Esteemed national brethren of the Union,
Today is the ninth anniversary of the signing of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) between the Government of the Republic of Union of Myanmar and EAOs.
Leaders of the EAOs who took part in the signing ceremony, local and foreign witnesses, all the national races of the entire Union, I wish you all health and happiness, and may all your needs be fulfilled.
Since the signing of NCA, a firm determination was mutually made to jointly realize the terms of this Agreement without fail, to achieve perpetual peace, based on responsibility, accountability and transparency. I believe it still lives in the memories of all signatories.
To what extent we could realize the NCA with the aim of marching towards a new democratic country peace that is witnessing peace, stability and progress everywhere, amidst the many disturbances, and to what degree the NCA is on its track. It is common knowledge.
Esteemed national brethren,
NCA was established through many meetings and dialogues between officials of the stakeholder organizations. It is a historic Agreement of Myanmar.
Talks were held thoroughly through mutual understanding and a lot of compromises till bilateral consensus was reached. Since after the signing of the Agreement, I have witnessed EAOs that respect the terms of the Agreement and stand by the interest of the country and race and the ones that break the agreements at every opportune time for self-gain. The scope of NCA extends from nationwide ceasefire to perpetual peace and interest of the national races and democracy.
The establishment of a Union based on democracy and federalism is the interest of the national races and democracy. It is common knowledge that Tatmadaw, with true will for national progress, made concessions by announcing unilateral ceasefire agreements many times three years after the signing of NCA. It adopted policies for peace and explained them in detail and rendered a helping hand. It also made overtures of negotiations which is a policy for peace.
As differences in political views are the source of conflicts in the country, invitations have been made to solve the political problem through political means.
So, I would urge all to join the political dialogue in the interest of the country.
Esteemed national brethren,
On this democracy road, the entire people must truly enjoy the democracy essence and democracy culture. But during the times the country was under a democracy government, democracy essence and democracy culture was still away from the people. All must bear in mind that democracy culture is the realization of the wishes or solving of the conflicts of individuals or organizations through peaceful means, while avoiding any means of violence. During the second democratic government, the country lost its wealth and its internal secrets fell victim to leakages due to overly putting trust on foreign countries as in history.
Even government authorities, who had the right to shoulder the State duties, wrongly exercised democracy practices.
It is common knowledge that vote rigging of the then government in the 2020 election has left a black mark in history.
In all seriousness, I say that Tatmadaw regards the duty of safeguarding the country from all dangers befalling it in the long-term interest of the country and people as the historic task.
When an unexpected political change in Myanmar occurred in 2021, some EAOs, violating the terms of NCA, supported terrorist groups, NUG and CRPH, through a stratagem.
They also provided aid and various support to PDF terrorist bands, under those terrorist groups. Hence, peace and stability became weak in the entire country and the people had to live in fear and in a state of alarm.
The acts of the combined terrorist group, MNDAA, TNLA and AA, that began in October 2023 has worsened the economic situation of the people. Before the incident, KNPP, KNDF, PNLO, KIA and KNU armed insurgents were committing destructive acts in various places. The consequence was the hardships that a large number of innocent people had to suffer. Various sources of support were found behind those terrorist acts. In this regard, the government is protecting the national interest through a correct view and proper arrangements.
Esteemed national brethren,
Driving forces for political, economic and defence sectors must be better for development of a country. Despite having stronger political strength, the country does not be weak in economic and defence sectors. Leaders need to systematically manage strengthening of political sector whereas all citizens have to strive for their respective sectors. If so, individuals will be wealthy and then the State economy will boost. Only when the country has stronger economic strength will the State have higher defence capability. Since its establishment, the Tatmadaw was purposed for just defending external enemies, but not for internal security. Depending on the internal security situations of the State, when the government assigns, the Tatmadaw has to serve the internal security duties.
Myanmar Tatmadaw on its part has been serving the defence and internal security duties from the time of the AFPFL government in the post-independence era to date in accord with the assignments. It has proved that the Tatmadaw in successive eras has dutifully served the assigned duties for the defence, peace and stability of the State. I would like to note that everybody needs not to consider that the Tatmadaw alone is responsible for the defence duty of the State, and all people have to participate in its measure through their strength.
According to the geographical and political conditions of the country, our country needs to carefully make preparations for serving the defence duties of the State.
Nowadays, power struggle among powerful countries and their interference in political, economic and military affairs of small countries, territorial disputes among countries, terror attacks and internal instability can be seen across the world.
In solving these problems, some regions intend to cause internal conflicts to the regional conflicts.
The majority of global countries form the regional organizations to have country-wise strength and cooperate with one another in all sectors including political and economic sectors.
But, it is necessary to consider that all countries prioritize to stand tall on their interests firmly. I would like to urge all national brethren to notice which countries mastermind internal conflicts of neighbouring countries and global countries with attempts to commit neocolonialism.
In order to influence small countries, it can be seen that world’s powerful countries are making attempts to control the economic sector which is playing a key role in development of countries.
They commit internal conflicts and crises so as to cause impacts on the economic sector of small countries with manipulation as they like.
At this juncture, small countries need to utilize own natural resources to overcome these challenges.
Lesser own resources will affect the economy as well as weaken other sectors. Our country possesses good resources for development of agriculture and livestock breeding sectors.
Our country has been recognized as a country to contribute to food security of the world. Moreover, our country produces oil, natural gas and various minerals such as copper, iron and tin. So, we have to utilize these natural resources and sound foundations of agriculture and livestock breeding sectors in order to boost the economy and overcome challenges of harming the economy.
In the past, the country suffered impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis unavoidably. Due to globally political frictions in the post-COVID period, the world faced energy and fuel problems. Now, some countries are facing political instabilities.
As the ending of political instability may lead to the economic crisis, powerful countries create such situations in advance for serving their interests. As such, only when our country strives to possess reliable human resources without reliance on foreign country will the country stand tall with own natural resources proudly.
In order to emerge the future State, efforts were made to accomplish the NCA treaty with the aim of resolve diversity measures at the peace table through negotiations and coordination. So, we all are now on the track of peace. The State Administration Council could manage boosting the State economy from the downtrends and development of other sectors including education, health and agricultural production amid the internal and external attacks and disturbances.
Esteemed national brethren,
Since assumption of the State responsibilities, the State Administration Council has adopted the Roadmap.
The government has clearly declared that the country will lead to the NCA route to initiate the peace process, emphasizing agreements of NCA as much as possible.
Amid many difficulties since its assumption, the government has adopted prioritized tasks and implemented them.
At present, the nationwide population and household census is being enumerated.
Arrangements are being made to hold the multiparty democratic general election successfully as the final points of the Five-Point Roadmap we have guaranteed. Emphasis is being placed on participation of all political parties in the election, and efforts are being made to maintain security conditions to be able to hold the election in relevant regions.
Considering the possible conditions in the electoral period, the government will leverage up the security measures and relevant EAOs have to cooperate with the government in these measures.
The State Administration Council will go forwards in harmony with relevant sectors included in the Five-Point Roadmap. Only when the country forges peace and stability will the government initiate strengthening of the multi-party democratic system and correct reform processes as quickly as possible.
The State Administration Council is placing special emphasis on achieving two political goals and two national goals.
Development can only take place when the country is stable and peaceful.
Achieving domestic stability and peace cannot be the sole responsibility of the Tatmadaw. Only when all ethnic armed organizations fully understand the essence of the NCA and cooperate with a strong sense of responsibility toward the state and their commitments to the nation will we be able to reach the shared goals we aspire to.
Unwanted armed conflicts have caused unrest and violence throughout the country. The deaths of innocent people, children and monks are the suffering of the country.
It is only our own citizens who are unfaithful to the country and weak in consciousness that are being destroyed with the incitement and support from abroad. In order to strengthen the defense forces of the country and to reduce the violence that is dominated by the instigations from the abroad, we have put into force the People’s Military Service Law that has been enacted since 2010, and have been able to increase the national security sector.
In addition, a public security system involving all citizens is also being organized.
By being able to do these things, all the people will have the awareness that they are individually responsible for national defense and security.
The armed attacks of the terrorist insurgents throughout the ages are only doing armed terrorist acts under the pretext of politics.
It can be seen that they are putting forward their desire to stand separately rather than walking on the path of multi-party democracy and building a great union together.
Young people were lured with narcotics drugs and forced to join the war.
We all know not only the lives of innocent people, but also road and bridge structures, hospitals and schools, and religious buildings were destroyed. Because of such anarchic behavior, the public hates terrorist acts, and actively cooperates with the Tatmadaw in counter-terrorist operations.
In the future, the Tatmadaw will continue to do what is necessary to suppress the terrorist insurgents. I also want to inform the public to be careful being tricked by terrorists.
Esteemed national brethren,
For our union to achieve eternal peace, meetings and discussions with political parties and ethnic armed groups are underway.
The opinions obtained from such meetings were recorded as the Union Accord.
Only when the armed conflict ends through the NCA will we be able to reach our desired goal. We all need to move forward with the spirit of Myanmar together. Otherwise, if we continue to believe in the instigation of foreign countries that are encouraging and supporting armed terrorist acts and plotting the bloodshed of their own citizens, then the future journey we want to take as a nation will be a long way off.
Today, the current situation in our country is due to the influence and control of geopolitically powerful countries, which is creating internal instability.
They are causing dissensions in various ways so that there is no unity among the different ethnic groups in our country.
We see that they are creating political and economic instability to reduce our country’s defense power. What I want to say is that all the ethnic groups living in Myanmar are brothers and sisters who have lived in the same land and drank from the same water for many years.
They are the ones who faced and dealt with the difficulties and the crisis by generations hand in hand.
Today, instead of destroying the area where we live for the benefit of the powerful countries, we all need to think long-term and cooperate for the benefit of the nation.
If we are divided and quarrel with each other, the power of the state will decrease and we may go down in history as a people who follow and obey the will of others.
Therefore, today, I would like to urge the ethnic armed groups to join together in the process of national stability and peace being carried out by the Tatmadaw, and negotiate their wishes through dialogues.
Esteemed national brethren,
In conclusion, we can’t ask for our wishes through armed violence, we can only come to the political dialogue and solve the conflicts peacefully. I would like to say that we will not compromise on the demands of armed terrorists.
According to the motto of our government, “Moving forward to the goal”, we must all respect and cooperate with the NCA as we move forward with the spirit of “Myanmar“. In cooperation, we need to follow through on the transparency, responsibilities and commitments that have already been made with a true desire for eternal peace.
I would like to encourage the EAOs and the entire ethnic population to have a security awareness and security perspective and to show the good spirit of the country by participating in the aspects of the preelection process that will take place after the census.
In conclusion, I would like to urge all to work together with the government to put an end to the terrorists who are disrupting the peace and stability of the country.
