Vice-Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, and Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, accompanied by Shan State Chief Minister U Aung Aung, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the commander of Eastern Command and officials, yesterday morning paid homage to the Inlay PhaungdawU Pagoda at the bejewelled chamber and inspected repairs of damaged religious buildings caused by Mandalay earthquake in the Inlay region, Nyaungshwe Township, Shan State.
The Vice-Senior General paid homage to five PhaungdawU Buddha images and donated cash to the fund for overall renovation. Members of the Pagoda Board of Trustees accepted the donation and returned Dhamma gifts.
At the briefing hall, officials reported to the Vice-Senior General and party on facts about the Inlay region, accomplishment of the guidance of the Head of State, damage in the earthquake, progress in repairing the damaged structures, distribution of cash assistance and utensils provided by the National Disaster Management Committee to the earthquake-affected people in the Nyaungshwe region.
The Vice-Senior General gave instructions to officials to actually provide cash assistance, supplies and construction materials for the quake-affected people, complete the supply of remaining aid to them as quickly as possible, and implement systematic management for minimizing loss of cash assistance provided by the State and development of the quake-affected Inlay region better than the past, and coordinated with officials to fulfil the needs.
The Vice-Senior General inspected damaged tiles on the platform of the pagoda, collapsed archways, stairways, Karaweik decorated float and other religious buildings affected by the earthquake and repair works by state engineers and groups, and experts from Myanmar Engineering Society in original state, and clearing of weeds in the water courses by boat in Inlay Lake to ensure long-term existence of the lake, green the environment and safe travels of the people and coordinated with officials to fulfill the requirements.
The bejewelled chamber, where the sacred Inlay PhaungdawU Pagoda is enshrined, was affected by the Mandalay earthquake that struck on 28 March 2025. Although the structural condition of the main chamber building remains sound, there was minor damage to the junction between the top of the northern main staircase and the main chamber. As the stairways on the eastern, western, and southern sides were not originally structurally connected to the main chamber, gaps of approximately three to six inches have occurred between them.
Local engineers and experts from the Myanmar Engineering Society coordinated the situation and strived to repair them in original states. In this regard, they have repaired 100 per cent placement of tiles on the platform of the pagoda, 100 per cent concreting of the base of the main chamber, 100 per cent repairing of the eastern and western stairways of the main chamber, and 100 per cent renovation of the southern stairway, the northern prayer hall and the Karaweik decorated float. Pilgrims can pay homage to the pagoda safely and conveniently. Regarding the stairway at the northern archway, it is slightly steep when carrying the revered Inlay PhaungdawU Buddha images from the main chamber for the annual procession and veneration ceremony. Therefore, a new stairway is currently being reconstructed, and it is learned that the work will be completed by the end of March.
The Vice-Senior General met commandants from training schools, regiments and units in Bahtoo Station yesterday morning and gave instructions on military building and training missions in addition to the plans.
In the afternoon, he instructed senior officer trainees at the Command and General Staff College in Kalay to emphasize military operations in detail. — MNA/TTA
