When I got off at Sule Pagoda Bus-stand across the Yangon City Hall, it was 11 a.m. Some sellers grouped round me at once and asked me if I would buy snacks and a bottle of drinking water. The top of the glittering Sule pagoda towering above the tiered-roofs of pavilions in the glow of the scorching sun compelled me to get quicker into its precincts. Shouldering my way through them, I ,therefore, walked hurriedly to the Sule pagoda through the zebra crossings and entered the precincts from the northern entrance, having bought a bouquet of the fragrant flowers from a nearby stall.
Upon the entry into the precincts of the Sule Pagoda through the northern entrance, I on the left side saw the statue of Ven. Upagutta who was a powerful Arahat who defeated the Mara( Evil One). An old well that is said to be the oldest one in Yangon and a Bodhi tree were also seen near it. With the Buddha’s Foot Print( Pada Ceti) by the side of the Bodhi Tree, I walked up to the northern Shrine-hall in which the image of Gotama Buddha is housed and offered the flowers I had bought to the Buddha image. Then, I walked clockwise round the precincts.
Passing by the Abhidhamma Hall in which discourses(Suttas) are preached, I saw the shrine of Sule Bo Bo Gyi( Guardian Deity).He stood raising his right hand with the forefinger pointing towards the direction of Shwedagon Pagoda hill. Some pilgrims were worshipping him with the joss-sticks and offertories made of coconuts and bunches of bananas. It is believed by the worshippers that Sule Bo Bo Gyi could fulfil their wishes.
Since it was a super Sunday, the pagoda platform was congested with many pilgrims. Many people were doing various religious services on the pagoda platform. Some were worshipping the Buddha images, some pouring water over the Buddha images, some saying prayers and some offering the flowers and some telling the rosary beads.I walked round the precincts and noticed the images of the four Buddhas already enlightened in this world were housed in the shrine-halls on the four sides of the pagoda platform - that of the Gotama Buddha in the north, that of Konagamana Buddha in the south, that of Kakusandha Buddha in the east and that of the Kassapa Buddha Image in the west respectively.
I went towards the pagoda, paid homage to it three times and observed it at a close-range. It was a gilded eight-sided pagoda 151 feet in height. It was a solid type with three receding terraces, which were said to represent the Three Gems- Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha. From the terraces on the plinth to the tapering top of the banana bud, the pagoda was of the octagonal shape which represents the Noble Eight fold Path leading one to attain Nibbana. The whole pagoda, from its plinth to the sacred umbrella, was richly decorated with elaborate floral designs. So I thought it was renowned for its excellent artistic works.
While looking at the pagoda, I remembered the connections of its name with the history of the Shwedagon Pagoda. thus: When the hair-relics carried from Majjhimadesa by Taphussa and Bhallika merchant brothers were presented to King Ukkala, he had all his ministers assembled (စုဝေး) at a spot to discuss on exploration of the site where the relics were to be enshrined and that, after the construction of the Shwedagon Pagoda with the deposition of the hair relics of the Buddha, a small stupa named ‘ Su-wei’ was erected at the spot where the king and his ministers assembled to commemorate this incident, that, with the passage of times, the term ‘ Su-wei’ was corrupted to ‘Sule’, that,again, in comparison with the Shwedagon pagoda which is called ‘Mahaceti’ meaning ‘Great pagoda’, the Sule pagoda is smaller in size, that , it is, therefore, called ‘ Cula-ceti’in Pali meaning ‘smaller or lesser pagoda’ and, that, in course of time, the term, ‘Cula’ was changed to ‘Sule’.
I threw a sweeping glance and espied the office of Trustees’ Board a little down the pagoda platform. I walked there and inqured about the history of the Sule Pagoda. It was learnt from them that the Sule pagoda was contemporary with the Shwedgon pagoda and the Bothathaung pagoda, that it was, however, hidden deep in the forests for many years, that it was later recovered and repaired by Mon kings, that while the roads in downtown Yangon were being extended by the British Government, it was to be demolished but , due to the request made by U Chan Tun, who studied law at Cambridge University, it was left undestroyed, that it was,however, bombed by the Japanese during the Second World War, that it was renovated by the British Government and then Myanmar Government when Myanmar regained her independence and that the Buddhapujaniya festival was held annually at this pagoda with pomp and ceremony.
Some hours elapsed unnoticed. When I looked at my watch, it was already 2 p.m. So I paid homage to the pagoda and went down the pagoda platform. I crossed the road and got back to the bus-stop, which was the starting point of many bus lines in Yangon. Across the bus-stop stood the Yangon city hall, which was a blend of Myanmar and Western architectural works and behind it was the Maha Bandoola park in which the Independence Pillar was jutting out starkly into the sky. I was also aware of some sky-scrapers which had appeared in the immediate environs of the Sule pagoda during the recent years.
