During the Thingyan Water Festival held in Hpa-An Township of Karen State by the Military Council, local youth music bands, choirs, and decorated vehicles were noticeably absent. As a result, the Military Council had to resort to inviting singing girls from restaurants, beer bars, and KTVs to perform at the Thingyan pavilions, in order to provide entertainment for festival attendees, locals said.
“The Military Council instructed ward administrators to seek assistance from restaurant and KTV businesses for the entertainment programs at the Kanna Road Thingyan Festival. Owners of these businesses were summoned to a meeting at the administrator's office. Additionally, the authorities requested KTV girls to perform at the pavilion, and some local dance groups were compelled to perform at the Military Council's pavilion due to their pressure. The Military Council's only involvement was in assigning the music players and providing security for the pavilions”, a resident of Kanna Road, a busy area of Hpa-An, said.
Even the Thingyan pavilions located on Kanna Road were crowded only during the inspection conducted by senior officers of the Military Council. In contrast, the rest of the city's streets had very few people participating in the festival, he added.
Government employees have reported that the Military Council has put pressure on various subordinate departments to ensure that their Thingyan festival events are well-attended. However, many of these departments do not have the necessary budget to organize such events, which has caused difficulties in finding ways to make them successful.
“The Military Council directed us to organize a full-fledged Thingyan festival, but we received insufficient budgetary support. As a result, we had to come up with our own plan and seek assistance from local businesses. We had to arrange for everything, including workers, sound systems, and performers, with limited resources. The festival itself only takes place for a brief period during the morning and evening hours, when our superiors visit the pavilions”, a government staff from Hpa-An told the KIC.
The Military Council arranged Thingyan festivities in Karen State, including events at Kanna Road in Hpa-An, Shwe Mya Sandi Park in Myawaddy, and the general administration offices near the police station in Kawkareik.
In contrast, in other towns and villages across Karen State, the Thingyan Festival was observed on a much smaller scale, with only a handful of people playing and splashing water in makeshift pavilions.
