YANGON (BERNAMA) - Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has stressed the development of literary sector to help build a federal union, emphasising the important role of literary workers in producing literature of excellence for the intellectual and spiritual development of citizens in the nation-building, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Now is the time when we are working hand in hand together with the people for building up a peaceful and developed federal democratic union as hoped for by all our citizens. Meanwhile, we will have to overcome various kinds of internal and external challenges," MsSuu Kyi warned in her message of greeting to the 2017 Literary Conference which kicked off in Yangon on Tuesday (Dec 12).
The four-day literary conference, sponsored by 11 Myanmar language societies and opened by Minister of Information Dr Pe Myint, is being attended by over 1,000 literary workers including writers, poets, cartoonists, publishers and international literati, and more than 50 titles will be freely discussed under the theme of "Free literature, Free voices".
However, Ms Suu Kyi added that "freedom does not mean speaking and writing without discretion in a callous manner".
She expressed the belief that literary workers will not only produce good literature that can develop people's knowledge and intellects but also join in, lead and provide guidance by using the power of their literary art for peace, democracy and national development.