President U Win Myint and First Lady Daw Cho Cho accompanied by Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, U Min Thu, Dr. Aung Thu, U Ohn Win, U Win Khaing and Nai Thet Lwin and officials left Nay Pyi Taw by a special Tatmadaw flight and arrived in Loikaw, Kayah State yesterday morning.
The President and party were welcomed by Kayah State Chief Minister U L Phaung Sho, State Hluttaw Speaker U Hla Htwe, State Chief Judge U Kyaw Lin Maung, state ministers, State Advocate, State Auditor and officials at the airport.
From there the President and party attended the 67th Anniversary Kayah State Day ceremony held on the platform in Kandahaywun Park, Loikaw.
Also present at the ceremony were Union Ministers, Kayah State Chief Minister, Eastern Command commander, State Hluttaw Speaker, State Chief Judge, state ministers, Hluttaw representatives, State Advocate, State Auditor, departmental heads, representatives of political party, ethnic national leaders, ethnic national culture groups and social organizations, students and the local people.
First, Kayah tribal leaders and members of the chair took up their respective places and together with the attendees saluted the national flag, martyred leaders and soldiers.
Next, the message sent to the 67th Anniversary Kayah State Day by the President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar was read by Kayah State Chief Minister U L Phaung Sho.
Afterwards President U Win Myint delivered a speech on the occasion of the 67th Anniversary of Kayah State Day. The President said the fact that State Days were being held in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is an indication or symbol of the Union. The attendance of ethnic brothers and sisters in wide ranging colored dresses according to tribes is also an image of the Union. Each state and region has its own unique beauty. In the same way ethnic national tribes and races also had their own unique beauties. These unique colors are coloring and making the union beautiful. Our Union government doesn’t differentiate between states and regions or hills and plains and is striving towards a balanced development of all. At the same time, we are also ensuring that our ethnic national brothers and sisters acquire their rightful rights as a priority. We’re implementing toward maintaining and retaining the languages, literatures, traditions and cultures of our ethnic national brothers and sisters. The languages, literatures, traditions and cultures of our ethnic national brothers and sisters are multi-colored flowers that are blooming beautifully and beautifying the garden which is our Union. For the eternal existence of these beauties, we are adding up the beauty by mellowing it with our good mind and good intention through establishing a peaceful and developed union that will bring forth socio-economic development of all ethnic national brothers and sisters. A union that will exist as long as the earth exists and all ethnic nationals are urged to participate in it.
After the ceremony the President and party took commemorative group photos with Kayah State Chief Minister, Eastern Command commander, State Hluttaw Speaker, State Chief Judge, state ministers, Hluttaw representatives, representative of political party, ethnic national leaders, members of the chairs and state government members.
After the President had cordially greeted the local people, the President and party visited the 67th Anniversary Kaya State Day exhibitions and traditional sports/games competition held in Kayah State Day festival field.
Later the President and party went to Dimawhso Township Panpet Village where Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Saw Sein Tun, Hluttaw representatives and the local people welcomed them.
There the President cordially greeted the local Kayan ethnic nationals, inspected the shops selling ethnic national products and local products and took commemorative group photos with ethnic national cultural troupes.
From there the President and party went to Ngwe Taung Dam and observed the natural surroundings of the dam and storage of water in the dam.
After completing the observation, the President and party were explained about Ngwe Taung Dam project particulars by State Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department head U Wei Lwin and State Chief Minister added on follow up work programs. In response to the explanation the President said agriculture is central in a country’s development and socio-economic development of the people.
As such for the success of agriculture in the region, sufficient amounts of irrigation water must be provided at the required time. There is also a requirement to retain the beauty of natural surroundings of the dam. State Government and relevant departmental organizations are to cooperate hand in hand when there is a requirement, said the President.
In the afternoon, the President and party arrived at the Baluchaung Power Station briefing hall where Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing explained about the status of yearly increase in electricity generation and distribution, power requirement of the Union, electricity generation projects implemented for 55 percent of the country obtaining electricity in 2020-2021 and the entire country to have electricity by 2030.
This was followed by Electric Power Supply Enterprise Managing Director U Khin Maung Win explaining about Baluchaung Power Station 1, 2, 3 and upper Baluchaung electricity projects particulars.
The President remarked that in striving towards the entire country having electricity by 2030, the most important matter for the long term sustainability of Baluchaung Power Station 1, 2 and 3 is to maintain Inle Lake and the long term existence of Moebyel Dam and relevant ministries are to cooperate in these works.
After the explanation and briefing in the briefing hall, the President observed the Baluchaung hydro power plants from the view point, inspected hydro-electricity generated at Baluchaung hydro power station 3 and 2 and then took commemorative group photos with power station personnel.
Later in the evening the President and party attended a dinner commemorating the 67th Anniversary Kayah State Day held at the Kayah State Hall in Loikaw.
At the dinner State Chief Minister U L Phaung Sho spoke words of greetings. The President and party then had dinner together with ethnic nationals while being entertained by ethnic national dances and then presented commemorative gifts and cash presents. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)
