21st November 2019

Esteemed Citizens,

On this auspicious occasion of the 99th Anniversary of National Victory Day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, which falls on the 10th Waning Day of Tazaungmone, ME 1381 (21 November, 2019), I would like to send my message, wishing you “good health and all the best.”

In retrospect, after Myanmar had lost its national sovereignty, it became a colony. Under the colonial rule, the 1920 Rangoon University Act, which restricted the right of impoverished Myanmar students to university education, was promulgated in 1920. A group of patriotic and political Myanmar university students began to protest against the unjust University Act on the 10th Waning Day of Tazaungmone, ME 1282 (5 December 1920). The protest spread and reverberated to all parts of the country in momentum, and turned out to be a national movement. Owing to this national movement, the nationalistic spirit of the people was awakened, and that led to the emergence of national high schools, the National College and the National Education Council. The national schools were not only the places for education but they were also the places where the nationalistic spirit was born, grew stronger and finally became strong enough for us to regain our independence.

The patriotic youths who used to be students of national schools became the leaders in Myanmar independence movements. To take an example, our national leader General Aung San was a alumni of the National High School, Yenanchaung.

The ninth GCBA meeting which was held in Mandalay in 1921 designated the 10th Waning Day of Tazaungmone, ME 1282, as National Victory Day – the day on which the first students strike began and achieved victory with the national spirit. Our National Victory Day, whereupon Myanmar education, Myanmar politics and Myanmar nationalism all are concentrated, has been celebrated all over Myanmar every year, and this year marks the 99th celebration. Our country, Myanmar, has regained her independence and sovereignty since the growing nationalistic spirit of the people could make the entire nation united as a whole, and they were able to drive away the colonialists eventually.

Now is the time when all the people of the union, with nationalistic spirit and unity among the nationals, should put their concerted efforts in the construction of the Democratic Federal Union. Accordingly, the Government is building the Democratic Federal Union with a strong determination, never-withstanding diligence, and the wisdom to know what is right and what is wrong. We must build the Democratic Federal Union, which all our national races have longed for, with the strong union spirit.

In order for the emergence of the genuine Democratic Federal Union, which has been the common goal of all the nationals, the Union Peace Conference or the 21st Century Panglong Conference has been successfully convened through numerous political dialogues, and consequently 52 democratic and federal-related basic principles have been approved.

With the aim of building a sustainable and prosperous Democratic Federal Union, the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) (2018-2030) has been developed and implemented for the well-balanced all-round development in regions and states in Myanmar. If we, the Myanmar nationals, work harder based on the essence of national unity of National Victory Day, the peaceful, all-round developed, Democratic Federal Union will emerge in the very near future.

As for the government, nationalistic spirit is vital in building union peace of the nationals who have resided in the same land. We deeply believe that we can implement union peace if we have the required nationalistic spirit to always work for the benefits of the nation and the nationals, and the required union spirit to always live in unity and harmony.

On this National Victory Day, I earnestly urge all the people to hold in highest esteem the following objectives and work with the strength of national unity:

– Perpetuating and strengthening of nationalistic spirit;

– Building Union Peace through mutual trust;

– Building a Democratic Federal Union;

– All-round development of the union by means of the concerted efforts of all national races.