Kaladan News

A 3-Day Thingyan (Water Festival) of Burmese Community Ends in Cox’s Bazar

Cox’s Bazar, April 22: A three-day Thingyan (Water Festival) of Burmese community (Rakhaing) ended in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on Monday, April 19, 2004, according to our source named Saiful Alam.

Groups of young Rakhaing Boys and girls in same new dresses gathered under huge canopy and participated in water pouring--- a game of sprinkling water on each other, to celebrate the Rakhing New Year, he further added.

Canopies were set up at different area of Cox’s Bazar on the occasion.

Kathing Aung, a Rakhaing leader and the principal of Cox’ Bazar City College, said that young people of Rakhaing community have been observing Thingyan on the last 3 days (April, 17, 18,19) of the first week of Rakhaing New Year since long.

It is believed that participation in water sprinkling game of Thingyan helps Rakhaing youths wash out all their impurity and darkness and start on New Year of prosperity and happiness.

Burmese community (Rakhaings) in Cox’s Bazar together with Bangladeshi Rakhine celebrated the water festival without any difficulties and problems from Bangladeshi authorities. It is very similar to the festival between Bangladeshi Rakhaings and the Rakhaings of Arakan State, as most of the abbots in monasteries of Bangladesh are from Arakan State, said our sources.

But, Burmese communities in Thailand faced many problems from Thai authorities to celebrate water festival said a Rakhaing youth who has been in Thailand once.

"I have been in Bangladesh since 1986, My wish for the New Year is that all my family members be together again. I wish to get democracy, what everyone wants, and to be together with the family. I want to stay with my parents," said Aung Kyaw Maung, a participant in the Festival at Cox’s Bazar. ##

For more information, please contact at:

E-mail: [email protected]

Mobile: ( +880) 11 227 138