Nay Pyi Taw December 4
Joining the Tatmadaw to perform the duties of the State of one’s own volition without being urged, cadets are required to develop the spirit of soldiers and try to be true soldiers. As graduate junior officers, you are required to control yourself without behaving impulsively with the mentality of youths and to uphold wisdom and conscience. I would like to urge you to try to be dutiful and reliable competent officers who preserve the fine traditions of the Defence Services Academy, said Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Maha Thray Sithu Min Aung Hlaing at the Passing out Parade of the 62nd Intake of the Defence Services Academy at the parade ground of the Defence Services Academy in PyinOoLwin this morning.
Also present at the ceremony together with the Senior General were Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Zeya Kyawhtin Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Zeya Kyawhtin Maung Maung Kyaw, senior military officers from the Office of Commander-in-Chief (Army), the commandant of the Defence Services Academy and senior military officers from PyinOoLwin Station.
First, the Senior General took salute of the graduate cadet battalions and presented Best Cadet Award to Cadet No. 33875 Cadet Yie Wai Aung, Excellent Award in Training to Cadet No. 33709 Cadet Htin Aung Lin, Excellent Award in Studies (Arts) to Cadet No. 33889 Cadet Ye Min Soe, Excellent Award in Studies (Science) to Cadet No. 33926 Cadet Shine Aung Kyaw and Excellent Award in Studies (Computer Science) to Cadet No. 34027 Cadet Thet Naing Lin.
In his speech, the Senior General said the Alma Mater, the Defence Services Academy was the immense prestige through the annals of history since its inception on the date of 1st August 1954. The Academy has sought to muster the capacity building on the threshold up to the 62nd Intake with the virtuous aim of nurturing the triumphant elites for the Nation and Tatmadaw. The Alumni hailed from Defence Services Academy have been laden with wider responsibility for the Nation and Tatmadaw.
The Academy runs satisfactory completion of four-year-course which entails the twin scheduled: military qualification up to platoon commander and academic qualifi-cation to confer bachelor degree in the respective subjects as well. Since military officers are fostered to achieve a higher cognitive faculty (the way of thinking), profound knowledge and sagacity have been attained in progress. As for comrades, you need to make full use of the acquired erudition and expertise with a high composition of experience, knowledge and initiative. To become well-rounded and calibred officers who are entrusted by the Nation in pursuit of the motto “The Triumphant Elite of the Future”, you have to exercise the acquired military tactics with a sense of avidity embracing four oaths to the Nation and Tatmadaw through the values “Honour, Valour, Wisdom” You also need to testify in deeds as an entrusted leader to subordinates through the development of knowledge and experience. You have to be a man of consideration on frugality and prodigality imbued with professional integrity, and lives within your means.
Otherwise, personal integrity is a pivot career coaching for a professional soldier. A leader who has the virtues of nature needs to abide by the rules and regulations, orders and directives. Subsequently, a leader should lead the subordinates with righteousness. Therefore, I would like to urge that you need to be military officers of integrity by the Four Awareness: Be aware of Right Place, Right Person, Right Career and the Right Word.
As the saying goes “Today Younghood, Tomorrow Manhood”, Comrades are to shoulder the array of responsibilities in the future. As today is an Information Technology Age, it is of importance to keep sustainable learning about globalisation onwards. It is needed to read beneficial books. Literature, especi-ally, is a core to have knowledge accumulation. You would be a man of consideration on Dos and Don’ts through reading in depth. Comrades, junior leaders have to be acquainted with not only focusing on military affairs but also political, economic, administrative and international affairs. You have a habit of reading in the Academy through a four-year-tenure. Hence,I would like to put an emphasis on junior officers have to cultivate reading habit while operating the tasks with prudence. As military personnel, it needs to have good leadership to leave no stone unturned for the success of the mission given by superiors. Leadership is not a propensity but exercise on it. Since the words of a leader could be the directives for subordinates,it needs to be justice and prudence in any action.
It is needed to recognise human nature in leadership and expose the touchstone of leadership in a pre-dicament. It must be good follower-ship to take responsibility and obey the orders of superiors either. The quality of good followership is the cornerstone of good leadership. The leadership qualities are justice, humility, prudence, accountability and responsibility. A military leader has to accomplish the mission and fulfil his obligation to subordinates.The leader has to be trustworthy to subordinates and try to achieve trust worthiness. Moreover, it always has to fulfil personal affairs, welfare and rights of subordinates. It must be a good leadership to lead your cohesive forces in the ways of true leadership,decisive order and prudent decision on the battlefield. It has to be a selfless person for taking no more privilege. Likewise, I would like to say that you will have to inculcate leadership spirit like “the spirit of a father figure, commander figure, mentor figure, closed relatives figure and comradeship figure to your followership.”
