective areas and reduce high expenditure of local people. As raising of layers and broilers and breeding of cows and pigs should be extended to have betterment of livestock breeding tasks in the region. Arrangements should be made for local people to grow rubber, tea and coffee so as to earn income and sell them to the people at fair prices by reducing the products outside. Local military unit headquarters should extend agriculture and livestock breeding tasks to sell products at fair prices in the respective areas. As foodstuffs and personal goods will always have demand because of always consumption, it is necessary to try hard to produce the products themselves. In recounting his experience when he discharged duty in Shan State (East), he did not encourage selling of paddy but urged all to mill the paddy to sell rice. As a result, local rice mills would have chance to operate with creating job opportunities for local people. Bran and broken rice from paddy can be used in the region. Rice produced from paddy can get good price. He urged district authorities, military station and officials to make concerted efforts for development of Tachilek.
He stressed the need to abide by guidelines and disciplines issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports for COVID-19. Although it was known that vaccine for COVID-19 is being produced, it is not sure. So, prevention is the best treatment. Symptoms of the disease gradually evolve. Its gene will not be similar to already-found virus. As such, all should take care of their moves and behaviors. As it is a district, all should enforce disciplines for local people to have city characteristics and carry out beautifying activities. Not only administrative bodies but also city dwellers should cooperate with each other in development tasks.
The multi-party democracy election will be held soon, and it is important to cast votes for good candidates who will serve the interests of their region and the country. Voters are to elect the candidates by assessing their party policies and elect those who will do the good for Tachilek, and then eastern Shan State, then Shan State and the country. It is important that the candidates elected by the voters benefit the country and it will be a loss if they do not benefit the country. He suggested that voters make assessment based on their experiences with two governments over the past ten years, and elect those who will help improve the country beyond 2020.
Then, he donated 20,000 surgical masks, 300 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE), 1,000 N-95 masks, 250 face shields, six containers of sodium hypochloride with each container containing 15 liters, 1,000 examination gloves, 150 bottles of hand gel, 150 bottles of hand sanitizer, food, and consumer goods produced by Tatmadaw-run factories through Tachilek community elders U Tin Hlaing, U Kyi Myint and U Tun Nay Oo.
Then, he presented cash awards for Myanmar Police Force which accomplished its duties in drug sei-zures in Tachilek Township through Commander of Tachilek District Police Force Police Lieutenant Colonel Ye Naing Aung. The Senior General’s wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, and wives of senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, met the wife of Triangle Region Command commander Maj-Gen Khin Hlaing, and the wives of military personnel of military units based in Tachilek Station, at Aung Pyi Hein Avenue in Tachilek Station, and called on the families of military personnel to be united and follow rules and regulations issued by the Tatmadaw. They also asked them to do their fair share in helping their husbands with military duties where relevant and capable of. They also asked them to try to be able to provide assistance for their husbands and the Tatmadaw, as they married the military personnel for sharing future fortune.
The wife of the Senior General said that during the outbreak of COVID-19 all over the world, it was necessary to live safely by complying with restrictions issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports and to live with health awareness properly until the spread of the disease could be contained so that family members and offspring would not be infected with the virus. Then, Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, the wife of the Senior General, presented cash for the maternal and child welfare association of the station to the wife of the Tachilek Station commander.
This morning, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla and party went to Nagar Hnakaung (Two Dragons) Monastery in Tachilek to pay homage to State Ovadacariya Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika Agga Maha Pandita Bhaddanta Dhamma Siri Nagar Hnakaung Sayadaw and asked after the Sayadaw’s health before donating offertories and cash for various purposes and offering the day time meal to the Sayadaw. Then, the Sayadaw administered the Five Precepts and rendered Dhamma gifts.
Then, the Senior General and party participated in the erecting of marble plaques inscribed in Gon Shan language version of the Tri Pitaka preached by the Lord Buddha donated by monks and the public under the patronage of the Sayadaw in the precinct of the Shwe Dagon Pagoda in Tachilek.
The Nagar Hnakaung Sayadaw was born of U Haung and Daw Nan Pin in Htan Kain Village in Kengtung Township on 9th Waning of Nadaw 1290 ME. The real name of the Sayadaw was Sai Shen La. On the full-moon day of Tabaung in 1299, the Sayadaw entered novicehood with the title of Shin Shenla under the patronage of Kyaingyin Sayadaw in Kengtung. When the Sayadaw was ordained, the Sayadaw was given the title of Ashin Dhammasiri. The Sayadaw is now 92 years old and has undergone monkhood for 72 years. The Sayadaw has built 12 monasteries including Nagar Hnakaung Monastery and Ponetwan Monastery and has exerted relentless efforts for the propagation of the Sasana. Currently, the Sayadaw is presiding over the erecting of marble plaques inscribed with the Gon Shan version of the Tri Pitaka and has erected 2,325 marble plaques out of 2,468 one required, leaving only 143 marble plaques to be erected.
