Defence is not just a military affair it is a much wider issue:seriously shoulder defence duties with broader sense

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers address at meeting with senior military officers.

Nay Pyi Taw February 28

Defence is not just a military affair it is a much wider issue. Every citizen has the duty to defend the nation. The Tatmadaw which is also included in the citizens also has this duty. The Tatmadaw has the duty to safeguard Our Three Main National Causes, lives, property and the interest of the people,and the nation’s underground and aboveground natural resources,and must seriously shoulder this duty with a broader sense, said Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting with senior military officers held yesterday morning.

Present at the meeting were Senior General Min Aung Hlaing,Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Union Minister for Defence Lt-Gen Sein Win, Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Chief of the General Staff(Army, Navy and Air) General Mya Tun Oo, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, senior military officers of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, command commanders and Light Infantry Division commanders.

Concerned with the national defence, the Senior General said the Tatmadaw’s duty to protect the country against internal and external dangers is already stated in the Constitution. In doing so,it must also safeguard Our Three Main National Causes, which is the national duty, lives, property and the works that serve the interest of the people, the national interest,and the nation’s underground and aboveground natural resources. The rule of law must be enforced by the administrative bodies and the Myanmar Police Force within the legal framework. The Tatmadaw must also take part in the task in areas where the rule of law is absent and security is weak.

As regards the protection and conservation of natural resources,the Senior General said throughout the successive eras and till now the Tatmadaw has protected and conserved the natural resources of the State. In the year 2016 alone,the Tatmadaw seized 8,542.38 tons of illegal logs, 394 suspects,266 vehicles, 24 units of heavy machinery, 23 saw mills, chainsaws and fuel oil. The seized goods were valued at Ks- 4,658 million. Of the illegal logs, some were seized by the Tatmadaw in cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, some by local Tatmadaw units acting on information provided by the Forest Department, and some by Tatmadaw units acting under the information on the ground and aerial reconnaissance. Through those means the Tatmadaw has been protecting and conserving the forests.Similarly, the Tatmadaw seized 13,758.264 kilograms (13.758 tons) of jade, last year. This February,it seized 23,802.74 kilograms (23.802 tons) of jade from Hpakant region and formally transferred.In the incident, the Tatmadaw seized illegal jade stones, acting on information, in the secret cases from vehicles which were allowed to transport jade stones legally.Those jade stones were smuggled by abusing the legal permission.As regards the narcotic drugs, it seized 1,633.368 kilograms of heroin,372.297 kilograms of raw opium,10.458 kilograms of brown opium,653.5 kilograms of marijuana, and 43,534,470 stimulant tablets, valued at over Ks-163.63 billion. Regarding the State defence duty, the Senior General said Tatmadawmen needed to understand the Tatmadaw’s efforts to control illegal smuggling and trade of resources and protect resources at respective military headquarters and military operation areas.

With respect to the democratic reforms, the country has started marching towards the multi-party democracy journey since 2011.The political reforms made by the then-government faced a lot of difficulties due to the transformation of the Tatmadaw government, the lack of democratic experience and young democracy. With regard to the economy, the implementation of the market- oriented economic system should take account of high commodity prices including production capacity, much import volume, budget deficit, dollar value and gold price. Similarly, continued efforts are being made for the full realization of the administrative sector in the democracy system.The democratic reform process has not reached the desired destination as expected even though the first five-year term and the first year of the second five-year term have passed. The Tatmadaw wants the democratic path to be on the right track. The Senior General called for the Tatmadaw’s strenuous efforts for and cooperation in the reform processes.

With the regard to the public interest, the elected governments have been performing their duties with their own party policies, stance,leadership and undertaking in the democratic era. The people will no longer accept them if the said facts do not achieve successes.The daily existence of people is of great importance whatever government takes office. About 70 percent of the total population are the rural people. According to the Integrated Households Living Conditions Assessment (IHLCA)survey in 2010 showed about 26 percent of poverty rate in Myanmar.So it needs to avoid the ways that may cause a heavy burden on the poor and low-income families due to high prices of foodstuffs. The Tatmadaw must extend a helping hand to the daily existence of the people and the control of commodity prices as much as it can. The first point is to boost production so as to fully satisfy the food needs of the Tatmadawmen and their families.From there, the Tatmadawmen are to strive for the convenience of the people and then for departmental staff at their posting areas, on a priority basis. In addition, the Tatmadaw is to help the people to produce high-quality local products,income-generating works and create employment opportunities.It can reduce the number of people migrating to the urban areas and the pressures.

