Joint Media Release 

The United Nations Information Center (UNIC),  the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Embassy of the State of Israel, Yangon, Myanmar

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST

Yangon, 27 January 2010 -  “For a moment, I felt as if the victims of the Holocaust were looking at us from heaven,” wrote Aung Ko Ko Latt, a Myanmar student,  after attending the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, which was held for the first time in Yangon, Myanmar.

The joint commemorative event was held at the Strand Hotel in Yangon on 27 January by the United Nations Information Center, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Embassy of the State of Israel.  It included a panel discussion on the theme, “Holocaust Remembrance: the Legacy of Survival”. 
Participating on the panel were H.E. U Kyaw Tint Swe, former Myanmar Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E Julius Georg Luy, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H. E. Yaron Mayer, Ambassador of the State of Israel, Prof. Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt, Member of the Myanmar Historical Commission and U Myo Lwin, Editor of the Myanmar Times.  In addition to the screening of the award-winning documentary “As Seen Through These Eyes”, a display of photographs from the Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, “To Bear Witness”,  was also exhibited.  A message to this event was sent by Ms. Inge Deutschkron, a Holocaust survivor from Germany.

In its Resolution 60/7 of 1 November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly urged Member States to develop educational programmes that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.

“Holocaust survivors will not be with us forever – but the legacy of their survival must live on.  We must preserve their stories – through memorials… through education… most of all through robust efforts to prevent genocide and other grave crimes,” stressed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message commemorating this day.

This message is also stressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the ceremony marking 65 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland (27 January 1945). 

“As we stand here to commemorate the past, we are helping to build a future of decency, truth and hope for our two peoples and for all mankind,” he said.

In upholding the memory of the Holocaust, German Federal President Horst Köhler at an event in Berlin on 26 January 2010, in honour of the visiting  Mr. Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel  pledged, “Germany will commemorate the victims, This is to us our mission.  We will do this for the souls of the dead.  And for our own ." 

The importance of further educational outreach, to learn lessons from history, was strongly stressed by the panelists and the participants at the event in Yangon. 

 At first glance, the commonalities between the State of Israel and the Union of Myanmar are not as obvious as it would seem. Yet, Israel and Myanmar share more than meets the eye. Both countries gained independence from Great Britain in 1948, and this year mark 55 years of friendly diplomatic relations. To date, there have been 20 Israeli Ambassadors to Myanmar, and 19 Myanmar Ambassadors to Israel.

U Nu was the first foreign Prime Minister to visit the newly independent State of Israel in 1955 and David Ben Gurion (Israel’s first Prime Minister) spent one of the longest official trips abroad for an Israeli Prime Minister, with a two-week sojourn 1961, which included also studies in Buddhism. Among the other landmark visits from Israel warrant mentioning are those of President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and Foreign Ministers Moshe Sharett, Golda Meir, Abba Eban, Moshe Dayan and Shimon Peres.

Israel and Myanmar have undertaken many international cooperation ventures in the fields of agriculture, health and education. Through Mashav – the Israeli Center for International Cooperation, and other public organizations, collaborations on an ongoing basis are taking place in various commercial, agricultural, cultural, tourism and other fields. In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, assistance from the people of Israel and its government came in to Myanmar and Israel is still taking part in reconstruction projects.

Thousands of students from Myanmar have received training in-country and scholarships for studies in Israel as well. Many Israelis visit Myanmar every year for its friendly people, natural beauty and wonders; some also practice Myanmar’s unique classical Theravada Buddhism.

This historical photo exhibition illustrates the first years of relations between The State of Israel and The Union of Myanmar. It acknowledges and pays homage to all the many people who have contributed to the good relations over the course of these years. We all look forward to similarly warm relations in the coming years as well.

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