INFORMATION SHEET No. A 0387 (I) (r)

[suantak@xxxxxx]

Dear U Win Naing,
We, the Chin People in the Chin state envy the Happy Myanmar People in their
celebration of their Thingyan.  We are very pleased that as the colonial
power power you can celebrate and enjoy your Thingyan.

We live in fear every day of our lives.  We are not allowed to go to our
fields to cultivate our land. Every day we experience new restrictions to
our movements.  We are not allowed to import rice from Myanmar.  We are even
forbidden to visit our friends anf relatives in our neiboring villages.

Our stock of food is depleting and we are condemned to face hunger and
starvation in the coming months and years by the occupier of our land.

At least you are able to enjoy because you belong to the power holders. We
wish you happiness in the coming year.

Sincerely

 VS    Chin National Council
-----Original Message-----
To: Recipients of burmanet-l <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 1998 4:51 AM
Subject: INFORMATION SHEET No. A 0387 (I)


>                                      INFORMATION SHEET
>
>                          No. A 0387 (I)                       14 April
1998
>
>           ? A splash of clean water to usher in a happy new year ?
>
>                                              ( by Win Naing )
>
> The Thingyan Festival or Water Festival in April lasts three to five days.
>It ushers Myanmar New Year.  This year, we enjoy four days of
Thingyan--Akyo
>Day, Akya Day, Akyat Day and Atet Day.
>
> Thingyan days find us once again in the joyful mood of the season in
>cooling, soothing and heat-quenching water.  Thingyan is, perhaps, the
oldest
>festival of our golden land and it is clearly the most exciting and merry
>festival.
>
> Excitement and joy
>
> And why is Thingyan so exciting and joyous? It is the perfect liberty with
>which one splashes water on friends and strangers alike.  The music and
>dancing have become an integral part of the festival.  It is also the
almost
>overwhelming pleasure one derives from playing with the water on what must
be
>the hottest days of the year.  And most probably at last, Thingyan is
exciting
>and so well-liked because of the long stretch of holidays.
>
> Whatever the reason, there is always plenty of fun at Thingyan.  It is the
>most joyous festival for the young and the young-at-heart.  Thingyan
revellers
>let go of themselves freely, some enjoying Thingyan entertainment at
various
>pandals, some going around town in cars and some splashing water onto one
>another, and some performing meritorious deeds at monasteries, keeping the
>sabbath and alms-offering ceremonies.
>
> Mostly, young people and children eagerly await the festival. It is a time
>for teens to see and to be seen and to mix with other people. According to
>Myanmar traditions, the youngsters help the elderly people bathe, wash
their
>hair and manicure their nails.  They pay respects to monks, parents,
teachers
>and elders.
>
> It is an occasion for the old and pious to keep the sabbath either at home
>or at the monasteries and perform meritorious deeds.  Devotees throng
pagodas
>in their respective areas and offer incense and candles and stay at the
>pagodas and monasteries the whole day to meditate or say their rosary.
>
> Focus
>
> The focus of the festival is water.  Most people believe throwing or
>sprinkling of water cleanses the ills of the old year.  Water thrown on one
>another during the festival is a gesture to cleanse themselves from the
dirt
>of the old year and to be cool and fresh as water for the New Year.
>
> Thingyan is the prelude to the New year and it represents the transition
>from the old year to the new.
>
> Legend
>
> There is a legend about Thingyan.  The Thagyamin,  King to the Celestial
>beings, had a wager with a rival and the loser would have his head cut off.
>The Thagyamin won but the head was so hot that it could not be thrown onto
the
>ground, into the water nor in the air. Seven daughters of the Devas take
turns
>holding the head.  When the head changes hands the Thagyamin visits the
earth
>.
>
> When the Thagyamin visits earth he makes a list of good  people in his
gold
>book and the bad in a dog-leather book.
>
> Padauk
>
> Thingyan is not complete without the padauk, ?Pterocarpus Indicus?, the
>national  flower which bursts into bloom at Thingyan.  Padauk is different
>from others, for in the scorching heat of Tabaung-Tagu when trees, big and
>small, shed their leaves and are mere skeletons, the padauk tree stands
>emerald green, and, the yellow blossoms in clusters provide exquisite
harmony.
>
> It may not be as majestic as the orchid, nor as elegant as the rose, nor
as
>fragrant as the jasmine and gardenia and neither as romantic as the thazin.
>Yet padauk is unique.  All women of this land fall for it.  The young adorn
>their heads with padauk why the old offer it with reverence to Buddha.
>Myanmar women?s craze for the golden blossoms of padauk is perhaps due to
the
>fact that it blooms only one day in a year, with the first April showers.
>?You wait a whole year, your reward lasts only a day,? sings a poet in
praise.
>
> Padauk buds emerge in hundreds while waiting for the shower, and, once
>touched by a rain shower, they are a golden glory.  The whole tree is gold
and
>emerald and the air bears its mild fragrance.
>
> Padauk is faithful.  So long as it is not touched by raindrops,  the buds
>stubbornly hang on.  In some years when the shower is late, padauk does not
>bloom even during and after Thingyan.
>
> Thingyan spirit
>
> Thingyan has its charm and cultural significance unique to Myanmar-- the
>festival always brings with it the spirit of goodwill, fun and charity.
>Thingyan spirit is loving spirit and friendly spirit which most essentially
>embodies the loving spirit of Myanmar people.  Thingyan spirit is a also
>forward-looking spirit as it glances towards the New Year.  Moreover, it is
>also a spirit which is outward-expressing in social relations, for people m
ix
>and mingle regardless of class at this time.
>
> Thingyan spirit is also infused with the essence of the temperament and
>cultural heritage of the people.  It is something that is cherished and
>preserved and never sullied by rude language, wild manners and indecent
>behaviour.
>
> We in Myanmar are rejoicing with New Year thoughts while ushering in
>Thingyan today, Akyo Day. May what lies ahead be good for all of us, for
all
>humanity.
>
> Happy Thingyan to all.
>
>*************
>
>