78th Anniversary Armed Forces Day: SAC Chairman addresses military parade

The Parade of the 78th Anniversary Armed Forces Day took place at Nay Pyi Taw military parade ground on 27 March morning with an address by Chairman of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhama Min Aung Hlaing.

Military personnel of the Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air), female parade company of the Tatmadaw (Army), members of Myanmar Police Force and female parade company of MPF in columns participated in the parade ceremony on the parade agenda. The military parade of the 78th Anniversary Armed Forces Day was attended by Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win and many other concerned officials as well as invited guests.

SAC Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Maha Thray Sithu Min Aung Hlaing arrived at the parade ground and took position at the dais taking the salute of the Tatmadaw members and MPF members. And, he inspected the military parade columns. The Senior General and columns of military personnel and members of the MPF also saluted the State Flag and fallen personnel and took the Four Oaths in chorus. In his speech, the Senior General stressed that the Tatmadaw put the implementation of the absolute necessity of the country and people's desire into a priority in the successive terms after the Independence.

The 2008 Constitution which is absolutely necessary for fostering Democracy System could be enacted through the nationwide referendum and the smooth transition of the State's responsibility to the winning party was also completed under the aegis of the Tatmadaw through the Multiparty Democracy Election in November 2010. It can be seen that the existing 2008 Constitution claims "The Defence Services is mainly responsible for safeguarding the Constitution" in Article 20 (F). The Senior General addresses that no government would allow terrorism rooted in democratic diversity and no terror act could achieve Democracy as well.

Those attacks are the act of conspiracy for the devastation of the country by terrorist organisations including PDF ignited from NUG formed with an intention for political concerns and some terrorist-supporting EAOs. Bear in mind that the damage caused by acts of sabotage by terrorists does not result in the collapse of the government, but rather, it undermines the future national interest of the country. As per the Five-Point Road Map of the government, the Tatmadaw will put ''an effort into achieving full law enforcement and tranquility across the Union to ensure the socioeconomic security of all citizens''.

While pursuing these goals, lawful actions will be decisively taken against NUG and 14 the terrorist organisations, and some EAOs giving sponsors to terrorism. As the general election is meant for the people of Myanmar and is going to shape the future of Myanmar, all of us need to act with cognitive reflection and great consideration. However, the criticism and condemnation towards the government made by some terrorist-supporting countries and some authorized persons of the International organisations, ignoring the terror acts being committed by CRPH, NUG, and its lackey groups so-called PDFs intended to pose instability of the country, are totally wrong. Here, the Senior General urges the International community to collaborate with all the efforts of the current government in prudence to be on the right path to Democracy by paving equal rights to the sovereignty of member states as per the United Nations Charter.

Myanmar, as a member of ASEAN has to perform the ASEAN community affairs in line with the ASEAN Spirit, Outlook and Charter. Subsequently, the two political agendas such as to build a Union based on a democracy and federal system and to practise a genuine and disciplined multiparty democracy system are being currently pursued.

Therefore, not only First Past The Post (FPTP) already used in the election but also Proportional Representative (PR) have to be practised in harmony to represent the political parties and ethnic groups in a broader manner as a form of multi-dimensional representation.

That is why, the Union Election Commission, as per the electoral process, has already enacted the Political Parties Registration Law. According to article 20 (F), it is stated that the Defence Services is mainly responsible for safeguarding the Basic Principles of the Constitution such as Our Three Main National Causes mentioned in article 6, article 7 and article 8, the multiparty democratic system, and the Union system.

The Senior General also highlights that Tatmadaw with the inculcation of the values of ''Mother Figure People, Father Figure People'' regardless of any epoch and government, will continuously be the Guardian safeguarding the interest of people and preserving the country to rigidly stand on the multiparty system.