Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister
Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing of the Republic of Union of Myanmar
sends 49th Anniversary Rakhine State Day message (15 December 2023)
Esteemed national brethren of Rakhine State,
On this auspicious 49th Anniversary Rakhine State Day, which falls today, I wish health and happiness for all the national people of the state and the Union.
Rakhine State Day is full of profound characteristics and auspiciousness, and a pride of Rakhine people. The 15th of December was set up by the 1974 Constitution as the Rakhine State Day. All the Rakhine people have been observing the Rakhine State Day on a grand scale as a special Day annually for 49 years. Geographically, Rakhine State is touching western neighbours and is rich in natural resources.
It is also a beautiful state with a long coastline and a green environment, in addition to producing valuable products. It is a place where the teachings of Lord Buddha flourish and has a large number of ancient pagodas, whose number is compared to the state’s richness in local orchid species, and traditional heritage and works of art.
Esteemed national brethren,
The State Administration Council declared the state of emergency and is assuming the State duties in accord with the Constitution. The SAC adopted the Roadmap and Objectives as soon as it assumed the State duties, and now it is implementing the five-point Roadmap and nine Objectives.
The SAC is also improving the current situation of the country, with the goal to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for all the national people. It set the national prosperity and food sufficiency as the national goal and the establishment of a Union based on democracy and federalism and genuine and disciplined democracy as the political goal.
The State and the Tatmadaw are indivisible with the national people in fully implementing the adopted goals, Roadmap and objectives with firm resolve till success is achieved.
Esteemed national brethren,
The SAC set up the Central Committee for Peace, Stability and Progress of Rakhine State and is implementing sector-wise socio-economic development undertakings including farming, education, health, communication and electricity sectors for Rakhine State development.
Severe cyclonic storm Mocha caused loss and damage in Rakhine and Chin states in May 2023. From the time the storm started brewing in the sea the government had been closely monitoring it. It could make advanced plans to reduce loss and damage to the most possible degree all along the areas hit by the storm in line with the adopted natural disaster project.
The government made advanced plans to store food including rice and distributed it in time to the locals. It also issued warnings and safety instructions for possible storm-hit areas, conducted drills, and excavated people all along the possible path of the storm to safe places according to its advanced programs. In this regard, the mortality rate of Mocha was many times lesser than that of Nargis, although the former was much stronger than the latter that hit the country in 2008. With the leadership of the State, close supervision of Tatmadaw and relevant government bodies, local and foreign donations and cooperation of the national people, relief and reha[1]bilitation activities could be carried out with greater momentum and the situation could be restored in a short time. Now, collective efforts are being made to reach a better situation as planned. The achievement in Rakhine State is a proof of family spirit the ethnic races of other places had for Rakhine State and its ethnic people, alongside their show of patriotism and Union spirit.
As the State was able to deliver more than 73,000 baskets of seed rice to eight townships in Rakhine before the planting season after the Mocha cyclone, it was seen that more than 3,000 acres of monsoon paddy, more than the target, could be cultivated despite being affected by the cyclone this year. If measures are taken to manufacture more livestock products than now and to successfully manufacture fish, shrimp and fishery products, food security will be ensured domestically and the products could be exported to foreign countries as well. Besides, it is urged to support and encourage MSME business based on agriculture, livestock and natural products such as wood, bamboo and rattan and other materials and pay special attention to improvement of socio-economic life of the ethnic people in the state and development of the state.
Regarding education, the Government is implementing a compulsory education system of learning up to KG+9, and if efforts are made to improve basic education and grade transitions and develop human resources in Rakhine State, Rakhine State will become a multi-sectoral developed state.
Esteemed national ethnic brethren,
All have known that Rakhine State has changed and developed in more folds than before as special attention has been paid to enhance development of the state since the Tatmadaw government as the state had many difficulties on all sides including transportation in the past. However, in the current period, stability has been disrupted and shattered in the region due to the ethnic armed group and foreign interference, and the local ethnic people themselves are suffering pointless shooting, attack, disturbance and destruction as well as ill effects of the conflicts.
As long as there is no peace and stability, the socio-economic development of the ethnic people will be far away, and individual opportunities will also be faced with losses. Upholding Our Three Main National Causes: non-disintegration of the Union; non-disintegration of the national solidarity; and perpetuation of the national sovereign as national conviction, the Government and the Tatmadaw will always safeguard it in building the State in accordance with the Constitution.
The State Administration Council has already laid down political and national goals for the present and the future. Therefore, all the ethnic people in the Union have to live together through thick and thin on the journey to the peaceful and modern democratic nation that the people want just by building mutual respect, understanding and trust. The peaceful and pleasant nation that we all hope could be built only through following the path of NCA for the peace of the Union. We can only achieve success in developing the peace of our country through political dialogue based on the Union spirit among ethnic brethren without foreign interference and domestic instigation. As the saying goes, "the strength of the nation lies within", I would like to urge all ethnic people to work together for the interest of the country in unison.
Esteemed all the ethnic national brethren,
Ethnic groups: Rakhine, Kaman, Khami, Daingnet, Maramagyi, Mro, Thet, and etc. live side by side in Rakhine State with ethnic groups such as Myanmar and Chin etc. The unity and strength of the union spirit of all the ethnic groups living in the state will lead to peace and stability and development in the state and is a force for nation building.
I would like to send this message in honour of celebrating the 49th Anniversary of Rakhine State Day, wishing residents of Rakhine State being able to serve the interests of the residents, the state and the Union based upon the Union spirit and patriotism and enjoying perpetual peace and happiness.
Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu
Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman, State Administration Council