In conclusion, my casual visit to the Sule pagoda gave me peace, happiness and relaxation. At the same time, I also got some knowledge on history and archaeology. So I think the Sule pagoda is worth a visit by all people –local and foreign.
Harnessing energy has been the prime motive of mankind since evolution. All the discoveries and inventions till date are the output of offshoots of the attempt to achieve this goal. One of the critical aspects of energy harnessing is its storage and timely utilization as per needs.
There are several conventional methods by which energy is being stored such as flywheels, batteries, compressed air, & pumped hydroelectricity. The latest advancements that excite energy enthusiasts are superconducting magnets, supercapacitors, photonic energy conversions and hydrogen electrolysis.
The best energy storage device that we have been able to use so far is the chemical battery. As the global Green Energy Revolution is on fast track, it becomes imperative to develop versatile, frugal, convenient & sustainable energy storage solutions.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the renewable energy generation (RE) is expected to increase from 9006 TWh in 2024 to 17032 TWh in 2030. This variable RE generation calls for grid stability. Interestingly, one of the known drawbacks with renewable energy is the lack of storage for use in future when it's not available.
As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India aims to achieve 40% cumulative installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by 2030 & shall reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 35% by 2030.
As this huge bulk of power through renewable resources merges into the grid, there will be several anticipated challenges: the generation through RE sources is variable and will impact the stability of the national electricity transmission grid. This variability is subject to the time, climate & geographical location of the chosen RE source. Apparently, the energy peak loads will shift and in turn affect the peak tariffs as well. An efficient energy storage system is the solution to all these problems.
Every energy storage system has its own limitations. Costly super magnets have a limited range of operations; likewise, supercapacitors are also costly, have low energy density, require voltage balancing circuit & power converter. Flywheels exhibit frictional losses whereas PHS are restricted to specific location and topology.
Batteries, however, have survived the race. Majority of the power plant generating, transmission & distribution units see lead acid batteries as their savior for DC back up. This has also led to monopoly of the Plante type LA battery in the Indian market. Despite being robust, these batteries have encountered problems of strap corrosion, pillar erosion, electrolyte contamination, and separator puncture.
Additionally, the acidic electrolyte and lead used in the battery also pose an environmental threat. Disposal of scrap batteries is a challenge for all industries. The lithium-ion batteries are evolving as a competitor. They are good for Indian application given hot climatic conditions. But they still face the challenge of higher cost, limited technology, raw material outsourcing & the heavier size.
Lead acid batteries are designed for recycling. As per a report by American Chemical Society, 99% of the lead acid batteries are 100% recycled. Whereas only 5% of the lithium batteries are currently being recycled. Unofficial recycling and landfills are a serious threat to the environment & public health. In India, management of battery and disposal is governed by the MoEFCC.
Collaboration is required between government and organizations to develop facilities and educate people regarding the relevance of battery recycling. Awareness on the risks of improper battery disposal through education initiatives and health campaigns; motivation for proper disposal of batteries through media campaigns, school projects and community programs should be emphasised.
If properly backed up by strict guidelines and mass awareness, lead acid batteries can prove to be the most feasible answer to the question of energy storage despite their limitations.
We have options, resources as well as policies through which we look forward to facing this challenge in the future. Development is both imperative & relative, but with vigilant efforts we can ensure the environment walks hand in hand in our journey.
(This article is written by Gunjan Patel, Participant of Executive MBA in Energy Transition, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Jais and Deputy General Manager, AMNS India and Sanjay Kumar Kar, Professor, Marketing & Energy, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Jais)
ကိုးကား- https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/energy-storage-a-grappling-challenge-for-green-energy-revolution/118381478
SOME people may think that a student tends to become an outstanding one simply due to his or her born ability. It cannot be said this is correct at all. I agree that man students turn out to be natural geniuses, but it will happen together with other external factors. As for me, an outstanding student may or may not have an excellent memory, but surely, he or she is given to own never-undiminished perseverance and greater intrinsic motivation than a normal student. Not only that, outstanding students are usually inclined to bring benefits for both themselves and others. Now, I want to describe the reasons behind being an outstanding student, depending on my over ten years of teaching experience.
Some students themselves are hungry for education. They always do loud and still whatever brings education. Often they are eager to learn something new and also physically, mentally or emotionally ready to do so. As always, they can manage to avert physical fatigue due to their sports or games, mental fatigue due to their relationship with family members, friends or teachers and emotional fatigue due to their close neighbourhood or atmosphere, even though they get involved in these situations.
They like to go to school regularly and even without a day’s leave throughout the whole academic year. They are seldom browned off with revising or reviewing their well-taken school lessons.
