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Coordinates: 13°0′N 98°45′E / 13°N 98.75°E / 13; 98.75

Tanintharyi Division (Burmese: တနင်္သာရီတိုင်း; (Thai:ตะนาวศรี); formerly, Tenasserim Division), is an administrative division of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the Kra Isthmus. It borders the Andaman Sea to the west and Thailand to the east. To the north is the Mon State. The capital of the division is Dawei (Tavoy). Other important cities are Myeik (Mergui) and Kawthaung. The division covers an area of 43,328 km², and had an estimated population of 1.36 million in 2000. The ISO 3166-2 code for the division is MM-05.

History

Tanintharyi Division historically included the entire Tanintharyi peninsula--today's Tanintharyi Division, Mon State and southern Kayin State. The peninsula region was part of Thaton-based Mon kingdoms before 1057 and part of King Anawrahta's Pagan Empire after 1057. Soon after the fall of Pagan in 1287, the area fell to the ascendant Thai kingdom of Sukhothai, and later its successor Ayutthaya kingdom. The region's northernmost border was around the Thanlwin (Salween) river near today's Mawlamyaing (Moulmein).

The region reverted back to Burmese fold in 1564 when King Bayinnaung of Taungoo Dynasty conquered all of Siam. A resurgent Ayutthaya kingdom reclaimed the southern half of Tanintharyi in 1593 and the entire peninsula in 1599.^[2] In 1614, King Anaukpetlun recovered the upper half of the coast to Dawei but failed to capture the rest.^[3] King Alaungpaya of Konbaung Dynasty recovered the entire region for the Burmese in 1758. The Burmese used Tanintharyi as a forward base to launch several invasions of Siam in the next three decades. The Siamese tried to retake Tanintharyi in 1792 but the Burmese repelled the attacks.^[4]

The British gained the region after the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826). Soon after the war ended, the British and the Siamese signed a boundary demarcation treaty on 20 June 1826, and another one in 1868.^[2] Mawlamyaing (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 Yangon (Rangoon). After 1852, Tanintharyi Division consisted the entire southeastern Myanmar, including today's Mon State, Kayin State, and Taungoo District, in Bago Division. Mawlamyaing was the capital of Tanintharyi.^[5]

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.^[5] With Mawlamyaing now inside Mon State, the capital of Tanintharyi Division was moved to Dawei. In 1989 the division's English spelling was officially changed to Tanintharyi.

Administration

Tanintharyi Division comprises ten townships spread over three districts--Dawei, Myeik and Kawthoung.

Transport

Education

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 reach high school.^[6]

All universities and colleges are located in Dawei and Myeik. Until recently, Dawei University was the only four-year university in the state.

Health care

The general state of health care in Myanmar is poor. The military government spends anywhere from 0.5% to 3% of the country's GDP on health care, consistently ranking among the lowest in the world.^[7][8] 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 Division had less fewer hospital beds than the Yangon General Hospital. The following is a summary of the public health care system.^[9]

References