Nay Pyi Taw March 20
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, accompanied by wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, 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 of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) commander of Northern Command Maj-Gen Nyi Nyi Swe, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Aung Soe, arrived in Khaunglanphu in Kachin State’s Putao District this afternoon, and were welcomed by departmental personnel, community elders, local people and local people’s militia.
In meeting with community elders, local ethnic people, departmental personnel and people’s militia, the Senior General said that Khaunglanphu is barely accessible, and as government is working to spur development and improve the transportation in the area, the Tatmadaw is also assisting the government’s efforts. Only with good transportation, will other sectors improve. Whenever the area needs food supplies, the Tatmadaw delivers foods by helicopter. Locals need to expand their farms and boost the yield, and raise livestock in a more systematic way for regional food sufficiency. Local people, departmental personnel and responsible officials of local battalion should work together to bolster the paddy yield, which is the key for food sufficiency.
The Senior General also urged them to take care of their health as the area is remote and not easily accessible. He also called on them to live in unity with brotherly spirit like the Tatmadaw because of logistical restrictions in administrative functions in the area. Only with unity, challenges will be overcome, he said. He also urged the local ethnic people to collaborate with administrative bodies to ensure the rule of law, and sovereignty of the country as well as keep well the country’s natural resources as the area lies close to the border.
The Senior General stressed the need for them to have knowledge and technique to be able to do regional development tasks. So, it is necessary to uplift education standard of the offspring. He urged them to take the correct democratic practice while walking on the path of democracy. The Tatmadaw is carrying out the tasks with same souls without religious and racial discrimination. He noted that it needs to prevent drug trafficking and abuse and control alcohol drinking.
As the township administrator, townselders and departmental officials reported on facts about Khaunglanphu and requirements, the Senior General attended to the needs. Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung explained construction of Magweza-Khaunglanphu road to the local people.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla presented Buddha images made of various flowers to the local ethnic people, the Bibles to Christians and packets of fried noodles and cakes to locals, and Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Admiral Tin Aung San, General Maung Maung Kyaw and senior military officers, foodstuffs such as eggs, instant noodles and dried fish to them. Townselders and local people accepted the gifts. Then, the Senior General, wife and party cordially greeted the local people and had documentary photos taken together with them.
Khaunglanphu Township is located in the far northern part of Myanmar. It is included in Putao District, close to the People’s Republic of China in the east and the north. Khaunglanphu Township surrounded with ice-capped mountains and natural scenes is formed with four wards and 144 villages in 23 village-tracts where a total of 13,539 population of Rawam and Lisu ethnics reside. At present, the Ministry of Border Affairs and the Directorate of Military Engineers jointly construct Magweza-Khaunglanphu motor road for development of Khaunglanphu region, and the motor road will be finished in 2019.