Students by instinct or with very intrinsic motivation could do well in their studies without any external motivation. In spite of this, teachers should play a huge role in students’ learning success. Some students have a terrible memory and like learning by rote as usual, but when they have a chance to be taught by seasoned teachers, their learning achievement is more likely to be considerable than they expect. If students with poor memory can do great in their studies together with experienced teachers, how much improvement of learning effect will highly intelligent students get in studying school subjects?
Thanks to skilled teachers, good students will become better and then better students can be top of the best scholars’ list. This is because skilful teachers can take control of their students’ positive or negative emotions, make use of effective pedagogy in accordance with students’ likes or needs, practise or guide students as much as necessary and have affection or interest in school children.
Some parents want their children to be educated so much, especially those who had very little schooling in their childhood or those well-educated.
But here, students’ academic success will evidently differ from each other on account of their guardians’ parenting style. In actual fact, parents are the very first teachers of a child, also as the Myanmar saying goes. Some parents wish their children to get educated as much as they can, yet they often neglect to financially provide for their children even if they can afford it.
On the other hand, honest to say, that some parents are unable to give financial support to their children’s education. All parents, great and small, should provide physical help for students on the way to school at least, driving them to school for example, if they desire their students’ educational accomplishment. It is certain that under no circumstance will only parents’ financial assistance be adequate for outstanding students in the future. Astute parents of their children’s education are non-indulgent people as well as they will be able to use the carrot and the stick for the children as much as needed.
A safe, well-developed, enjoyable learning environment looks like a great external motivator for an outstanding student’s education. Sometimes an educational environment stimulates an average student to develop into a better scholar.
The educated who can make an adequate living as per their qualification are role models to young students in the educational environment. Of course, such an environment can be viewed as an atmosphere of educational competition among students, that is, the atmosphere arouses students’ endeavour to get into the top ten, not that of beauty, clothing and jewellery competitions, as well as will contribute essential material and energy to efficient learning of students.
In the main, only an educationally improved environment is an environment of education. A traditional economics- or agriculture-oriented society is not an educational community.
On the other side, there are several reasons for not being an outstanding student to a learner. Some students themselves appear indifferent to their education. Hence, even though their parents would like them to pursue education only, it stands to reason that the children will never excel in their studies. Unfortunately for them, some students do not find an opportunity to learn from good teachers who have mastery of both subject matter and instructional methods. Unless these students have powerful self-directed learning or independent study, they will also infrequently do extremely well in their school subjects.
Some students compete against others for classroom learning activities, but they do not study at home for love or money, knowing that other students do not do their homework, either.
The worst of it is that students are learning in an environment where their educational efforts hardly ever bear fruit. The main reason behind an outstanding student is the student himself. A student will have been an outstanding scholar only if he wants to actually.
Apparently enough, outstanding students attend school and other classes that are worthwhile going without fail. They have everything in readiness for a lesson start. Rarely do they bring such personal feelings as hunger, thirst, sorrow, depression, despair, hopelessness, and anger due to someone or something into the classroom.
They learn quite tactfully from their respective teachers. Even intelligent students will have memorized some subject matter by heart just after class.
Whether having short-term memory or long-term memory, some students earnestly revise and review their lessons again and again. Finally, conducting study regularly, setting a suitably flexible timetable, having a self-learning style, and taking out an imaginative production in arts or science subjects are other reasons behind an outstanding student.
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar
I read a very interesting topic in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper and this topic is preparation for the submission of the Myanma Thanaka cultural tradition to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity before March 2025, educational programmes on Thanaka culture are being conducted throughout February at museums and libraries under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.
Thanaka is an iconic symbol of Myanmar’s cultural heritage, deeply interlaced into the country’s history, identity, and daily life. For centuries, it has been used as a beauty treatment, sunscreen, and even as a cultural expression of status. The value of Thanaka extends beyond its physical benefits; it holds significant cultural, social, and historical importance to the people of Myanmar. In this essay, we will explore the various dimensions of Thanaka’s value, from its uses in daily life to its role in traditional practices and its symbolic importance.
Historical and Cultural Significance: Thanaka has been a part of Myanmar’s culture for over two thousand years. The tradition of using Thanaka is thought to date back to the Bagan period (around the 11th century AD). It is believed that the earliest use of Thanaka was in the royal courts, where it was applied as a sign of beauty and purity. Over time, this practice spread to all levels of society, and Thanaka became a main feature of Myanmar’s cultural landscape.
The name “Thanaka” refers to the paste made from the powdered bark of the Thanaka tree, which is native to Myanmar and parts of neighbouring Thailand and Laos. The bark is ground into a fine powder, mixed with water, and applied to the face and sometimes the body. The geometric patterns created by the paste are both artistic and practical, reflecting the balance between beauty and function in Myanmar society.
