To all personages of State responsibilities, departmental heads, diplomats, special guests, artistes on the judges committees, and artistes in the competitions, attending this ceremony of prize distribution of the 11th Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competitions, I would like to extend my greetings with the best wishes: May you be ones capable of safeguarding and upgrading to still greater grandeur and resplendence the traditional cultural performing arts that reflect ones' national pride and integrity of ones' nationality and nation.

Once again with all grandeur, the nation has witnessed conclusion of a national-level traditional cultural performing arts competitions of Myanmar with the participation of over 300 maestro's of artistes and about 2500 participating artistes the length and breadth of the country, under the sponsorship of the State.

The competitions have taken only 18 days but the meaning of the national importance was so firm and serious that even within such a short duration all that had taken place had enabled every Myanmar national to take pride in the fact that things have vividly illustrated the real Myanmar way, Myanmar style, and Myanmar qualities that include the essence of Myanmar culture, the essence of Myanmar performing arts, Myanmar traditions based on sense of justice and fairness, high moral character, righteousness and consideration for others, and a high level of philosophical thoughts in executive, judicial and legislative affairs, all of which had developed in years countable by the thousand within Myanmar nation, nationality and society.

In fact, such a high level of national culture and proliferation of its performing arts are signs that reflect positive development of social and economic bases of that society, free of social inequities and negative elements and amid peace and prosperity.

Especially the development of performing arts to effect all-round interests secular and ecclesiastical in Myanmar also shows clearly an utmost development of economic and social progress but also utmost prosperity of its religious life in the country. So, it has become very clear that it is necessary to strive for preservation and promotion of national culture in endeavouring for development of the Union of Myanmar as a modern developed State, as may be seen in a reciprocal point of view.

In endeavouring for development of life of the people, it is necessary to strive not only for fulfilment of the food, clothing and shelter needs of the people, uplift of education and health standards but also for development of national culture. It is a reality that Myanmar people have throughout their history viewed their forms of cultural fine arts not just as pure entertainment but as national heritage that could directly assist social development of the people.

In the process of preservation and development of national character and national culture, examples of success are evident at times endeavours are made by the State and the people in the periods in Myanmar history from Bagan period to Yadanabon period.

Especially at such a time as today when there are forcible inductions of alien customs and social values of big nations politically and culturally into small nations as are being perpetrated by some big nations taking advantage globalization exploiting the development of science and technology; vitalisation of our own cultures, our own national character, social values and humanist norms is becoming all the more important.

Accordingly, I would like to say, that is why the State has been reviving, preserving and upgrading Myanmar cultures through these Myanmar traditional performing arts competitions with national determination to keep national integrity, nationality, national pride, national characteristics, social values and humanist norms along with our national culture.

Myanmar cultural performing arts are of a high standard, so extensive and profound, and so full of national essence; it is but a repository of our ancestors invaluable to every Myanmar national in the world.

It may be seen that, just as Myanmar performing arts and Myanmar literature are inseparably entwined, Myanmar performing arts and Myanmar classics are so linked with ethics, civics and philosophical thoughts based on Theravada Buddhism that is the faith of Myanmars.

That is why the marionette drama presentations and drama presentations that are combinations of Myanmar literature and Myanmar performing arts contained guidance to the right way of Magga Dhamma that is the way of escape from the Samsara from Loka, Dhamma and Raza ways and prior to that guidance for justice and fairness among people, consideration, tolerance and forgiveness, and loving-kindness for one another among people have a great influence on Myanmar people who love equality and fairness among all in accord with the ways of humanism.

At the recently concluded competitions in the marionette drama and the drama presentations, too, it is most satisfying to see presentations of the essence and values of the traditional marionette theatre and the theatre presentations.

In the presentations of the marionette theatre, that is Maha Janaka Jataka, viewers have been able to clearly see the lesson that it is natural to reach the genuine objective of justice and fairness after overcoming various kinds of difficulties, thanks to correct vigilance and perseverance structured on purity and high level of personal morals of noble men.

