Nay Pyi Taw December 1
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing received officials of Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) at the parlour of Malikha Villa of Northern Command Headquarters this morning.
Present at the meeting together with the Senior General were Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Maung Maung Kyaw, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) and Commander of Northern Command Maj-Gen Teza Kyaw. President of KBC Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson, Joint Secretary Reverend Zau Khaung and members also attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the Senior General said there must be a peaceful and stable political ambience and security ambience for national progress, peace and stability. Every nationality of the country has the duty to make collective and cohesive efforts for national development. All are the national brethren living in Myanmar and relying on land, water and air that come from the same source. So, they must overcome the challenges of the peace process and the COVID-19 pandemic with harmonious efforts. In democracy the act of asking for the rights through the legal political process is more suitable than through the armed struggle line. The Senior General spoke of the need to abandon the armed struggle line and adopt and political process to restore peace in Kachin State.
Kachin State has the third fewest COVID-19 positive cases in the nation after Kayah and Chin states. Of the 18 township, infection is detected only in ten. So, the administrative organizations and local residents are honoured for their observance of discipline. COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment aids are brought here to assist the COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment undertakings of Kachin State as a way.
Although the country’s literacy rate is high, population of the educated is still low. Intellectuals and intelligentsia are required to effectively utilize favourable soil and water conditions of the country. So, education must be encouraged.
Education promotion of all the nationalities must be accelerated as education and knowledge have direct relations. Farming-based colleges and training schools should be extended, and the efforts should be made to increase the matriculation examination pass rate. Social standard of the new generation must be improved through education promotion activities. There must be peace, learning activities and good health to narrow the financial gap between regions and states and development gap between urban and rural. People will be able to work and earn income only if they are healthy. Income is the main requirement in narrowing the social development gap. Residents of IDP camps will get aids, but not the jobs. Hence the Tatmadaw is helping them to resettle at their native land, and will continue the task. Efforts should be made to restore peace with the vision of serving the long-term interest of the nationalities and the nation. Tatmadaw has been issuing statements on halting its military operations for ensuring effective efforts to restore eternal peace after ending internal armed conflicts since December 2018, with the goal of cementing ceasefire and everlasting peace. It has halted it operations till now. Such a practice of continuing the unilateral ceasefire for two successive years cannot be found in any country. As peace is the essential requisite in the democratization process, collective efforts must be made in all sectors to restore peace. Tatmadaw will never launch a preemptive strike against any place where the existence of any EAO is recognized. Inclusive efforts must be made for the national and regional peace and stability, unity and development.
Afterwards, President Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson of the KBC and party said that they admired the endeavours of the Tatmadaw for the security of the State, the rule of law, peace and democratization, and appreciated the efforts of the Tatmadaw for ceasefire to pave way for lasting peace by ending internal conflicts. Then, they asked for help of the Tatmadaw in the repatriation of Internally Displaced Persons in Kachin State to their own places and vowed to participate in the peace process as much as possible in unison with all national races. They said that the Tatmadaw, through various ways and means, was offering assistance for repatriation of IDPs who lived in camps and has been taking measures to patriate 3,573 people from 643 families to their respective places since March this year. In conclusion, they requested the continued assistance of the Tatmadaw.
Then, Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson adorned the Senior General with a traditional bag of the Zaiwa ethnicity, one of the six ethnicities of the Kachin, and said it was the tradition of Kachin people to give traditional bags and swords decorated with silver gongs as gifts to the guests to traditional festivals and Manaw festivals. The traditional bag symbolizes the delicacy and the traditional sword is defined as defence and military capabilities. He said although the traditional bags and swords were given as gifts to former leaders of the Tatmadaw in the past, he would like to give the Senior General the traditional bag alone so that the Senior General may achieve subtle peace successfully in implementing the peace process.
Afterwards, the Senior General presented preventive equipment against COVID-19, food supplies, foodstuffs and household goods produced by factories of the Tatmadaw for the KBC to Dr. Hkalam Samson and party, who exchanged traditional souvenirs with the Senior General.
