Celebrating 197th anniversary of British founded Sittwe

Narinjara News, 26 January 2023
A ceremony marking the 197th anniversary of the founding of Sittwe (Akyab) city
was organised on Wednesday evening in the capital city.
Mentionable is that Sittwe was founded by the British on 12 January 1826 (5th
of Tabodwe month in 1187 according to the Rakhine calendar). The ceremony was
planned according to the Rakhine calendar.
“A lighting event along with the Rakhine traditional wrestling in Mizan Ward
was also organized by Thaki Mandai Rakhine culture group,” said U Kyaw Zan
Maung, an organizer, adding that although the ceremony was brief, it included
traditional dances too.
Sittwe (earlier Akyab) was created by the British Governors Patton and Dickenson
along with the Arakanese leaders namely Prince Shwe Bang, Day Kyung Kyaw Chee
and city chief Aung Kyaw Zang.
British forces occupied Rakhine in 1824 and they realised that the former
capital city of Mrauk U was not suitable for administrative initiatives. Hence
they moved to the present location and built
Sittwe.
In 1826, after the first Anglo-Burmese war, the British transferred the seat of
government to Sittwe. During the first 40 years of British rule, the city
emerged from a village with 15,536 inhabitants. By 1901, it was the third port
of Burma with a population of 31,687
In 1860, the Kolkata-based consulate general of the United States decided to
have another consular agency in Sittwe.] During the colonial days, Sittwe
earned a bad reputation of being frequently infected by the malaria and cholera
diseases. The historical records indicate that Sittwe was no better or worse
city than many other locations along the coast.
Sittwe had a high economy during the British era and it also topped the
education sector.
After the independence of Myanmar, Sittwe's economy had gone down primarily
because of political discrimination as well as the oppressive rule of the Union
government in Rangoon.
After the 1962 military coup, the Rakhine State's economy was in a bad shape.
The capital city has 31 wards where 0.2 millions people live. Sittwe continues
to be the capital of Arakan State and it preserves the proud cultural tradition
of the Rakhine people.
But lately, the city has been plagued by incidents of robbery. The use of
illegal drugs among the young people is also reported. The Sittwe residents
still demand that it should be modernized and made a progressive city that
respects the law of the land.