Practical Uses of Thanaka: One of the most important values of Thanaka lies in its practical benefits. It has been used for centuries as a natural skincare product. The paste has cooling properties and helps to protect the skin from the harsh tropical sun, preventing sunburns and skin damage. In a country like Myanmar, where the climate can be extremely hot and sunny, Thanaka serves as an important protective agent against the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
In addition to its sun protection benefits, Thanaka has been credited with having anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-ageing properties. It is often used to treat skin conditions like acne, rashes, and blemishes. Many people apply it regularly, not only for its protective effects but also for its potential to improve the skin’s appearance, making it smooth and healthy.
Thanaka’s cooling sensation makes it especially desirable during the summer months. It is common for people, especially women and children, to wear Thanaka as a facial mask to reduce the discomfort of the heat. In rural areas, the tradition of applying Thanaka is especially prevalent, where the natural product is easily accessible and commonly used in everyday life.
Health Benefits of Thanaka: Applied over the cheeks, nose, and neck, Thanaka doubles as both a cosmetic beauty product and a skincare regimen. Marmesin, one of its active ingredients, acts as a natural sunblock against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays while also providing a refreshing, cooling effect in hot weather.
Symbolic and Social Importance: Thanaka also carries deep symbolic significance. It has become a defining feature of Myanmar’s national identity. When one thinks of the traditional appearance of the Myanmar people, the image of individuals with their faces painted with Thanaka paste is almost universally recognized. This simple yet characteristic practice speaks to a cultural unity that transcends class, gender, and age. In fact, it is a universal symbol of Myanmar’s indigenous heritage, connecting people across generations.
Economic and Environmental Value: Beyond its cultural and social importance, Thanaka also holds economic and environmental value. The production of Thanaka offers economic opportunities for people in rural areas, where Thanaka trees are grown and harvested. Environmentally, the Thanaka tree is also an essential part of the landscape in Myanmar. Thanaka cultivation promotes the growth of trees that provide shade, help preserve biodiversity, and prevent soil erosion. The tree itself is considered a renewable resource, as it can be harvested sustainably, providing both economic and ecological benefits to the local communities.
Moreover, the value of Thanaka in Myanmar is multi-faceted, encompassing its practical benefits for skin care, its role as a cultural and social marker, and its historical and economic importance. This simple paste of powdered bark carries with its centuries of tradition, offering a glimpse into the country’s rich heritage and its deep connection to the natural world. Moreover, Thanaka serves as a protective skincare product, a symbol of beauty, or a reflection of national identity. And it also holds a valuable place in the hearts and minds of the Myanmar people.
References
– Global New Light of Myanmar Newspaper (14 February 2025)
– https://heritage-line.com/magazine/thanaka-the-secret-to-burmese-beauty
– https://myanmartravel.com/thanaka-in-myanmar
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar
Southeast Asian countries need to hedge and expand trade and security alliances to navigate changing increased protectionism and changing geopolitics under the second term of US President Donald Trump, an online forum heard on Feb 12.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) may not be a key priority in Trump's foreign policy, but what is significant is how individual ASEAN countries deal with the United States and other major powers, according to the experts who participated in the webinar "Asia and Trump 2.0: Geopolitical Outlooks". The webinar is organized by the Asian Center (AC), University of the Philippines.
Experts have noted how Trump's policy of raising tariffs imposed against its major trading partners like China is also affecting ASEAN as the region is also part of the China supply chain. They also cited Trump's directives such as the US withdrawal from the Paris climate pact and the World Health Organization will have repercussions worldwide.
But while ASEAN countries are not major powers, these countries "still have agency" when it comes to international relations, according to Melissa Hubahib Loja, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for European, Comparative, and Constitutional Legal Studies, University of Copenhagen.
"The best way for (non-major powers) to exercise their agency is to adopt a rational approach to real politics," Loja said, noting that balancing, band wagoning and hedging are the "rational strategic options" for small states.
Collin Koh Swee Lean, senior fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, cited Singapore as a case study in 6 strategic hedging.
Koh said the city-state, a small and trade-dependent economy, maintains a consistent and principled foreign policy when dealing with major powers like the US and China. Koh said that regional governments like ASEAN are not likely to choose sides and would instead choose to band together to assert their interest on the global stage.
"We are likely going to see greater intra-ASEAN cooperation," he said, adding that he expects ASEAN member states to agree on more vital issues, especially on trade as US tariff hikes threaten their respective economies. Koh also sees "growing participation in regional security" by other non-US regional powers such as those in either the Pacific or Europe.
