12 May

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote on her Facebook page yesterday that the social and economic needs of Myanmar must be assessed and planned not only for the coming months but also for the post COVID world.

The State Counsellor wrote that in reviewing the COVID related rules and regulations issued up to 15 May, taking into account the current situation of the disease, they had to take into account the extent of public participation as the main factor.

That was why she wanted to say words of encouragement to the people. Five months into the COVID period, many experts from the world have given advice as to the kind of planning that needed to be done to prevent and contain this disease. It turned out that action had already been taken on most of the points given in the recommendations and that they could be proud of this fact.

However, what was more important was to prepare for the future, rather than take pride for past actions. She said the social and economic needs of Myanmar must be assessed and planned not only for the coming months but also for the post COVID world. She added that in moving forward, it was necessary to take into consideration the needs of the people and their resilience.

Furthermore, in certain areas, restrictions have been relaxed and it was needed to constantly monitor the resulting consequences. There needed to be a correct balance in giving relaxations and imposing restrictions. On the part of the people, they needed to be alert and active with the understanding that “people’s participation was a must” and assist in overcoming the challenges. She ended by saying that she believed strength and maturity can be attained by facing new experiences. (Translated by Kyaw Myaing)