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| http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar | ||
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Speech
delivered by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than
Shwe Comrades, Today on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of the 48th Intake of Defence Services Academy I would like to impart to you what you should know as you are about to be commissioned as junior leaders in the Tatmadaw. Comrades, Our Tatmadaw is indeed a patriotic Tatmadaw. Genuine spirit of patriotism for our citizens, in other way, is the spirit of unionism. From time immemorial more than one hundred national races have been living through weal and woe in our nation. As they migrated freely within the motherland in search of greener pastures, various national brethren can be seen living together harmoniously in every region. However, due to the act of sowing seeds of disintegration among the national races by the expansionists, armed struggle against fellow nationalities followed once after the independence, which is the main culprit of being lagged behind in all round development. When our Tatmadaw, unavoidably took over the responsibilities of the State, by upholding the Three Main National Causes of non-disintegration of the union, non-disintegration of the national solidarity, and the perpetuation of sovereignty with an ultimate aim, the Twelve National Objectives have been laid down. Among these objectives, the Four Political Objectives has been laid down with the following guidelines: stability of the State, community peace and tranquillity, prevalence of law and order, national reconsolidation, emergence of a new enduring State Constitution and building of a new modern developed nation in accord with the new State Constitution. In view of these guiding principles, it is obvious that the sincere goodwill of the Tatmadaw towards the State and its citizens is evident. In the course of time, unity among the fellow nationalities has been seriously hurt and damaged and because of the consequences of the armed struggle, reviving the objectives of the stability of the State, community peace and tranquility and prevalence of law and order has become main priority of national reconsolidation. Now with an unrelenting effort, the internal peace desired by our people has been implemented and law and order has been prevailing almost throughout the country. The national brethren who returned to the legal fold were warmly welcomed and were able to work together in regional development projects. In doing so, the whole nation encompassing the whole border areas is witnessing peace and tranquillity and allround development have been achieved, due to genuine patriotism, in other words, true national spirit of the Tatmadaw and our national brethren. In this regard, you have to be enthusiastic in nuturing the Union Spirit yourself, while steadfastly ensuring it among the national brethren of every region where you are assigned to and have the duty to assist and protect them by all means. Today while our fellow nationals and Tatmadaw are endeavou-ring to fulfil the political, economic and social objectives, we are simultaneously, at the advent of becoming a new modern nation as National Convention has been successfully held for the emergence of enduring State Constitution. Comrades, Tatmadaw of today is taking over the responsibilities of the State, in building up with great momentum, the political strength, economic strength and defence strength of the State. You, the junior military leaders, are to be mainly assigned with the defence duties. The military might has emerged from the military science which has originated in self-defence, and then in the defence of our own families, friends, communities and motherland. This is the reason why all independent nations have essentially established armies since prehistorical period. In addition, efforts have to be exerted continually to make armies stronger, more efficient and modernized. That is why, we have set our objective of turning our army into a stronger, more efficient, modern and patriotic army. The graduation ceremony of today marks the production of human resources for the future Tatamadaw. Comrades, Quality overwhelms quantity in making an army stronger. I would solemnly say that there cannot be enough strength as long as quality is absent. Therefore I would like to urge you all to constantly strive for making yourselves and the troops under your command better qualified. If our Tatmadawmen who have already possessed patriotism are equipped with five basic qualities in addition to the ten-point strength of Tatmadaw, they will be efficient. If the efficient and capable Tatmadaw can be equipped with increasingly sophisticated weapons and supplemented with modern military doctrine, our Tatmadaw can be turned into a modernized army. Provision of sophisticated weapons will be in proportion to the increased wealth of the nation, whereas your duties will be invariably studied to the modem military philosophy. Comrades, Our Tatmadawmen must not only be qualified but also exemplary in obeisance to discipline. Since its inception, our Tatmadaw has military law and disciplinary rules prescribed. Moreover Tatmadawmen are the offspring of indigenous people, and this has also made them abide by the civilian laws. As our Tatmadaw is noble-minded and well-disciplined, it can stand as an army which has possessed twelve noble traditions. I would like to urge you all to turn yourselves to become new generations who will preserve these twelve noble traditions. Comrades, You, comrades the younger generations are required to preserve and promote national prestige and national pride. Our Myanmar indigenous races are both physically and mentally able and are ready to sacrifice lives and limbs in the cause of patriotism. This symbolises our national integrity and national pride, and you the Triumpthant Elite of the Future are to preserve this with nationalistic Spirit. As you have given pledge to sacrifice your life for the nation and its Citizens, you are now totally belong to the State. The State not only pocesses the whole life of individual but also the entire life of Tatmadaw. Therefore, the Three Main Tasks of Tatmadaw are to fulfil the defence duty, training duty and contribution of labour for the benefit of the people. With regard to the defence duty of the nation, while providing security of the lives and properties of all citizens, you, comrades must show your courage in facing the enemy with the motto ‘Charge gallantly, Attack gallantly, Crush gallantly’ When training duty is conducted to have effectiveness of three capabilities in fulfilling the training skills according to the Myanmar saying ‘A Good Sword Needs To Be Sharpened, A Good Horse Needs To Be Fed.’ When contribution of labour for the benefit of the people duty is performed, as an offspring of the national races, you must serve the interests of the people up to the satisfaction in accord with the ten codes of conduct in dealing with people living in the region where you are assigned and regard them as your own parents. I would like to say that our Tatmadaw which is Partriotic must have original root of good soldiers in accordance with the proverb’ Genuine Ivory Cannot Be Easily Worm-eaten’.To become good soldier, the codes of conduct must be steadfastly practised like the Myanmar saying ‘Sarong never let loose” . If you really practise and strictly follow the codes of conduct, you will become a true noble gentleman. Comrades, As you are starting to assume the duty of junior leaders, you must have leadership quality in addition to being a good soldier. In our Tatmadaw, the leader and his subordinates are equal in military qualities. But the military leaders must take command and control to accomplish the mission assigned to them by combating harmoneously with duty conscious subordinates. Comrades, Military planning is coupled with military leadership. Nowadays, the art of planning is emphasized in every sector and in every field. It is found that the methods of planning is interchangeable or adaptable from one field to another. Here I would like to say that good planning can have progress and good leadership can achieve victory. Comrades, In conclusion, I would like to stress the needs that as effective human resources, you must uphold in high esteem Our Three Main National Causes, the Union Spirit and the Twelve Noble Traditions of the Tatmadaw with Defence, Political, Economic and Administrative Visions. ***** |
