13 Feb

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Central Committee for Development of Border Areas and National Races, attended a ceremony to mark the 73rd Union Day at the Panglong Union Monument Garden in Panglong Town of Loilem District, Shan State, yesterday.

The State Counsellor and the attendees saluted the State Flag and the fallen martyrs, followed by singing the national anthem.

Then, the Shan State Chief Minister read out the message sent by President U Win Myint for the 73rd Union Day.

The State Counsellor then delivered a speech at the ceremony.

After signing the visitors’ book, the State Counsellor looked around the photos and monumental sites of signatories who represented the ethnic national groups in the Panglong Agreement before having the documentary photos taken with the attendees and dignitaries at the ceremony.The State Counsellor then planted an olive tree at the designated place of monument ground, marking the Union Day.

The ceremony was concluded with the song titled ‘Ultimate Truth from Panglong Land’ by local ethnic nationals.

The State Counsellor then visited Naungkut Pariyatti monastery and paid respects to and donated offertories to the presiding monk of the monastery.

In the evening, the State Counsellor and party attended the Union Day dinner at Awaiyar Hot Balloon Ground in Taunggyi.

At the dinner party, the State Counsellor and party released the hot air balloons to welcome the fourth session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference.

During the dinner, the young ethnic people and famous vocalist Zaw Win Htut entertained with Union songs, followed by the traditional dances of Wa, Palaung, Kokang, PaO, Lisu, Danu and Intha ethnic groups.

The State Counsellor and party, together with ethnic nationals, took part in singing a group song to conclude the ceremony.

The first session of the Panglong meeting held in Panglong Town from 26 to 28 March of 1946 could raise hope to strive for regaining independence of the country. The second session of this historic meeting was organized from 3 to 13 February in 1947. It was attended by the Governor’s Executive Council led by Bogyoke Aung San, officers of border affairs administrative officers, representatives from political organizations, journalists, officials of foreign diplomatic missions, prominent individuals and representatives of Shan Sawbwa groups, Kachin and Shan people.

At the second meeting, the Panglong Agreement was signed by 23 ethnic representatives on 12 February 1947 to prove common agreement of the national people to strive for the independence together.

Thanks to this agreement, Myanmar regained its independence for the entire country on 4 February 1948.

The incumbent government has held the three sessions of 21st Century Panglong Conference where 52-points of the agreement were reached for establishing a Democratic Federal Union.

The ceremony was attended by Union Ministers U Min Thu, Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Dr Aung Thu, U Ohn Win, Dr Myint Htwe, Dr Win Myat Aye, Shan State Chief Minister Dr Lin Htut, Speaker of Shan State Hluttaw U Sai Lone Sai, Chief Justice of Shan State High Court U Kywal Kywal, Commander of Central-East Command Major General Than Hlaing; Deputy Ministers Major General Aung Thu and U Hla Maw Oo; local government ministers, Hluttaw MPs, Chief of Myanmar Police Force Police Lt-Gen Aung Win Oo, ethnic affairs ministers, chairmen from leading bodies of Danu Self-Administered Zone, Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone and PaO Self-Administered Zone, representatives from political parties, offspring and close relatives of leaders participated in signing the Panglong Agreement, members of State Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, representatives of ethnic groups who will take part in peace dialogue, invited guests and local ethnic people.—MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)