Nay Pyi Taw September 7
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing today met with departmental officials from Kengtung Township in Shan State (East) and Namsang Township of Shan State (South), local Tatmadaw members, Myanmar Police Force members, people’s militia (local) groups and town elders at Golden Triangle Hall of Triangle Region Command Headquarters and the station hall of Namsang Station in Eastern Central Command Headquarters separately and presented cashawards for security troops who effectively undertook anti-drug measures and aid for prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 in respective townships.
Also present at the ceremonies together with the Senior General were Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army), commanders, township departmental officials, local Tatmadaw members, Myanmar Police Force members,members of people’s militia (local) groups and town elders.
First, the Senior General explained presentation of the cash award for successful undertakings in seizure of narcotic drugs, distribution of supplies for prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 and regional development tasks. He said it can be seen that infection of COVID-19 spread in Myanmar starting from March but wider and quicker outbreak began as of early August. There are more than 1,400 positive patients till this morning.
The outbreak rate is the highest in Rakhine State and Yangon Region. Although Shan State faces the least infection of the disease, all the people need to abide by guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Sports with awareness. Today’s meetings aimed to provide medicines and medical supplies for prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19. Such kinds of supplies are not enough but it can contribute to the moves to some extent. Last night, the Senior General heard that sounds of warning on dos and don’ts for COVID-19 with the use of loud speakers in Kengtung. Individual conscientiousness to abide by the guidelines is the best. The Senior General urged all to choose the suitable masks for them. It is necessary to follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports.
If they have to make compulsory trips and tasks, they have to follow social distancing rules. Individual health is important for prevention of the disease, so it is necessary to take care of immune efficiency in daily lifestyle. Everybody wishes to have longevity and healthiness. Myanmar’s life expectancy is 66 years, shorter that those from neighbouring countries.
As such, it can be seen that people of the country have weakness in health. So, all need to eat nutritious foods such as fish and meat for having better immune efficiency. As Kengtung and Tachilek are located in far-flung areas with poor transport facilities, prices of foodstuffs are high. Such prices are not important for well-off persons but will be difficult for ordinary people and State service personnel. As Shan State is full of favourable conditionsfor agriculture and livestock breeding tasks, all should make efforts for successful carrying out of these tasks so as to sell the products at cheap prices. It is necessary to produce value-added products with the use of domestic raw materials. The Senior General urged all to extend raising of layers and broilers and breeding of cows and pigs. Without buying foodstuffs from other regions, they have to produce quality products through cultivation in the region so as to bring about development of the region and prosperity. The Senior General stressed the need to produce cheaper and better products in comparison with same products.
As the region will need intellectuals and intelligentsia for successfully utilizing the sound foundations of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets departmental officials in Kengtung.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing presents medical supplies to an official. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing presents medical supplies to an official. 20 8-9-2020 Tatmad1a47w–94 –N2200e1159ws 19 the region, it needs to encourage education. The Senior General urged all to teach the youth with school education as well as environmental knowledge. The Senior General was dissatisfied with the lowest pass rate of this year’s matriculation examination in Shan State (East).
Since his tenure of discharging duty in Shan State (East), The Senior General had urged all to encourage education but expectation cannot be shaped into the reality. Although students do not have so difference in age and environment from the school age to the university level, they will have various kinds of knowledge in addition to literature in learning together with those from various regions of the country at the university. Only when they have learnt education, will they have wider knowledge. As university education is of great importance for their lives, town elders should emphasize giving encouragement to all national brethren residing in the region to promote their education standard. As Myanmar is home to 70 percent of rural people, 50 percent of who are engaging in agriculture and livestock breeding tasks. As such, they have to strive for carrying out better agriculture and livestock breeding tasks as their livelihoods to earn higher income.
As for the anti-narcotic drugs, stricter measures should be taken in their own regions. From 1 January to 31 August this year, the Tatmadaw and Myanmar Police Force seized 3 kilograms of heroin, 0.7 kilogram of raw opium, 16,000 stimulant tablets and 1,376 kilograms of ICE worth more than Ks-34.47 billion in Kengtung Township.
For the town beautifying, departmental personnel and local people must work together. The buildings with ancient architectural works must be sorted out for their preservation. In the future, historic buildings must be put on display. In other places, construction of modern buildings must be encouraged to turn Kengtung into a modern city.
The country was ruled under monarchs in ancient times. After independence was regained, monarchy was dissolved and colonialists exercised divide-and-rule policy resulting in ideological differences and armed conflicts. Currently, the country is the Union exercising multi-party democracy. Such armed conflicts cause a barrier to the path to multi-party democracy.
SSPP/SSA is allowed to be active in Wamheng region only. The Tatmadaw is committed to move forward in accord with the NCA, the fundamental principle of the peace process, for ending internal armed conflicts and achieving eternal peace.
Despite the fact that neighbouring and global countries exercise democracy and federalism, they have different styles and do so based on their own culture, character and geographical conditions. Myanmar itself must adopt the administrative system that best suits her. Regardless of exercising any administrativesystem, the Tatmadaw and people must be in oneness and work together.
In the multi-party democracy election also, representatives capable of serving national interest must be chosen. It is necessary to judge party policy as well as candidates due to run for election.
A free and fair election is necessary and voting through force or threat must be avoided. The government, the people and the Tatmadaw and all political parties must join hands in the interest of the State.
Party attachment and personality cult must be discarded and those who really can serve the country must be elected. Good conditions must be created for national development. Younger generation must continue to shape a brighter future. Then, the Senior General wished all the people living in Shan State good health and success in their businesses.
Next, the towns elders reported on regional development and progress in upgrading the circular road around Nawngtong Lake. The Senior General also made his discussions. For Kengtung and Namsang, the Senior General presented 20,000 surgical masks each, 300 suits of personal protective equipment (PPE) each, 1,000 N95 masks each, 250 face shields each, six containers of sodium hypo-chloride (15L) each, 1,000 sets of examination gloves each, 150 bottles of hand gel each, 150 bottles of hand sanitizer each for COVID-19 preventive, control and treatment measures and foods and consumer goods produced by Tatmadaw factories. The supplies were accepted by U Sai Tit Aung, U Houng Kham and U Sam Than from Kengtung and U Sai Leik, U Khun Kyaw Hla and Township Cooperative Syndicate Chairman U Aung Si from Namsang.
The Senior General presented cash awards to Myanmar Police Force that achieved success in exposing the narcotic drugs. Police Colonel Aye Thein, deputy commander of Shan State Police Force and Police Lt-Col Tint Zaw Oo, commander of Loilem District Police Force accepted the awards. Then, the Senior General and party cordially greeted those present.
After the meeting, the Senior General and party proceeded to Nawngtong Lake in Kengtung. The Senior General inspected upgrading of the circular road with the donations made by families of Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air), donors and local people, paving of concrete road and digging of drains.
Officials from Kengtung Township Development Committee and town elders presented their reports. After giving necessary discussions, the Senior General made his discussion and viewed the circular road by car.
