Friday, December 30, 2016

State Counsellor attends Kayin National New Year Day Ceremony


December 29, 2016
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor, addressed a celebration of Kayin New Year Day to ask for peace, cooperation and unity.

“Kayin New Year Day is the day for Kayin nationals to eat their first crop of the harvest. And it can be said that it is enjoying the fruits gained from saplings we planted. In Buddhism, it must be said of karma and its Karmic effect. Likewise, in the Holy Bible, it is said that — as you sow, so shall you reap,” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said at the celebration held at the Myanmar International Convention Center 2 in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning. She added “These are the kinds of lessons we must take deeply in our minds for the sake of our country and our Union. As good deeds result in good benefits, it is necessary for us to know in our hearts that we must wholeheartedly contribute our labour to the interest of the Union. In the New Year, we can get an opportunity to refresh and revive our hopes. If bad things happened in the past year, the New Year gives us another opportunity for us make sure that these bad things do not happen again and to make sure that whatever good things happened in the past will gain more strength and be consolidated . It will be beneficial for us only if we understand how to use it.”
The Speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw also used the occasion to appeal for peace and unity in the country.
 “You all are urged to get rid of evil deeds in the previous year and concurrently to actively take part in building a peaceful and prosperous Federal Democratic Union with strength and purity in your minds, in the year to come,” said Mahn Win Khaing Than, Speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw.
He also urged all nationals living in Myanmar to try to “find the solution through the love, friendship and unity by taking lessons from this event. If we all worked hard to find a solution in unity, love and friendship, we are sure to gain the peace we all long for. As for Kayin nationals, it is necessary to continually strive for national development in unity, love and friendship, without forgetting the fact that they were able to successfully celebrate the Kayin National New Year Day in a grand manner by working in unity and friendship.”
As part of the celebrations yesterday, the State Counsellor toured the exhibitions of culture at the convention centre in commemoration of the Kayin National New Year Day.
Later in her address, the State Counsellor said the New Year was a chance to start fresh and plant the seeds of growth and unity, “In building up a Union, we must firstly sow the seeds and nurture our cultivation collectively. Here I want to say that taking part just at the time of enjoying the benefits without contributing any labour to working such as sowing, cultivating and harvesting is not the Union spirit. So we are required to take part through the whole process of sowing, cultivating and harvesting so that we can enjoy the benefits without fear from being criticized and blamed. I assert that enjoying the benefits without our efforts is the deed of indignity. If we want to enjoy the fruits of our Union we have built with unity and strength, we need to help by performing our duties we are assigned.”
“In our country, there are many national races with their own different new year days. On these New Year Days, their hopes revive and refresh again. It is natural for everyone to have expectations to accomplish their unfulfilled efforts in the New Year. Unless a hope is supplied with work done, fruits will never come. For our hopes to come into existence, we must exert our concerted efforts. I want to claim that it is a good omen for all of us to participate in this Kayin National New Year.
Yet, we cannot rely wholly upon the good omen. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as the saying goes. Thus, every day of the year will be new favourable ones for us if we contribute our efforts for the peace, stability, development and prosperity of the Union. And our descendants will enjoy the benefits of the seed of peace we planted. We must look forward to our future’s benefits whatever we will do. A future is not meant only for a period of one, two or three years. As a political expert said, ultra-opportunist politicians need not think of the election to come, but to think in the interest of future generations. So, we must work hand in hand with each other by taking lessons given to us by the Kayin Nationals’ very pleasant New Year occasion for our strengthened and prosperous Union.”
Later in the programme, Saw Marble, a Kayin national, read out the message of the central committee for observing Kayin Era 2756 Kayin National New Year Day. Readings were later recited by Saw Thein Lar Yit in Myanmar language, in Poe Kayin (east), by Nan Hla Dewi, in Sakao Kayin, by Naw Tha Wei, in Poe Kayin (west) by Sa Phyo Wai Kyaw.
Mahn Win Khaing Than, the presiding official, Kayin State Chief Minister and Ayeyawady Region Chief Minister were presented gifts by various organizations.
In a show of solidarity, Mahn Win Khaing Than, Speaker of Amyotha Hluttaw and responsible officials hoisted the Kayin National Symbol Flag at the ceremony held at the Myanmar International Convention Centre 2 in Nay Pyi Taw.
The ceremony came to a close after several groups provided entertainment for the attendees.
“Not only for our hope of extinguishing the flames of our 60-year-long civil war after gaining Independence in the near future in order to survive, but also for our expectations to come into existence. Let us cultivate the practice of mutual respect and understanding among our brethren nationals. We hope our special wish for our saplings of peace planted this year will bring about the feast of eating the first crop of the harvest — Peace across the nation,” said the State Counsellor in her message sent on the occasion of the Kayin New Year Day previous day.
Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar

No comments:

Post a Comment