Maria Thaemar Tana, Japan Foundation Global Japan Studies Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo, said that while hedging remains ASEAN's "best strategy", its effectiveness is limited by internal divisions, weak enforcement mechanisms and growing external pressures.
Aaron Jed Rabena, assistant professor at the Asian Center, said ASEAN countries and reduce dependence on the US in light of Trump's "unpredictable and volatile" trade and foreign policy. However, Rabena added that the strategy of each ASEAN nation also varies from time to time based on their perceived and actual threats and opportunities.
He said that while most ASEAN countries don't have a dispute with China, this is not the case with the Philippines. The Philippines currently has a defense treaty with the US and has a dispute with China over the South Sea.
"This is quite a challenging strategic environment, but the Philippines really needs to find the right balance in its foreign policy," Rabena said.
For Noel Christian Moratilla, dean of the Asian Center, "neutrality is what is imperative and applicable at this point". He said that this has already happened in the past, with the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 at the height of the Cold War.
Moratilla said there's no point for the Philippines to antagonize either the US or China and learn from other ASEAN countries "as to how they do it, and also as not to appear very adversarial and very hostile to either one of them".
Irine Hiraswari Gayatri, senior researcher at the Research Center for Politics, National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia, said Indonesia is diversifying economic partnerships to reduce reliance on the US market. For example, Gayatri said Indonesia has joined BRICS, demonstrating how is widening alliances.
She said Indonesia "maintains strategic autonomy while regulating partnerships with both China and the US."
In the instruction of school subjects in our country, an educator may be a success as a Myanmar, Maths, Chemistry or History teacher in particular to the extent to which he focuses his efforts on this subject. Out of these subject teachers, I believe it is most fortunate that a teacher experiences success in teaching Myanmar. This is simply because a Myanmar teacher will be up the creek without a paddle if he cannot draw attention and teach Myanmar students the Myanmar language to the degree that they show interest in the language. Excellent Myanmar teachers will be able to teach the Myanmar language so well that their students can be firm believer in learning the language. Thus, the common characteristics of a good Myanmar teacher (SAT) will be described in this article, based on my teaching experience.
First of all, I would like to start talking about the introductory chapters of poetry and prose. All high school teachers and students must skim through these introductory chapters before the very poetry and prose teaching-learning activity. The introductory chapters usually make students interested in the following lessons, i.e. poems and prose. Here, introductory chapters are just interesting matters to students and it is only poems or prose that teachers have to teach their students. Hence, a teacher should never spend the whole class time (40 minutes nowadays) telling only one introductory chapter. Unexpectedly, if he does so, his teaching will lessen students’ attention momentum towards the very lesson. For instance, in a Grade 11 Myanmar poem `ရွှေနှင့်ယိုးမှား ပန်းစံကား´ (Shwe-nint-yoemar Pansagar), a teacher has to tell Panbe Maung Thintel and his sister’s love story as much as needed, not Ko Byutta and Mewunna’s. Great Myanmar teachers make good use of introductory parts to obtain students’ long attention spans in poetry or prose instruction.
It is most Myanmar teachers who read and teach poems in a periodic tone. Seldom do many teachers read and sing Myanmar poems of their kind. It may be possible to say that such teaching has been out of date these days. In general, as poems contain systematic patterns of rhymes and rhythms, they are well-readable or even singable. If a teacher sings and teaches a Myanmar poem that is worth singing, his students will enjoy the poem more than normal. For instance, `မဲဇာတောင်ခြေ´ (Mezataungchay) from Grade 11 Myanmar is full of heartbreak and compassion for Lord Letwethondara. But there is one point that should be noticed in poetry reading. Unless a teacher has such a good singing voice, it would be best if he does not sing and teach a Myanmar poem. Good Myanmar teachers read a poem before students, and then they make the entire class read out the poem neatly and rythmnically. As I am aware, most students can see the rhyming patterns of a Myanmar poem pretty easily whether they are read or sung.
In learning Myanmar poems, both teachers and students will have to study the word choice and lexical composition of the poems. This is often called `Dissecting the Anatomy of Poetry´, which means seeing the vocabulary and sentence structures of a poem one after another. But on the other side, some Myanmar teachers say that this method destroys the beauty of a poem into pieces. Myself, I am strongly of the opinion that it is merely learner’s freedom of poetry study. Good Myanmar teachers, metaphorically speaking, tend to undergo an operation on a poem in the theatre called classroom, not deforming the poem at all.
