Dear esteemed Kachin ethnic brothers and sisters,

On this day the 10th of January, the 72nd anniversary of Kachin State day, a day of great significance held in high regard by our ethnic brothers and sisters, I wish to send these good wishes to all Kachin racial groups and Kachin ethnic brothers and sisters living in Kachin State to be blessed with auspiciousness.

The British colonial imperialists governed us by dividing the hilly regions and the plains using a policy of divide and rule. After the Second World War the AFPFL led by our national patriotic leader General Aung San demanded independence and the colonial imperialists tried to leave out the hilly regions in the process of giving independence. However, under the leadership of our national patriotic leader General Aung San, a meeting was held in Panglong in the Shan State with leaders of the hilly regions to reach agreement to demand independence for the whole country including the hilly regions. Kachin ethnic leaders also attended this meeting. At the Panglong Conference, because unity of all the national ethnic races was achieved, the whole country gained independence without any division between the heartland plains and the hilly regions.

After gaining independence in 1948, on 10th January, at the first meeting of the Kachin State Council, the Kachin State Government was formed and to honor this day, the 10th of January was designated as “Kachin State Day”. From this time onwards, Kachin State Day celebrations have been held annually and now we have reached the 72nd anniversary.

Kachin State is the home of Kachin racial groups such as Jingpo, Rawang, Lisu, Lachik, Lawngwaw, Zaiwa; and Shan racial groups such as Tai Lay, Tai Lai, Tai Lon, Tai Sao, Tai Khanti; Bama ethnic racial groups, and other ethnic racial groups making up a population of 17,00,000 living together in close friendship.

Kachin State is rich in valuable natural mineral resources such as gold, jade, and amber; it also has very beautiful and good natural environments. It is also the source of the great Ayeyawady River which is the lifeblood of our country. Development projects could not be carried out effectively in such a beautiful and resource rich state because of the armed conflicts. Development projects can be carried out effectively and successfully only if there is stability and rule of law. I do believe that the ethnic national races living in this state would be truly yearning for peace and development at the soonest.

The political dialogues which our ethnic national brothers and sisters have demanded consistently, have now materialized, something which is a rare occurence in our long history. We are now conducting political dialogues and the Union Peace Conference – 21st century Panglong conference for the emergence of a genuine Democratic Federal Union; we have now successfully convened the Third session and have come up with (51) points of mutual agreement.

In accordance with the democratic and federal common agreements obtained from the Union Peace Conference – 21st century Panglong, I wish to urge all Union citizens to work together in unity based on Union spirit, to reach our goal of building the Democratic Federal Union successfully, imbued with the essence of justice, freedom, equality and self-determination. I thus send my Message of Greetings on this day of great significance with the above exhortations.

Sd/- Win Myint

President