With regard to the health care services, the Senior General said that everybody needs to have vocational techniques as well as to have health and fitness to do jobs. The State is increasing free health care services but has not been creating its coverage across the nation yet.The Tatmadaw is giving health care services to people from rural areas and necessary areas. While Tatmadaw’s mobile specialist medical teams are serving the people with health care services,respective military commands also arrange similar services to the people. To be able to carry out health care services, members of the Directorate of Medical Services of the Tatmadaw are performing free medical treatments with concerted efforts in collaboration of charity works of wellwishers.During the period from 2012 to 2016, the Tatmadaw gave health care services to 1,332,012 people 2,893 times, 13,413 patients of whom were transferred to military hospitals to receive further treatments. 

To do so, the patient people could save costs of medical treatment. Consequently, young people in good health conditions will have the opportunities to seek high knowledge and technologies so as to contribute much towards increasing production of the nation in full swing.

Then, the Senior General stressed the need to make utmost efforts in order not to close schools due to the security measures of the region in the education sector. It needs to take good security measures for learning of students. Encouragement must be given to education of families of Tatmadawmen. Emphasis must be placed on fulfilling requirements of shelter and food needs of educational staff from schools, located around the military units, as much as possible. Likewise, they have to always inspect needs of schools and render assistance for them.As students will take matriculation examination soon, Tatmadawmen must help and cooperate with officials for ensuring smooth process of examination for students as well as secure transport of question and answer papers in time. The Senior General urged officials to turn out a lot of educated persons for the nation with farsightedness.

Regarding the development of five strengths of the youths, the Senior General noted that concerted efforts must be made for nurturing the youths to be able to serve the interest of the nation. It needs to teach and admonish the youths in order to culture nationalistic spirit, patriotic spirit and the spirit of defending the State and to have better devoutness and politeness in order to possessing full of five strengths—physique, wisdom,conscientiousness, acquaintances and moral character. It is necessary to give training to the youths during this summer holidays. The Tatmadaw has conducted the marine youth training courses and aviation youth training courses. The Tatmadaw has so far given training to 920 youths in both basic and advanced marine youth courses from 2014 to 2016, with a plan to admit 400 youths in more training courses in 2017. Moreover, a total of 1,078 youths were trained in both basic and advanced aviation youth courses from 2014 to 2016, with a plan to give training to 560 youths in 2017.Likewise, UTC are opened to give basic military training to female and male university students who are keen to study the defence for the State. In so doing, the Tatmadaw trained 171 university students in 2013, 254 in 2014, 725 in 2015 and 3,199 in 2016. A total of 4,141 university students are undergoing training this year. According to the trainees, they have good practices of doing works in exact time, disciplinary act and active participation thanks to training courses. The Senior General said arrangements will be made to extend more UTC training courses and officials need to give encouragement to conducting the training courses.

Then, the Senior General highlighted regional development sector,stressing that electricity is essential for undertaking development of the region. Many projects are being implemented in the nation’s electricity sector but those missions suspended due to various objections and restrictions. So, military units must pour out efforts for generating electricity through hydropower,windmill, solar, bio-diesel and other sources in their respective regions.On the other hand, families still use firewood and charcoal in cooking due to insufficiency of electricity. As such, relevant military commands must establish forest plantations with the purpose of firewood. They have to cooperate with Forest Department in cultivation of firewood plantations not only at their units but also in environs of those units through organizational strength.Moreover, the slash-and-burn system and changes of croplands from one place to another in plain regions cause deforestation. The military units need to grow firewood plantations and windbreaks in the damaged croplands. Growing trees gives better shade and shelter to contribute towards human’s healthiness. As trees help conserve natural environment and water resources as well as climatic conditions,Tatmadawmen must join hands with governing bodies, departmental officials and local residents in growing trees not only in the areas of military units but also around the command headquarters in coming rainy season. Likewise, the Senior General urged them to save water for agricultural and drinking purposes as much as possible and take practice of systematic water consumption.Last year, the water level of Yezin Dam in Nay Pyi Taw Council Area fell to the point of about 57 feet due to outbreak of drought. This year, the water level of the dam remains at 88.5 feet against 99 feet of full brim. Paunglaung Dam still maintains 373 feet depth of water against the 380 feet of full brim. Inlay Lake in Shan State remains 4.4 feet depth of water this year in comparison with 1.7 feet depth of water last year. Moebye Dam stores 47.84 feet depth of water against 52 feet of full brim. Gyobyu Lake in Yangon Region stores 210.8 feet depth of water against 215 feet of full brim, Ngamoeyeik Dam, 96.9 feet depth of water against 107 feet and Phugyi Reservoir, 108.10 feet depth of water against 115 feet. As such, it needs to save consumption of remaining water from dams, lakes and reservoirs in March, April, May and June before coming raining season. They themselves need to save use of water as well as to urge local residents to save water consumption.As summer has come in Myanmar, the Senior General urged them to take preventive measures 

of fire.

The Myawady Daily