24 Jan

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairperson of the Committee for Development of Rural Areas and National Races, held a meeting with local people in Tamu Township in Sagaing Region yesterday.

Her entourage included Union Ministers U Min Thu, U Ohn Win and Dr Myint Htwe; Deputy Ministers Maj-Gen Aung Thu and U Hla Maw Oo, Chief of Myanmar Police Force Police Lt-Gen Aung Win Oo and officials.

The State Counsellor met with the locals at the Satyaungbilu Stadium of the Tamu Township.During the meeting the State Counsellor said, “I am delighted to meet the locals in Tamu Township. We also thank you all for the warm welcome which is a strong encouragement for us. These strengths are aimed for the people.

“I found some ethnic people in Tamu, as well as Gurkha people here. I am very glad to see all of them. It should not be forgotten that all of us are related with each other. Gurkha people are the descents of Nepal. When I visited Nepal, people in that country welcomed me joyously. It showed a good relationship between us. If all the people of different races and faiths of our country can live peacefully and unitedly, it is a dignity forour country. We must have mutual respect and understanding. We must be satisfied with people living peacefully with others in our country. I take pride in this,” the State Counsellor added.

She also said, “Wherever I go, I am very pleased to see national ethnic racial groups, citizens and all the residents in the country living in close friendship with each other. I take great pride in this. It is a real strength for the country and is an essential Union spirit.

I have not visited the western part of Sagaing Region for many years and there have been significant developments during this period. However, it has not reached the expected level. Development is witnessed among difficulties. School enrollment rate is one of the improvements in the region, and I am very happy about this.

Meanwhile, I am worried about the surge of drug addiction rate among the young people. If we do not fight against narcotic drugs, our missions to support health and education for young people will be invain. It is also a common problem for the whole country.

It was learnt in Kalay Township that over 75 per cent of local young people are addicted to narcotic drugs. It is really an unpleasant situation. We need to find the root cause of it. Were they trying out the narcotic drugs? Were they enticed by the drug dealers? We need to think about this. I would like to remind the young people that narcotic drugs should not be tried. It will pose dangers for the whole life. They have long journeys ahead of them. Old people do not have much time left. I want them to live happily in good health as they have many years in front of them. To be healthy and happy, they have to do it themselves.

Younger persons come to me for paying respect in accordance with Myanmar traditions. The number of respect-paying persons has increased year by year as I grow older gradually. I grant them wishes in the traditional manner to be healthy, wealthy and to be free from dangers; however, for these wishes to be fulfilled they must put in their own efforts.

I wished for both physical and mental well-being. Actually, peace of mind is very important. An ailing person could not enjoy a sense of well-being.

A peaceful mind could only be developed by themselves. It cannot be fulfilled by other persons. Therefore, people must cultivate self-reliant attitude, and share it with their societies.

I also wish them with emphasis on getting great rewards as all the outcomes do not give out peace and happiness.

I would like to share a western quote: more tears are shed for unfulfilled wishes than for fulfilled wishes.

The quote means that bad consequences of outcomes may lead to miseries. Therefore, I wish that all the citizens of the whole country find fulfillment of the good wishes.

What are the wishes of our people? The expectations of our people are very simple. They hope for good transportation, electricity, healthcare services and a better education system. Their expectation is very reasonable. We must try to fulfill them as best as we can. However, I have seen that sometimes these wishes turn out to be for themselves rather than for the majority. I want our citizens to ponder deeply about this.

Consideration for others can benefit oneself. I want you all to see that a wider perspective can help expand personal view. It also fosters a sharper and powerful brain. Such an attitude could improve their lives gradually. School children must learn views and behaviours of their classmates. They must appreciate others’ advantages and help each other in learning subjects. All the citizens need to follow this practice.

People in Tamu have more chances to learn the situations and development of their neighbouring country. Good practices must be imitated without feeling jealousy, while abstaining from bad practices. In this way we can achieve progress.

Our people are also advised to have self-confidence and respect others to be able to trust and value others. Cultivating loving kindness first on oneself is not a selfish behavior, but it is very practical.

Everybody expects a happy and wealthy life. It is empathy for others. We need to develop our mind like learning mathematics at school. We have to begin from number one and move on. We should not stop there. If we stop there the kids will not learn anything. We have to teach them how to count up to ten and then move on to the hundreds, thousands, millions. That’s how they should be taught.

Our life lessons are like this. We cannot start at one and end at one. You cannot begin and end with yourself. Of course you need to begin with yourself, that is natural. However, in the end the more people from your community you can bring into this process the better.

Therefore, we are trying to meet with many people in every corner of the country, in addition to major cities such as Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.

Since I was involved in the government, I could not go freely in the country. In the past, I got a chance to talk with the rural people during my trips. They also discussed their hopes and concerns openly. We also shared our objectives and political views. It must be done by the politicians. So, we try to keep doing it as muchas I can. Duties must be performed actively and voluntarily with might and main.

Meeting with the public is not only a duty, but also an interest for me. I would feel guilty if I did not talk with the people. Moreover, I would also miss these opportune moments. I advise all the people to make close and friendly relations with others and have consideration for all.

I also suggest to spread loving kindness and good wishes into infinity, by starting to count from one. I found some public meeting more exciting as I could make close and friendly conversations with more people. I prefer the meetings in open air.

I could not answer all the questions of people and reply to the voices due to time limitation. Therefore, some questions were answered by the local government and Union government members. Questions were also allowed by drawing lots. Those who did not win lots can submit their questions, either complaints or requests though the proper channel.”

After the speech of State Counsellor, the Union Minister, the Deputy Minister and local government ministers replied to the pre-submitted questions of local people on establishment of economic zone, power supply from the national grid, major renovation of Satyaungbilu Sports Stadium, developing cultivation lands, construction of a stone-retaining wall, building a creek bridge, upgrading nine bridges in the town and upgrading a Bailey bridge into a concrete-reinforced bridge.

Three locals who won in drawing lots out of 16 persons in the stadium asked about threats of legal action against a fish breeding business, high cash fines in automobile accidents, reviewing on electing village administrators, misconducts in confiscation of narcotic drugs, land seizures, putting Chin Kuki tribes into the list of 135 ethnic national people, election of representatives for Shan ethnic people in Tamu area, anddeveloping Shan language curriculum at the schools.

Three locals who won in drawing lots out of 7 persons outside the stadium asked about fighting against narcotic drugs, holding student sports festival, construction of embarkment and prevention of erosion at the cultivation fields.

The State Counsellor discussed developingcultivation lands without destroying forest areas, solving disputes on fish breeding ponds, reviewing high cash penalty in vehicle accidents, helping ethnic affairs and promoting literature, taking legal actions against narcotic drug cases and preventing soil erosions at cultivation lands.

The State Counsellor and party arrived back to Nay Pyi Taw by a special flight in the afternoon.

The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway is now under construction, and India is providing assistance in upgrading Yargyi-Kalewa section (75 mile 5 furlong) into a tar-concrete road and renovation of 69 bridges on the Kyigone-Tamu road section of 93 miles in Sagaing Region. The projects are expected to complete by 2021.

The highway could promote bilateral trade between Myanmar and India, and the Sagaing Region government has granted permit for 32.176 acres of land for establishment of aborder trade zone by drawing a master plan with the Ministry of Commerce for the project.—MNA (Translated by AungKhin)