Peace is a must. Only people residing in an area devoid of peace can understand its value once it is restored. Peace is sine qua non for our country which has faced internal armed conflicts for over 70 years.
In her address at the 68th Kayah State Day ceremony recently, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said: “A state may have been devoid of peace for some time, but when peace is restored to the state, when there is ceasefire in the regions, there comes progress in the locality, which all national races do not fail to witness.”
Yes. Once peace is restored, children can go to school without hassle, and mothers, women, and elders have no more cause for worry.
The progress seen in areas where peace has been re-established gives us the strength to move forward, even in the worst of conditions. With peace we can achieve other goals and turn dreams into reality.
Although there are many obstacles, we will not lose hope and will focus on ensuring complete peace in the country.
More than 72 years ago, our ethnic brethren made a promise to each other to move forward with joined hands. This is the Union Spirit. With that promise and spirit, we gained our independence. And we built the sovereign state of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Today, we all need to think deeply whether the Union we built is an authentic one. If we adhere to the Union Spirit, our country will progress within a short time.
We would like to remind all armed ethnic people of the promise we made to each other, through gesture and manner, that we will move forward through thick and thin.
Please see the difference in the areas before and after the declaration of ceasefire. The local people know the benefits of peace well. Hence, we all need to work towards ceasefire, which is the door to complete peace.
Now is the time we need to review our deeds and make a commitment to do what we can to help our country prosper.
Peace is the need of the hour. There is no room left for more violence, with people mourning their dear ones and bearing the brunt of the vicious cycle of armed conflict.
It is important that even little children understand why peace is a necessity and the need to uphold it.
