Tanintharyi Region

Tanintharyi has historically been known by a number of names, reflecting changes in administrative control throughout history, as the region changed hands from the Sultanate of Kelantan, to the Hanthawaddy, Ayutthaya and Konbaung kingdoms, and British Burma.[3] The region is called Tanah Sari in Malay, Tanao Si (Thai: ตะนาวศรี, RTGS: Tanao Si, pronounced [tā.nāːw sǐː]) in Thai, ဏၚ်ကသဳ and တနၚ်သြဳ in Mon. In 1989 the division's English name was officially changed from Tenassarim to Tanintharyi.

Tanintharyi Region historically included the entire Tanintharyi salient—today's Tanintharyi Region, Mon State and southern Kayin State. The northernmost region was part of the Thaton Kingdom before 1057, and the entire coastline became part of King Anawrahta's Pagan Empire after 1057. After the fall of Bagan in 1287, the area fell to the Siamese kingdom of Sukhothai, and later its successor Ayutthaya Kingdom. The region's northernmost border was around the Thanlwin (Salween) river near today's Moulmein.

The region reverted to Burmese rule in 1564 when King Bayinnaung of Toungoo Dynasty conquered all of Siam. Ayutthaya had regained independence by 1587, and reclaimed the southern half of Tanintharyi in 1593 and the entire peninsula in 1599.[4] In 1614, King Anaukpetlun recovered the northern half of the coast to Dawei but failed to capture the rest.[5] Tenasserim south of Dawei (Tavoy) remained under Siamese control. Myeik (Mergui) port was a principal centre of trade between the Siamese and Europeans.[6]

For nearly seven decades, from the middle of the 18th century to the early 19th century, Burma and Siam were involved in multiple wars for control of the coastline. Taking advantage of the Burmese civil war of 1740–1757, the Siamese cautiously moved along the coast to the south of Mottama in 1751. The winner of the civil war, King Alaungpaya of Konbaung Dynasty recovered the coastline to Dawei from the Siamese in 1760. His son King Hsinbyushin conquered the entire coastline in 1765.[6] In the following decades, both sides tried to extend the line of control to their advantage but they both failed. The Burmese used Tanintharyi as a forward base to launch several unsuccessful invasions of Siam (1775–1776; 1785–1786; 1809–1812); the Siamese too were unsuccessful in their attempts to retake Tanintharyi (1787 and 1792).[7] (On the northern front, Burma and Siam were also locked in a struggle for the control of Kengtung and Lan Na.)

Burma ceded the region south of Salween river to the British after the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) under the Treaty of Yandabo. The British and the Siamese signed a boundary demarcation treaty on 20 June 1826, and another one in 1868.[4] Mawlamyine (Moulmein) became the first capital of British Burma. The British seized all of Lower Burma after the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852, and moved the capital to Rangoon. After 1852, the Tanintharyi Region consisted the entire southeastern part of Myanmar, including today's Mon State, Kayin State, and Taungoo District, in Bago Region. Mawlamyine was the capital of Tanintharyi.[8]

Upon independence from Britain in 1948, the northeastern districts of Tanintharyi were placed into the newly-created Karen State. In 1974, the northern part of remaining Tanintharyi was carved out to create Mon State.[8] With Mawlamyine now inside Mon State, the capital of Tanintharyi Region was moved to Dawei.

3 districts of Tanintharyi

Tanintharyi Region comprises ten townships spread over four districts:

• Dawei District
• Kawthoung District
• Myeik District
• Bokepyin District

A rail service runs from Rangoon twice every week. A deepwater port is planned in Dawei, a project that includes a highway[9] and a railway line between Bangkok and that harbour.[10]

The Maw Daung pass international cross-border checkpoint into Thailand has been developed since 2014.[11][12]

A fishing boat in the Mergui Archipelago

Due to its proximity to the Indian Ocean, seafood products, including dried fish, dried prawn, dried shrimp and ngapi (shrimp paste), are a major part of its economy, for both domestic consumption and export to Thailand. Bird's nests are also gathered from offshore islands.

Children play on an island in the Mergui Archipelago

The region is also home to several metal mines, including Heinda, Hamyingyi, Kanbauk, Yawa, Kyaukmetaung, Nanthida and Yadanabon. Pearls are also cultured at the Pearl Island.

In recent years, large-scale palm oil and rubber tree plantations have been established in region.

Educational opportunities in Myanmar are extremely limited outside the main cities of Yangon and Mandalay. According to official statistics, less than 10% of primary school students in the division move onto high school.[21]

All of Tanintharyi's 7 universities and colleges are located in Dawei and Myeik. Until recently, Dawei University was the only four-year university in the Region.

The general state of health care in Myanmar is poor. The government spends anywhere from 0.5% to 3% of the country's GDP on health care, consistently ranking among the lowest in the world.[22][23] Although health care is nominally free, in reality, patients have to pay for medicine and treatment, even in public clinics and hospitals. Public hospitals lack many of the basic facilities and equipment. Moreover, the health care infrastructure outside of Yangon and Mandalay is extremely poor. In 2003, the entire Tanintharyi Region had fewer hospital beds than the Yangon General Hospital. The following is a summary of the public health care system.[24]