Peace, stability, national solidarity alongside combined efforts of government,
people and Tatmadaw have resulted in promising future of Shan State Evil legacies
such as doubts, development gap left by colonialists can be warded off through more contacts among national brethren Tarkaw-Kengtung Section of Meiktila-Taunggyi-Kengtung-Tachilek Union Highway put into service

YANGON, 16 June—The inauguration of Tarkaw-Kengtung Section (Kengtung Section) of Meiktila-Taunggyi-Kengtung-Tachilek Union Highway being undertaken by Public Works (Eastern Shan State) of the Ministry of Construction took place at the pavilion in Kyaingphaung Village, Yanlaw Village-tract, entrance to Kengtung, 14 June morning, with an address by Chairman of the Central Supervisory Committee for Secure and Smooth Transport Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thein Sein.

Also present on the occasion were SPDC Member Lt-Gen Aung Htwe of the Ministry of Defence, Chairman of Shan State (North) PDC Commander of North-East Command Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing, Chairman of Shan State (East) PDC Commander of Triangle Region Command Brig-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, ministers, senior military officers, deputy ministers, officials of the SPDC Office, heads of department, service personnel, members of social organizations, teachers, students, members of traditional cultural troupes, and local residents.

The Secretary-1 in his address said that the upgrading of Tarkaw-Kengtung Section of the Union Highway linking Kengtung, City of Eastern Shan State, and Taunggyi, City of Southern Shan State, had been completed. As a result, local people can travel from Taunggyi to Kengtung in a day which was not possible due to poor transport in the past. He said the government is as pleased with the fruitful result as the local residents are.

Tarpar Bridge spanning Thanlwin river on Kutkai-Tarmoenye-Mongsi-Tarshwehtan Road, which leads to border areas on the eastern bank of Thanlwin River in Shan State, was opened in May this year. On 6 June, Dokhtawady Bridge (Nawnghkio) was commissioned into service on Nawnghkio-Yaksawk-Shwenyaung Road, the shortest among the roads that link Shan State North and South. The emergence of Tarkaw-Kengtung Section on Meiktila-Taunggyi-Kengtung-Tachilek Union Highway, which goes from Mandalay Division to Shan State East via Shan State South, has made a remarkable progress in the transport sector of Shan State.

In the past, armed conflicts reigned supreme in Shan State, so the region lagged behind in development due to lack of security and poor transport. After its assumption of State’s duties, the Tatmadaw Government managed to take effective measures to put an end to armed struggle lines in the region. As the first step, it gave the top priority to community peace and tranquillity and then to development of border areas. As the second step, the Government implemented the education, health, social and economic development projects including transport one after another for ensuring simultaneous progress of all parts of Shan State.

He cited the guidance of Head of State Senior General Than Shwe regarding the drive for the upgrading of the transport sector of Shan State on upgrading the Union Highways that link strategic regions in Shan State with other states and divisions, construction of roads linking Shan State South, North and East, construction of a network of roads for better transport of major cities in Shan State, and upgrading of the roads to all-weather facilities.

In a bid to put the guidance into reality, efforts are being made to improve the transport sector of Shan State. It is encouraging to witness that the guidance is beginning to take shape thanks to the combined endeavours of State service personnel, local administrative bodies and residential people.

Previously, Taung-gyi-Kengtung Road was a poor facility. Some parts of the road were rather narrow. In consequence, travellers had to spend about three days and ten-wheel trucks, 15 to 30 days to travel from one destination to another. And sometimes the road was buried in the landslide for a week, and it was impassable in the rainy season.

Now, Taunggyi-Kengtung-Tachilek Road becomes a busy facility and the use of ten-wheel trucks on it is on the increase owing to the rapid development of the cities in border areas such as Tachilek and Mongla, improvement of transport sector, emergence of Tachilek-Mongla Road, and completion of upgrading of Tachilek-Kengtung Road. So, Taunggyi-Kengtung Road needed to be upgraded.

Thanks to the better transport, about one million of national races such as Shan, Akha, Lahu, Wa, Palaung and Bamar living in Shan State (East) will be able to enjoy fruitful results in greater trade, border trade, and tourism industry as well as education, health and social development.

Besides, the government has constructed or upgraded Kengtung-Tachilek Road, Kengtung-Mongla Road, Kengtung-Mongkhat-Mongyan Road, Kengtung-Lwemwe Road, Mongphyat-Mongyawng-Mongyu Road, Tarlay-Palyo-Kenglat Road, Namhsan-Mongton-Monghsat-Tachilek Road, and Monghsat-Mongpyin Road.

In the process, Thanlwin River crossing (Tarhsan) Bridge had to be built to complete Namhsan-Mongton-Monghsat Road.

Local people in Shan State (East) can travel to Shan State (South) and Mandalay Division via Kengtung-Mongpyin-Taunggyi-Meiktila Road, and to Shan State (North) via Loilem along Laikha-Mongkai-Panketu-Hsipaw Road.

In the past, local people in Shan State (North), (South) and (East) had to make a detour round Mandalay Division if they travelled from one destination to another. In contrast, now they can travel from one region to another directly thanks to the emergence of a network of roads. Furthermore, some roads in Shan State reach border areas. Therefore, the People’s Republic of China, Thailand and the Laos People’s Democratic Republic can deal with each other via Myanmar.

The purpose of the drive is just to gain absolute unity among the national races living in various parts of the Union made up of 14 states and divisions.

It is the government’s belief that the evil legacies the colonialists left such as doubts, suspicions, racism, big development gap and different concepts among the national races will be warded off through more contacts and relations among the national brethren.

With flourishing of mutual friendship, assistance and reliance among the national people thanks to more contacts, now has become a time when measures can be taken effectively for harmonious development in the economic, social and cultural sectors.

At the same time, the government has been establishing such socio-economic foundations as schools, universities, colleges, hospitals, hydropower plants, telegraph stations, TV retransmission stations, agriculture and livestock farms, so the national people have enjoyed the sweet taste of economic and social development, thereby cementing the spirit of national solidarity, Union Spirit and national interests.

Now, being facilitated with the 200-bed hospital, Kengtung Degree College, Government Computer College, and Government Technological College, and the airport that can be used by jets, Kengtung has become deservedly the city of the eastern bank of Thanlwin River.

Kengtung Degree College and Kengtung Government Computer College have fine main buildings, and the opening of the main building of Kengtung Government Computer College is going to be held.

Peace and stability and national solidarity alongside the combined efforts of the government, the people and the Tatmadaw have resulted in fine infrastructures and a promising future for development of Shan State including Kengtung.

The Secretary-1 urged the people to maintain the already-achieved momentum to ensure perpetual peace and stability of the entire Union including Shan State (East) and to strengthen the foundations needed for national development.

He also called on the people to be equipped with Union Spirit and to unitedly crush all the instigations, interventions, terrorist acts, the wedge driven to undermine national unity and break up the Union.

In conclusion, the Secretary-1 exhorted the entire national people to make efforts in concert with nationalistic fervour and Union Spirit in line with the national objectives to be able to achieve the national goal smoothly and earlier than expected at a time when the Seven-Point Road Map is being put into motion for emergence of a modern developed democratic nation with flourishing disciplines.

Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun explained matters related to Tarkaw-Kengtung road section. He said that according to the directives of the State Peace and Development Council, the Ministry of Construction carries out construction of new roads, maintenance and upgrading of existing ones, building of new bridges and maintenance of the existing ones, for ensuring secure and smooth transportation and equitable development of states and divisions including remote areas and realizing national unity.

In 1988, there were 13,635 miles long roads built by the Ministry of Construction throughout the country. Now, there are 18,640 miles in length of roads that is 5,005 miles more than that in 1988.

In Shan State, there were 4,077 miles long roads before 1988, and now there are 4,530 miles in length of road. Therefore, the present length of road is 453 miles more than the past.

Meiktila-Taunggyi-Kengtung Road is old one stretching 397 miles. Tarkaw-Mongpyin-Kengtung section was built through rocky areas, sandy areas, creeks with rapid current and seeping areas. In the past, vehicles took 15 to 30 days to reach the destination due to difficulties and dangers. Sometimes, the road was closed in the rainy season.

In November 2002, the Head of State gave guidance to upgrade the road. From that time onwards, assignments of road sections were allotted. Now, the Ministry of Construction has built four bridges that are 180 feet and above long in Shan State (South), five bridges in Shan State (North) and three in Shan State (East), totalling 12.

The road section opened today was built with over 150 culverts, retaining walls and drains wherever necessary. Wooden bridges were substituted with concrete ones.

As a result of building the road section from Meiktila to Kengtung, over 900,000 local people can travel from their regions to the mainland any time. Therefore, the road will contribute to development of economic, social, education and health sectors of the local people as well as forging the national unity.

Afterwards, Commander Brig-Gen Min Aung Hlaing gave a speech and on behalf of the local people, he thanked the Government for construction of the road.

On behalf of the local people, Shan national U Sai Lyo of Kengtung thanked the Government for building the Union Highway in their
region.

The Secretary-1, the commanders and guests took the places at the archway. Lt-Gen Aung Htwe, Commander Brig-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun formally opened Tarkaw-Kengtung Road (Kengtung section) of Meiktila-Taunggyi-Kengtung-Tachilek Union Highway.

They posed for documentary photo with local people.

Next, the Secretary-1 and party cordially greeted the local people and viewed the road.

After the ceremony, the Secretary-1, accompanied by the commander and party, in the helicopter was airborne to inspect newly opened Tarkaw-Kengtung Road and flew to at Tarkaw of Mongpyin Township in Shan State (East).

The Secretary-1 and party attended the ceremony to inaugurate Tarkaw-Kengtung Road (Tarkaw section) at the mile post 284 in Tarkaw, Mongpyin.

Also present on the occasion were Deputy Commander of Triangle Region Command Brig-Gen Wai Lin and senior military officers, departmental officials, social organization members and local people.

Lt-Gen Aung Htwe, Commander Brig-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun cut the ribbon to open the road.

The Secretary-1 and party had documentary photo taken together with local people at the archway. Next, the Secretary-1 cordially conversed with local people.

After that, they inspected Tarkaw-Keng-tung road in the helicopter and arrived back in Kengtung at 11 am.

Tarkaw-Kengtung road is one of the sections of the Meiktila-Taung-gyi-Kengtung-Tachilek Union Highway in Shan State (East).

The road section lies 79 miles in Mongpyin Township and 35 miles in Kengtung Township.

The road was a gravel one in the past and now it has been upgraded to 12-foot-wide tarred road.

A total of 170 culverts were built along the road. The road section was built together with the gravel retaining walls and the gravel drains measuring 10,500 feet.