Arakanese youths celebrate International Day of Peace in Sittwe

By DMG 22 Sep 2021

DMG Newsroom
22 September 2021, Sittwe

A ceremony to mark the International Day of Peace was observed on September 21 in the Arakan State capital Sittwe.

The ceremony, headed by the Association Of Arakan New Generation (AOANG), was held at the Rakhine Nyunt Phoo art gallery in Sittwe, with about 30 young people attending, said Ko Htoo Ant, vice chair of AOANG.

“The event included a poem reading competition. Songs related to peace were also sung. This is the first time we’ve held this ceremony for peace,” he told DMG.

A debate about peace was also included in the event.

People affected by armed conflicts in Myanmar including Arakan State want peace, but have found it lacking to date, said Ma Poe Ei San, a member of AOANG, adding that this is why the event was held.

“There are clashes in Myanmar at the moment. People from armed conflict-affected areas want peace, especially young people want to work for peace. Armed conflict has affected Arakan State and there are IDPs here. They want peace. But nothing has happened so far,” she said.

According to the UN: “The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.”