16 June

AFEW days ago, I went trav-elling to the Bilugyun, where  is within Mon State areas. Everyone might not have heard of this island, as it is not connected to the capital of the Mon State, Mawlamyine long days ago. But now, thanks to the gov-ernment’s action for the infrastructural development, Bogyoke Aung San Bridge that joins the Mawlamyine to Chaungzone Township on the island of Bilugyun was officially opened on 9 May 2017. The bridge eases the Mon ethnic people’s lives, in the aspects of work, healthcare, education, economic and transportation.

Before the bridge was built, the only access to the Bilu Island was by ships, cargo ships from Mawlamyine. Now, the local people can conveniently travel from one place to another which can improve their livelihood in many means.The Mon ethnics residing in the villages on the Bilu Island, mostly whose vocations are relying on the agriculture, rubber manufacturing, the handicrafts production are hospitable and their Mon accent mixing when they speak Burmese Language is charming.

Nevertheless, on account of the location, being an island, the residenc-es there have to face the hardships. In the times when rain falls continuously, the farmers’ paddies are ruined and there are inconveniences for their incomes. When this incidences happen many times, the current generations only intend to work at Thailand and the villages are only left with children and the aged. As these people can work at Thailand easily as Thailand is located in a near distance, they can now solve the problems for their livelihood and they can earn money which, in practice, is the savior for humans as the stuffs can only be possessed with money. Some of them can even get richer. However, what I see is that the youths, men and women in their primes who currently work in Thailand one day  will realize that for their progenies, they will not let them go there when they can save enough money to be supportive parents. So, what should be carried out is  to assist the local people to do their busi-nesses in their hometown with system-atic plans and to develop the education-al system on the Bilu Island so that the new generations can be strong human resources for Myanmar. Sincerely, I have to say that Bilu Island, which cannot even have the electricity and the accessibility of the transportations in the past have improved a lot. But on the other hand, there are still issues that need to be dealt with. So, I hope that as the  doctrine of the flower goes “If you plunk one, one more rises,” even all the inconveniences of the our brethren cannot be figured out immediately, if we can target for the upcoming generation, there will be the sign of progress for this island.

By May Thu Htay2nd year Honours Student, English Specialization, University of Yangon