Military discipline is the soulmate of Tatmadaw and one of the tenstrength. Discipline is quintessential for Tatmadaw which is Defence Institution and has been laden with much responsibility. If it has discipline, Tatmadaw will be strong, capable and entrusted by people. It has to abide by discipline in-depth. The organisation will not remain constant without discipline. Hence,
military personnel vowing to the four oaths daily have to build up a strong Tatmadaw following rules and regulations as the backbone. To discipline, the law is bonded. Furthermore, comrades need to stead-fastly abide by military discipline and codes and take responsibility without taking sides of personal bias and desirability bias. Military personnel have to abide by the virtuous Sixty Codes of Conduct not to violate the Military Discipline. Tatmadaw, an institution, adheres to Laws of War including Geneva Convention beyond Civil Law and Military Law. Thus, all soldiery are trained to apprehend these aforementioned laws. If the deeds do not comply with the law, the action is to be taken. On the other hand, it is needed to practise in line with the promulgated rules and regulations for the prestige of Tat-madaw as well as the Nation in the international community. In addition, I would like to put an emphasis on you have to stead fastly abide by the Rules of Engagement (ROE) in operations by yourself and sub-ordinates a reality.
It is needed to practise military ordnance and tactics, and train to be physically and mentally fit to prevail over the enemy on the batt-lefield. You also have to practise constantly for the mission completion with the avid-minded spirit following the motto,“Boldness and Perseverance towards Victory” when you are ordered to serve the line of duty. Contrariwise, it needs to be courageous as training be gets valour. To become a capable Tat-madaw able to deal with modern warfare, hence, it has to keep in practice with the training motto: “Be Fit, Be Competent, Be Brave”.
Through history, our indepen-dence has been relinquished for not being the strong and capable institu-tion, Tatmadaw drawing abreast of the state-of-the-art technology to annihilate the imperialists. If Tatma-daw falters, the Nation will no longer entwine. To safeguard the Independence and National Sovereignty, Tatmadaw needs to be strong, capable and modern patriotic Tatmadaw. A Standard Army is needed to streng-then Military Might imbued with Combat Capability and Combat Power. It is needed to train for the enhancement of Combat Capability and it will support the military ope-ration. Combat Power is attainable by utilizing the state-of-the-art weaponry and machinery in the fruitful ways on the battlefield besi-des supplying and upgrading them. Thereupon, I would like to urge that Comrades have to be adaptable in the constant development of our Tatmadaw in pursuit of Tatmadaw’s goal; Standard Army” keeping abreast with International Armies. The main responsibility of our Tat-madaw is National Defence Duty and we will serve this duty in collaboration with people. Through history, our Tatmadaw safeguarded the perpetuation of national soverei-gnty by sacrificing their lives, blood and sweat in a large number of battles. Since Tatmadaw stands tall to protect the Nation and People whenever calamities effect, we have to conscientiously serve the defe-nce duty more than ever to be an institution, Tatmadaw which is entrusted by the Nation and People.
Tatmadaw rendered assistance when the disaster that affects the people. Some officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives for people while protecting from disasters. Embracing the sense of duty that is noble and historical with full of “sacrifice”for the Nation and People in any time, any place and any situation, Tatmadaw safeguarded the people. It is obvious that Tatma-daw rendered assistance to the Nation and People with the utmost effort in every sector during COVID-
19 pandemic. Accordingly, Tatma-daw is committed to conveying the profound gratitude of the Nation and People.Tatmadaw is the uni-que strength for the Nation and People, and the strongest institution which is ready for national affairs. Therefore, military personnel as good citizens are to serve dutifully the national defence duty from shoulder to shoulder.
According to history, Tatmadaw persistently proved their mettle in the leading role of National Politics to the present. It means to safeguard the national interests,nationalities, religion, hereditary custom and tradition. Whether the Nation exercises any political system and government, Tatmadaw keeps on upholding Our Three Main National Causes as National Policy of the entire Nation. Tatmadaw consistently takes part in the leading role of National Politics to achieve stability in Politics and National Solidarity. Therefore, Tatmadaw decisively protects from any destructive elements on Our Three Main National Causes. In the implementation of National Politics, Tatmadaw will do its utmost effort in collaboration with people harmoniously.
