Yangon: Myanmar leader Lieutenant-General Thein Sein has stressed the importance of building the future of the state with own ways and styles as well as with social values and norms amid foreign cultural infiltration.

Thein Sein, new first secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, made the call at a prize-presentation ceremony of the 12th Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competitions here Wednesday, official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday.

“Alien cultures, customs and life styles are coming into the nation through the cultural and economic doors, using advanced information technology and media as a vehicle to carry them,” he warned, urging his people to safeguard themselves from the domination with the national strength of vitalizing national spirit and preserving and promoting
national culture.

He held that organizing such competitions enabled Myanmar youths and new generations to realize the higher level of Myanma culture, to cultivate the heart for respect and admiration of national culture and to appreciate it.

He stressed the upholding of nationalism and patriotism as well as the preservation of tradition and culture to revitalize the strength needed to defense the country and the people at any given time.

He called for striving to ensure the perpetual existence and grandeur of the union amid international community.

He also urged artists to expose and promote the heritage of Myanmar traditional and cultural performing arts and to take part with their artistic might in the implementation of the government’ s current seven-point political roadmap to democracy, announced in August last year, to ensure that the future of the nation will be replete with Myanma ways
and styles as well as with social values and norms.

The Myanmar traditional cultural performing arts competitions have been held for over two weeks since mid-last month. More than 2,500 youth contestants participated the competitions, which include contests of song, dance, composing, music and play at different stages such as professional, amateur, higher education and basic education levels.

Myanmar holds the event annually since 1993.