Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung received the visiting ethnic excursion group at his ministry in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
At the invitation of the Chairman of the Work Committee for Implementation of Development of Border Areas and National Races, and Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung, a 150-member excursion group comprising 30 each from the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, Kayah State, Kayin State, Rakhine State and Chin State has been visiting Nay Pyi Taw since Tuesday.
In his opening speech, Union Minister Lt-Gen Ye Aung said that the Ministry of Border Affairs has made an invitation for the ethnic people who reside in the remote border area to observe the development of the country so that they could use the experience gaining from the excursion programme with a view to promoting their regional development.
With the aim of enhancing friendship and understanding among the ethnic people, the Ministry of Border Affairs has arranged the excursion programme. Based on the diversity, efforts should be made to foster the development of the country.
The Ministry of Border Affairs has set up short term and long term plans to promote the socio-economic lives of the people while striving to achieve peace and stability in the border area. The Union Government has put an emphasis on the peace process. Thus people who lived in the border area should strive for taking part in the peace process.
As we all are aware of it, drug use and production are on the rise and which can lead to challenges in our country. All the youths were urged to steer clear of drugs and it is needed to eliminate the use of drug as a national duty. In addition to this, continuous efforts are needed in order to serve the interest of the country as dutiful citizens.
Afterwards, an ethnic national from the excursion group gave a short speech to express respects and thanks on behalf of the group, and members of the excursion group performed their traditional dances and music. — MNA (Translated by Win Ko Ko Aung)