Of course, a poem looks like a well-built little girl. Since poems are generally composed of short words and to the point, many poetry learners are always keen as mustard to study the poems. And it is also quite easy to memorize a poem by heart. However, prose is not like this. The prose is figuratively a strong and healthy man. Because a language in which thousands of prose can be seen is still living in the world of language, learners are given to pay more attention to prose rather than poetry. Compared with a poem, prose is simple to understand but sometimes totally difficult to write. Although there is no restriction in prose composition regarding the number of words or stanzas, rhyming schemes, and intonation patterns, practically writing the prose cannot arrive at its main theme or aim. But strangely enough, almost all students get bored with learning prose as well as can be under the illusion that they will be able to write similar prose with their eyes closed. In that connection, good Myanmar teachers show a detailed organization of prose arranged from words to sentences, paragraphs and the whole passage instead of overexplaining what the prose means.
After teaching poetry and prose, teachers ought to ask students some questions related to them, especially the learning objective, curiously. At that time, the instructional objectives established by the students may be different from those prescribed in the curriculum. For language, study is absolute of diverse thoughts and perceptions. If and when the objective of the students has no clear correlation with that of the lesson in the curriculum, the teacher will need to express the very objective of the poem or prose, whether general or specific, where he can agree with other poetry- or prose-related acceptable feelings and opinions from his students without a second thought, mainly if he is meant to be a good Myanmar teacher.
Finally, good teachers who fully appreciate the Myanmar language like to teach it to their students so that they are getting to adore the language. Also, their Myanmar teaching pedagogy enables the students to be mad keen on continuing the language study. They make their students practise essay writing or do spelling and dictation exercises so often. In the main, their handwriting is pretty, neat and tidy, especially without writing system errors or spelling and dictation mistakes. And they like extensive reading besides studying the curriculum. Some even state that an enjoyable learning environment of the school largely depends on Myanmar teachers over there. Therefore, being a Myanmar teacher that does great credit to an educator is a foregone conclusion.
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar
The Shitthaung Temple is one of the most renowned temples in Mrauk U. It was established in 1535 by King Min Bar Gyi, the most powerful Rakhine king of Mrauk U Period . It is so named because it housed 8,4000 images of the Buddha to be enlightened in the future.
King Min Bar Gyi ascended the Mrauk U palace in 1532. Three years afterwards, the Portuguese soldiers who were based on Sundvipa island at the mouth of the Ganges river invaded Rakhine territory with a great navy. But the Rakhine army defeated them and drove them away out of their domain. In commemoration of that victory , King Min Bar Gyi built this temple. So it was also known as ‘ Yan Aung Zeya Temple’.
Having sought advice from Sayadaw Vens. Aggacideya and Aggamuni, Hermit U Mra Wah ,wise Minister Vimala and his son Maha Panna Kyaw, the king had the Phoe Khaung hill one kilometer north of the palace bulldozed and levelled and the temple built on that ground by 1,000 masons within one year.
The Shitthaung Temple is the archaeological treasure house which ranks top in Mrauk U. Its roof is surmounted with a large bell-shaped stupa surrounded by 26 satellite stupas. The outer wall is interspersed with twenty-eight niches in which are life-size images of the seated Buddha placed back to back. All life-size reliefs at this temple represent King Min Bar Gyi as the earthly counterpart of Sakka, King of gods who resides in Tavatimsa on the Summit of Mount Meru. The six tiers of bas reliefs at this temple may correspond to the six planes of existence. The lowest level of the reliefs depicts animals of all kinds, humans, etc enjoying life in the world of desire. The central level depicts the former lives of the Gotama Buddha from the jataka tales that give the moral lessons to all visitors. The Lokapalas Devas are depicted at the fifth level. The uppermost level represents Brahmas or gods. At the four corners, the reliefs are interspersed by life-size statues which represent King Min Bar Gyi.
At intervals around the plinths are figures of the earth goddness Vasundhare wringing her hair to bear witness to the Danaparami (Perfection of donation) fulfilled by the Budhisatta. Byala, a mythical creature, which is the national emblem of the Rakhine, is found inside of the Shit-thaung Temple. The Rakhines regard it as a symbol bringing good luck and auspiciousness to them.
The Shit-thaung temple festival is one of the most popular festivals in Rakhine. The festival usually falls on May 23 and last five days. Rakhine traditional long- boat races, Rakhine Kyin Pwes( the Rakhine traditional wrestling contests), Rakhine traditional dances and Buddha Pujaniya ceremony are held during the festival. During the festive days, the pilgrims from far and near flock to this festival. So the whole town is alive and agog with festive mood from the sun-rise to sun-set.
During the Buddhapujaniya ceremony, beautiful Rakhine damsels perform the Rakhine traditional dance in praise of the attributes of Triple Gem. These dances show great devotion of the Rakhines to Buddhism from the ancient times.
