Mingalar Par; an auspicious day to you all!
First of all, I am truly honored and grateful to receive this recognition from the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation and its Board of Trustees for my public service.
Today also marks our 34th wedding anniversary. My wife, Myint Myint Khin Pe (Shwe Zee Kwet) has tirelessly walked hand in hand with me in providing philanthropic services. This prestigious award, which I receive today, fulfills a sense of completeness towards our meaningful wedding anniversary.
As I accept this award, I would like to honor and dedicate this to the late U Thukha, my mentor and co-founder of the Free Funeral Service Society (Yangon). While we are witnessing the political transition in my country, Myanmar, this award is a true inspiration for me, for our society and for all those associations in our country which actively engage in charitable work and public service.
I have always believed that in movies, we actors or artists represent the true lives of our people—their feeling is my personal feeling. With this in mind, I have entered the world of noble work.
Although our organization was established in 2001 with the singular aim of offering free funeral services, we have since extended our services to various areas. Our interventions now include free health care services, free education, natural disaster response, humanitarian assistance to war victims, etc. Through development work and humanitarian assistance, we promote public participation and enhance public knowledge in the development of civil society in our country.
Public services in Myanmar have been deteriorating. We are trying our best to address issues where we can, and we are pleased with what we have done so far. However, in the long-run, the government should establish institutionalized policies, regulations and legal frameworks; and they should implement these systematically.
Although the process of democratic reforms is underway, I still see no difference in the people’s lives, especially the disadvantaged. I have witnessed this during my visits to various regions across the country, where I deliver philanthropic talks, attend ceremonies to open free healthcare clinics, and participate in dialogues, community events or meetings among social workers.
Despite the fact that we have increasing numbers of civil society organizations, we still have a lot to do to influence change in government policies to improve our economic and social environment. In Myanmar, there is a decline in moral standards and a worrisome trend towards materialism. The road towards our democratization, in my opinion, entails strong civil society organizations that can truly represent the voice of our people and hold the government responsible and accountable to the people.
Today, I accept this award on behalf of the women and men of Myanmar who join hands with me in building a better nation. For in the depths of my heart, this award is much more than an honor. It is a source of strength and inspiration for me and my people.
To conclude, I would like to express my sincere gratitude:
To the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation;
To my father U Sein Tin and my mother Daw Mya Than, who are here with me today;
To my wife, who has given me strength, encouragement and inspiration to live an ethical life and a life worth sharing;
To my daughter Myint-Mo Oo and her family, and my son Phyi Thein Kyaw—my beloved children towards whom I was not able to give my full fatherly love and care, but who willingly accepted and understood my time, commitment and contributions to public service.
I would also like to thank the staff, social workers and volunteers of the Free Funeral Service Society (Yangon), other organizations from all over Myanmar, and generous donors from Myanmar and abroad, all those who help in our work.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank Myanmar’s military regime, which in a way pushed me to have philanthropic motives, motives that triggered me to enter the world of service to the larger social good.
