The State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote on her Facebook page yesterday that those who come into the country illegally, those who receive them knowingly, and those who cover up will be dealt with strictly and severely according to the law. This was what she wrote:
Recently, many returnees have been coming back on a daily basis, some via border entry points and some by airplanes. The fact that these people have a feeling of trust on the State and wish to depend on it is something to be proud of.
The relationship between the State and the people is very important. When I say State, I mean the whole machinery, both animate and inanimate which keeps the country running, led by the Union Government. To become a State which is dependable, we need people who are dependable.
At this time when the COVID disease is spreading all over the world, all countries are dealing with this problem in various ways. “People are the key”; we have placed our belief firmly on this. We place value on the people and derive our strength from the people. We are striving to overcome the dangers of this disease by building up the spirit of “all for one and one for all.”
One of the measures taken by the Union Government is to make it possible for those citizens living in foreign countries to be able to return; because the infection rate of the disease is high in some foreign countries, we have to make special preparations to make sure that the infection does not spread from the returnees.
In this type of situation, all of us need to prevent and severely restrict dangerous illegal border crossings. Those who come in illegally do not enter quarantine; if they carry the infection, the disease can spread to others. The steps needed to be taken to investigate and search for people who might have been exposed to the disease (contact tracing) and to quarantine them is such a huge burden for the country. This is a duty we have to undertake without fail so that the people would be free from danger.
Those who come into the country illegally, those who receive them knowingly, and those who cover up will be dealt with strictly and severely according to the law. If you happen to know any occurrence that endangers the public, please inform the ward/village administrative authorities. Giving this type of information does not mean that you are putting someone into trouble. This is just to prevent innocent people from falling into the COVID-19 abyss.
(Translated by Kyaw Myaing)