In the long-boat race, 10 boats have to participate, each group comprising 15 strong, muscular long-boat rowers. Many spectators on both banks of the creek applaud the contesting rowers. This race show the unity and outstanding rowing skill of the Rakhines. In Kyin pwes, the Kyin wrestlers who come from Tawphyanchaung area in Ponnagyun Township and Yanbye Township are famous and mostly win many trophies. This race shows quickness, mindfulness, stamina and art of the wrestling . Rakhine nationals take much pride in this sport as a national identity and they desire to preserve Kyin wrestling as an ancient Rakhine sport .
To conclude, the Shitthaung Temple is the show-case of the Buddhist art and architecture. So it reflects the high architectural standard of ancient Rakhines and their profound devotion to Buddhism. Like this temple, other pagodas and temples in Mrauk U are embellished with excellent works of art and architecture. So it is thought by the writer that all the temples and pagodas in Mrauk U including the Shitthaung Temple should be kept in situ.
The procedure for Authorized Economic Operators was announced by the Ministry of Planning and Finance through Notification 21/2018 on 30 March 2018.
As stated in the Procedure for Authorized Economic Operators, an Authorized Economic Operator is a company or organization officially recognized by the Customs Department that meets the criteria outlined in this Procedure and operates within the international trade chain. The international trade chain refers to the system that includes the organizations, processes, technologies, and resources involved in transferring goods or services from the seller to the consumer.
The criteria for recognition as an Authorized Economic Operator require that a person wishing to operate as an Authorized Economic Operator must comply with the company registration requirements and the business licence regulations specified by the Ministry of Planning and Finance, Directorate of Investment and Company Administration. The period between the date of registration under the Myanmar Companies Act and the date of application for registration as an Authorized Economic Operator must be at least 3 years. The applicant must also continuously comply with the Sea Customs Act, rules, regulations, orders, instructions, and procedures. The company must publish official financial statements and reports annually from the date of its establishment. The accounting records and business-related financial information must be maintained for seven years. There must be a good record-keeping system and an effective internal control system which is acceptable to the Customs Department in maintaining financial matters, business records, systems, processes, and any issues related to the Customs service agent.
All taxes and duties imposed by the Customs Department, as well as any other taxes payable to the State, must be paid on time. The applicant must be financially sound. Before applying as an Authorized Economic Operator and before the issuance of the recognition certificate, the applicant must have no record of Customs-related offences or penalties within the past three years, must not be blacklisted, must accurately declare import and export transactions, and must have no record of economic misconduct or fraud. If prior notice is given for inspection when required, it must be possible to undergo inspection at any location.
The benefits available to an Authorized Economic Operator include the right to process Customs declarations with priority status, the right to pre-file import and export declarations before the arrival of goods, the right to obtain customs clearance without inspecting the documents or goods (except in cases involving potential risks for preventing illegal imports or exports), the right to receive priority inspection when required, the right to obtain customs services related to goods at the importer or exporter’s premises or other locations permitted by the Customs Department, the right to operate under the Deferred Duty Payment System within one month, as outlined in Section 41 of the Sea Customs Act, the right to receive the Customs Department’s recognition certificate and display the recognized logo as per requirements, and the right to enquire about Customs procedures with the Customs Department and the Authorized Economic Operators Division.
Therefore, I urge all economic operators throughout Myanmar to cease engaging in illegal trade and apply for a certificate of recognition as an Authorized Economic Operator, which offers the benefits of legal trade. This will allow them to follow the right path of legal trade and operate as “Authorized Economic Operators”.
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar
When the plane we boarded was zooming down into the Sittway airport, a wide expanse of blue water fringed with greenery coconut-groves was swirling into my view. As soon as it landed at the air-port, our team consisting of my parents, my elder sister and myself went direct to a hotel near the Myoma market where we were to put up. We spent two days in Sittway visiting famous pagodas, Buddha images and some relatives. It is said that Sittway, the capital of Rakhine State, located at the mouth of the Kaladan river, was established in 1826 and that its original name was Akyab which was taken after the Akyab pagoda standing a few miles to the west of the town.
After the two-day stay at Sittway, we started on the pilgrimage to the Maha Myatmuni Buddha image in Kyauktaw township. Our car left Sittway early in the morning. It ran fast along the Yangon-Sittway highway. Some hamlets, paddy-fields and low hills on the sides of the road were left behind kaleidoscopically as our car scudded along. We passed the Kyauk-tan bridge and the Amyingyun bridge and soon arrived at Ponnagyun, a small town located on the western bank of the Kaladan river, about nearly 20 miles from Sittway. Beyond it, we saw the Urittaw pagoda glittering in the glow of the rising sun at the top of a wooded hill towering above the Kaladan river. It is said that the skull of the Buddha was enshrined in it.
