After years of isolation, Myanmar has re-engaged with the international community. A new civilian government came to power and quickly rolled out a series of reforms. International communities have taken an active role in rebuilding Myanmar. I have also seen armies of expats returning to Myanmar, eager to restore their country to greatness.
I really believe Myanmar can become a nation to be reckoned with. For a brief moment after it claimed independence from the British in 1947, it was a modern nation in South-East Asia. It had the best universities, airports and cities. Through a series of misfortunes, however, it became one of the least developed nations in the world. Recent developments have given me hope that we can realize our Myanmar Dream, which includes inclusivity, harmony and freedom for all Myanmar people.
Myanmar nationals should be able to benefit from this transformation and development; inclusiveness is an essential element of my Myanmar Dream. We need to ensure everyone has access to basic financial services, for example. We will build a nation where people are united together as the people of Myanmar, regardless of their ethnicities. We are one people under one nation; united regardless of our religion, ethnicity and gender. We will need to ensure that we put aside our slight differences and rebuild our nation in a form of utopia that we have long dreamed of.
I believe there is a need for harmony in developing our country. We should seriously consider not destroying our national heritage and natural resources. We must leave a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren. We must learn to build our future without destroying our past. Myanmar is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, but we must protect the environment for the sake of future generations. Developing a proper nation-building strategy, which strikes a balance between modernizing and preserving our heritage, will be tough, but I believe we can achieve it.
Most importantly, I believe we must be free to chart our own destiny. The people of Myanmar should have the right to determine what is best for them. People should be allowed to follow their dreams no matter how preposterous they seem to others. All of us dream of same thing: the freedom to pursue our own happiness. There is no difference between a little boy who grew up in the hilly regions of Upper Myanmar and a little girl who grew up a rich neighborhood in Yangon City. I believe we can create a nation that provides equal opportunities for everyone.
In order to realize our Myanmar Dream, we must focus on three things: 1.) capacity building, 2.) foreign direct investment and 3.) national reconciliations. We need to improve education so that we will have capable people to lead our nation. In terms of technical expertise, we need to improve in all sectors. Most importantly, we need to install a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism. The most important asset a country can count on is its people; we need to equip them with the right skill sets and attitude.
Next, we need foreign direct investment (FDI). Myanmar needs to put together a strategy to make sure we encourage socially responsible investors whose activities are beneficial to our people. FDI needs to help us develop sustainably, building our capacity while preserving our environment. Only then will we be making Myanmar a better place for future generations.
Most importantly, national reconciliation must take place. In order to move forward, we must come together and put aside our differences, no matter what they are. I strongly believe we will have real and lasting peace in Myanmar very shortly.
Following the recent positive developments in Myanmar, we need to maintain our momentum in order to realize our Myanmar Dream. The stars have been much aligned lately: the new civilian government has taken over, the opposition party is running for elections, and our ethnic leaders are taking part in discussions for peace.
I hope that everyone around the world will take a moment to pray for Myanmar so that we might achieve prosperity, as your countries have. Thank you. And may God bless Myanmar.
(The author is Chairman of Kanbawza Bank Limited, Myanmar. This piece was especially written for the World Economic Forum which is being held in Manila on May 21-23.)
source: Business World Online
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