Our country has practised democracy for two successive governments after the democratic transition. It is a multiparty democratic system optioned by the people. We all have to collaborate in building the Union based on democracy and federalism in accord with our country. Disciplined democracy country can be developed by citizens’ adherence to mandated rules and regulations. Citizens also need to systematically conduct freedom of speech and expression in the sense of democracy. People’s rights for democracy mean elect-ing representatives who can serve national interests on one’s behalf in accordance with people’s desire. The elected person needs to contribute to the interests of the related region effectively. If you choose the wrong person, difficulties will be encountered. It has to be practised by democratic norms in the election. It needs to be artless. It needs to act without taking sides. It has to be cautious that any cause of improper conduct comes into a spiral downward for a trust.Governing the nation in line with people’s desire is of the essence of democracy. Likewise,we have practised intra-unit democracy in Tatmadaw by granting military personnel to report openly and freely their desire, personal difficul-ties and opinions at morning roll call, durbar and meeting ever since before. Military personnel have already voted for their admirable person in the election freely. I would like to say that a strong government formed by the elected persons and their parties full of majority’s desire will support for the development of the Nation and Peace Process.
When peace comes true, the Nation will be developed. In the implementation of the peace process, Tatmadaw is not seeking to achieve the ephemeral peace referred to the peace for a shortterm initiative and the conflict settlement but is only for the eternal peace. Government, Tatmadaw and Ethnic Armed Organizations signed Nation-wide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA)through a series of dialogues. On-wards achieving of eternal peace, Political Dialogue has to be in progress. Comrades need to be aware of Tatmadaw’s attitude and endeavour towards the eternal peace in your respective corps.
Through the experience of succ-essive terms,Tatmadaw continues the ongoing peace process based on union spirit in line with the six peace principles.NCA and Tatmadaw’s six peace principles have set to embark on road forwards the peaceful Union with the profound impact towards the measures of armed insurrection, peace, true democracy and federalism. Fostering democracy for the country relies on stability and peacefulness in the measures of politics and security.Ten Ethnic Armed Organizations have already signed NCA (Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement) to the present. The non-signatory Ethnic Armed Organizations need to sign with government and Tatmadaw, and follow on NCA road map. It is considered that participation in peace dialogues by signing NCA does not mean to deprive of arms. It is just a point to make a constructive dialogue in act of putting arms aside and to abandon the measures of armed insurrection. It is paved the way to make dialogues for ethnic affairs by political means. Since military personnel sacrificed their lives, blood and sweat in war, I, herein, would like to claim that no one abhors warlike soldiers abhor war. A desperate longing for eternal peace by people would be futile unless Ethnic Armed Organi-zations have set their hearts in the implementation of eternal peace.
You must strive to be dutiful and trustworthy officers upholding the virtuous tradition, develop the Tatmadaw endowed with Three-Capability through sustainable training by the training motto; “Study, Practise, Comply”, to put an emphasis on the national defence duty and rendering public service embracing the national duty, “Our Three Main National Causes” and prove your mettle as well-rounded andcalibre leaders entrusted by the Nation and Tatmadaw as the motto of Defence Services Academy, “The Triumphant Elite of the Future”.
The Senior General left the par-ade after taking the salute of the cadet battalions.
After the parade, the Senior Ge-neral received five outstanding cadets at the parlour of the headquar-ters of DSA and spoke words of honour.
In his speech, the Senior General said those cadets won the outstanding awards due to their vigorous efforts made within the four-year training period. The Senior General urged them to continuously pour out endeavours along their lives. They must maintain their basic, good practices such as strenuous efforts in literature and art of military, and good disciplines they have practised along the training period. It was significant that cadets of this intake were not allowed to get outpass
the whole period of final year course due to outbreak of COVID-19 and they took exercises of outside training in around the academy. As such, they had longer training and study times than other intakes. The Senior General stressed that if one wishes to have development, it is important to have hardworking and self-control. The cadets were urged to be grateful and to repay debt of gratitude to the parents who have nurtured them since childhood to adult and not to forget the gratitude of the Tatmadaw and the Defence Services Academy which turned them out to become junior leaders of the Tatmadaw within the four-year training period. As the State and the Tatmadaw trained and turned them out with the aim of becoming the Triumphant Elites of the Future, those cadets must faithfully discharge duties with energetic efforts by applying knowledge obtained from training of the DSA and control themselves so as to repay debt of gratitude to the State and the Tatmadaw. The Senior General urged them to set aims for discharging important duties. They have to uplift their lives with self-control for meeting their goals and aims of the families.
The country is on the path of multi-party democracy, and the cades were urged to ensure cementing the path and to enable the country to become a discipline-flourishing democratic nation. By applying the basic and good practices given in the training, they must try hard with spirit of loving the country and the Tatmadaw to become those on whom the State, the Tatmadaw and families take pride of and rely along their lives.