Likewise, in the presentations of the drama, the king of Saddan elephants, every viewer sees the truth that vengeful counter-actions of hatred, grudge and pride of the elephant queen, Sula Thubadda, who had made a gravely erroneous wish as she was overwhelmed by her delusion and malefaction based on her own one-sided views finally brought about the regretful result of her own fiery destruction.

Every viewer would get good lessons. So they can compare immense greed, cruelty and craftiness of the hunter Thawnottara with noble loving-kindness, strong karuna, and unwavering tolerance of King Saddan the embryo-Buddha.

This state of affairs, whereby Myanmar maestros were able to let viewers feel such profound philosophical thoughts and cultural mores, and extraordinary high morals and norms, and at the same time impress them with artistic essence, extensiveness and intensity, in the marionette theatre and the dramatic presentations, is one that vividly illustrates the success of these competitions from year to year.

Moreover, because of the success of these competitions, we can now see a wondrous improvement in the quality of young artistes of the new generation who could show their mastery in the various arts like the most renowned maestros of the singing, dancing, composing and instrument playing sectors of the competitions.

Especially the sight and sounds of new generation youths playing those sung by maestros of ancient times with zeal and ardour are those that raise the national vigour to new heights of power.

In the songs composing field, it is seen with a great pride that the young children and the young composers were able to make use of a high class of rhymes and tunes and at the same time they have also shown their loyalty to their nation and nationality, their firm spirit, their proud stand, their positive attitude, and their goodwill towards their country.

Moreover, the fact that women who have taken part in the competitions in the four fields of singing, dancing, composing and instrument playing side by side with the men, many of them showing their fine talents, must be taken to show that they have succeeded due to greater efforts for brilliance in their own time to the best traditions of women maestros in these fields in the history of Myanmar countable by the thousand beginning from Pyu Period and Bagan Period.

Especially it is extraordinary achievement of the competitions that have permitted participation of women in the marionette theatre competition alongside the men, as this has brought forth many marionette artistes of excellence among the women even now.

In a general review, it is prominently clear that the entire nationality is imbibing Myanmar ways, pride, and culture all the more as the value of Myanmar arts and cultures so extensive and profound has been upheld most sacred in the hearts of all Myanmars including the new generations as the State has systematically managed and encouraged these competitions more grandly from year to year successively without interruption.

However, as there still exists the danger of penetration and dominations of alien ways that come through political, economic and cultural doors through abuse of advances in science and technology, I would like to urge all maestros and new generation young artistes to keep up efforts for further growth of Myanmar ways, Myanmar styles and Myanmar culture and arts, to overthrow all that, using their artistic talents to keep own nation, own nationality, and their future steadfastly on the road of progress in national interests.

Only when the entire national people become strong in national spirit, patriotism and national pride with full ability to keep up national integrity will they be able to effectively promote national interests.

So, I would like to exhort all artistes to join hands and endeavour unitedly with national consciousness to keep always alive and flourishing Myanmar traditional cultural performing arts that can most effectively serve the interests of preserving and promoting national pride and integrity.

In conclusion, I would like to urge all artistes
- to strive with their talents in the performing arts for further flourishing of Myanmar people's own
  culture, own arts and national characteristics to last long till the end of the world grandly and
  staunchly as the Union of Myanmar;
- to strive with their talents in the performing arts to keep always alive and flourishing Myanmar pride
  and integrity while cherishing and preserving true Myanmar culture and arts that have stood on its
  own for years countable by the thousand;
- to strive with their talents in the performing arts for permeation among the new generation youths
  the grandeur of Myanmar history, grandeur of Myanmar nationality, high level of culture and subtlety
  and profound Myanmar qualities so as to prevent the danger of alien cultural infiltration and
  domination.
- and for the culture and fine arts to play an active role in the implementation of the future policy
  programmes (roadmap) for the emergence of a modern, developed and democratic nation.