We continued our journey along the highway. I espied the Gu wa Phaya, one of the most well -known ones in Ponnagyun township, on the road-side. Soon afterwards, we reached Yoe ta-yok village with the Be-ngar-yar mountain in the background, which jutted starkly up from the neighbouring landscape. Due to its beauty, it is metaphorically called ‘ Mt. Fuji of Rakhine’. I noticed a mass of white clouds gathering above it. I sometimes saw some birds in flight towards the nearby forested foothills of the Kan-zauk mountain. Then we stopped over at a footstall abuzz with passengers on the road side for twenty minutes. Out of hunger, we wolfed down Rakhine Monhti ( Rakhine traditional rice-vermecilli soup) and coffee there. Some minutes afterwards, our car passed the Kan zauk-mountain bridge which spanned the Yoe creek, a major tributary of the Kaladan river.
At about 11 a.m, our car came to the Kacchapanadi bridge which connected the two opposite banks in Kyauktaw township. It is said that it was the earliest of the rivercrossing bridges which had been ever built in Rakhine State and that it was 1312.5 feet in length. From the bridge, we saw some Siberian-geese and wild ducks flying over the river flapping their wings and some cargo-boats inching up and down. When we got to the bank of Kyauktaw, we drove across some villages scattered about in the outlying area of the town and soon arrived at Srigut mound where the well-known Maha Myatmuni Buddha Image existed. We paid homage to the Buddha image and offered flowers, fruits and candles to it.
Then we went round the shrine-hall. The Rakhine traditional chronicles say that the Maha Myatmuni Buddha image was cast out of pancaloha (five noble metals) in the presence of the Buddha who visited Dhannavati city at the mental invitation of King Candasuriya and that it had been the epicenter of Buddhism in Rakhine for many centuries. I discovered some debris of bricks and a few aligning brick-works exposed in the fields surrounding Srikut mound. It is known that they were the remnants of the Third Dhannavati city which thrived between the 6th century B.C and the 4th century A.D and that it was established by King Candasuriya and came to an end during the reign of King Taing Candra. We donated some cash to the trustees of the Buddha image, left Srigut mound at about 2 p.m and proceeded to Minbya where some of my relatives resided.
To conclude, I found that it is a rewarding and exploratory trip, for we were refreshed by the beautiful sea-scape and landscape on the way and, moreover, got some knowledge on Rakhine history.
History is indelible, and 12 February 2025 marks the 78th Union Day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Throughout Myanmar’s history, it was only under the reigns of Anawrahta, Bayintnaung, and Alaungpaya that we managed to chronicle the unity of all national brethren in the archive called history. On 12 February 1947, the endeavours of our national leader, General Aung San, and the martyrs – to put an end to the apartheid imposed by the British government between Upper and Lower Myanmar – were acknowledged. The Panglong Agreement was reached between the leaders representing Upper Myanmar and the government of Myanmar, led by General Aung San. This agreement was a prerequisite demanded by the British government for Myanmar to attain independence.
However, the stark reality is that, amid rising political conflicts, democratic decline, and violence, union solidarity is crumbling – and, we, the people of Myanmar, are witnessing it unfold before our eyes. The shared patriotic spirit within us will certainly condemn any act that threatens to divide the union. On our journey to pave the way for Federal Democracy, we cannot lose sight of our ultimate goal – that is, to safeguard the perpetual peace and unity of Myanmar.
“Unity is strength.” As the motto goes, we cannot let differing political views divide us, or else every inch of our concerted effort in building this nation will be in vain. If we wish to harness the collective strength of our national brethren, restoring consensus, harmony, and solidarity among diverse ethnic groups is inevitable. This, undoubtedly, is not beyond our capabilities. By promoting understanding and fostering compassion, we will not only create a harmonious and inclusive society, but we will also strengthen the union spirit among us.
Furthermore, we must keep in mind that foreign interference – one of the root causes propelling Myanmar towards political unrest – is our shared adversary. Myanmar’s geographical location serves as a strategic point for warfare and economic advantage for some powerful nations seeking global dominance. Exploiting insurrections, political chaos, and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) in Myanmar, these external forces trample upon and sacrifice the people of Myanmar for their own gain. Therefore, any form of foreign intervention or encroachment in Myanmar’s internal affairs is reprehensible. Together, we serve as sentinels, watching for any potential threats that may befall our motherland. It is our shared duty to keep the sovereignty of Myanmar in safe custody.
Myanmar, with its seven states and seven regions, has been passed down to us by our ancestors, and we are duty-bound to preserve the union territory they have entrusted us with. This is why we must join hands in harmony with one another and repel any kind of external interference. Let us remember that it is we and we alone – with compassion and understanding – who can steadfastly keep union solidarity intact and ensure peace and stability within the state.
To conclude, I proudly hail the 78th Union Day by chanting the motto:
“United in heart and soul, marching towards the Union’s goal.”
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar