Patriotic Tatmadaw is an armed forces always ready to make sacrifices for nation, people even without any privileges

Nay Pyi Taw, 10 April—The following is the translation of address delivered by Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye at the graduation parade of the 109th Intake of Defence Services (Army) Officers Training School today. In-service cadets, who have the required qualifications, and university graduates attended the course. As the cadets are the persons born of the people, the trainees of the course included various national races. You will become officials as you have already completed the course, which taught all the knowledge and technologies a junior officer should know. The Tatmadaw is a patriotic armed forces. A patriotic Tatmadaw is an armed forces that is always ready to make sacrifices for the nation and the people even without any privileges to gain. Self-less efforts of every individual make every member to make sacrifices for the nation and the people. Good discipline, obedience, and camaraderie spirit have further strengthened the Tatmadaw’s unity. It has been standing as a noble Tatmadaw because of the truth — a pledge made by every member to sacrifice even the life for the nation, the people and the Tatmadaw. Hence you will have to continuously uphold the 12 fine traditions. Since yore, the forefathers have set up farms and granaries in the nation. Our forefathers are the original owners of the nation. Through weal or woe, our forefathers who are the national races have lived in the nation formed with high mountain ranges and large plans where four main rivers and a large number of other natural watercourses flow, rice, beans and pulses, cotton and other crops and valuable forest thrive well. Hence, true patriotism is based on the firm Union Spirit. As junior military leaders, you should be models in discipline. Discipline and rules are the main pillar of an armed institution like the Tatmadaw. Thus, some of the disciplines have been enacted as military laws and others as military codes of conduct. The Tatmadaw members will have to firmly uphold the military law, discipline and codes of conduct. As the Tatmadaw members are also the people, they should also observe the civilian law. The Tatmadawmen at all ranks should be under the single command to harmoniously realize the single goal and discharge the single duty at the risk of their lives. There can be a single command, only if there is unity and respect for and confidence in the leader. You should be equipped with the 16 characteristics of a leader to win the trust and respect of the subordinates. You must have experience and management skill. Hence, you should have the ardent will to get practical experience and to learn lessons from other’s experiences. Your experiences will be valuable only if you are able to take lessons from it. Concerning management, the junior leaders will have the ability to use individual qualifications effectively, to know their own men well and to skillfully conduct adjutant, military and quartermaster affairs. At the same time they will have to study the advanced management techniques. They should be a good follower as well as a leader. Duties will be assigned to them depending on the experience. They will have to strive to become good leaders. Military leaders always have to undergo training and are on alert for military awareness and must be ready for combat. Nowadays the Tatmadaw, the government and the people are building a new nation and have been safeguarding it. Economic and social infrastructures are being built nationwide and the seven-point Road Map was laid down and the tasks are also being implemented for emergence of a discipline-flourishing democratic nation. Now military awareness is necessary. Awareness will be based on available information. Today’s age is information age. Therefore you are to study political, economic, administrative and defence data from home and abroad continuously. You are to live in the places assigned to together with the people and to crush the destructive elements and remove the danger. In the course of the history it is found that the danger to break up the Union and the national solidarity and to lose sovereignty often threatened the country. Whenever there is such danger, the Tatmadaw hand in hand with the people safeguarded the State. In Our Three Main National Causes, non-disintegration of national solidarity is the main point. Disintegration of national solidarity will lead to disintegration of the Union and loss of sovereignty. The country had a lesson of bitter experience which led to armed struggle and disintegration of national solidarity because of the evil legacy of the imperialists. That is why the country lost its way to development and lagged behind in development. Now the National Convention is being held and detailed basic principles were being laid down for emergence of an enduring new constitution. The delegates are holding discussions based on Our Three Main National Causes—non-disintegration of the Union , non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty. Organizations that want to see the disintegration of the Union want to instigate the regions which have difference in areas, population and economic opportunities under the name of real federation. It is the thought that gives priority to the interest of party politics than national interest. So it is the danger to the nation. At the National Convention, the delegates reviewed the history of the country and its people and held cordial discussions with vision. Minority races can now get opportunities that they never had before. Emergence of an enduring constitution is the duty of every citizen. Therefore you are to study the detailed basic principles needed for drafting the constitution. In conclusion, I urge you to try to become the good sons on whom the State and the Tatmadaw can rely on in accord with the objectives of the course— to become efficient officers in the army and to lead a platoon in the battle field.  

Vice-Senior General Maung Aye addresses graduation parade of 109th intake of OTS

Nay Pyi Taw, 10 April — The graduation parade of the 109th intake of the Defence Services (Army) Officers Training School took place on the parade ground of the school in Bahtoo Tatmyo this morning. Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, delivered an address on the occasion. Present on the occasion were Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Thein Sein, SPDC members Lt-Gen Kyaw Win of the Ministry of Defence, Quartermaster-General Lt-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo, Chief of Armed Forces Training Lt-Gen Aung Htwe, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice Admiral Soe Thein, Commander-in-Chief (Air) Lt-Gen Myat Hein, Commander of Eastern Command Maj-Gen Ye Myint, Ministers Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung and Col Zaw Min, Military Appointment General Maj-Gen Hsan Hsint, Judge Advocate General Maj-Gen Soe Maung, Defence Services Inspector-General Maj-Gen Thein Htaik, Vice-Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj-Gen Aung Kyi, Directors of the Ministry of Defence Maj-Gen Mya Win, Maj-Gen Tin Soe, Maj-Gen Thein Tun, Maj-Gen Khin Aung Myint, Maj-Gen Tin Tun, Maj-Gen Than Htay, Maj-Gen Sein Lin and Maj-Gen Aye Myint, Brig-Gen Mya Win of Kalaw Station, Commandant of Bahtoo Station and Principal of the Combat Training School (Bahtoo) of Defence Services (Army) Brig-Gen Zaw Win, senior military officers, guests and families and relatives of graduating cadets. First, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye took the salute of the cadet companies. Afterwards, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye inspected the cadet companies and the cadets marched past Vice-Senior General Maung Aye. Next, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye presented a silver sword to Cadet Min Soe Tun who won the best cadet award. Next, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye delivered an address on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services. (Speech delivered by Vice-Senior General Maung Aye is reported separately.) Later, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye left the parade ground.