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Speech delivered
by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe at the
graduation parade of the 8th Intake of Defence Services Technological Academy
at DSTA in PyinOoLwin (23-12-2005)
Comrades,
Today
on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of the 8th Intake of Defence
Services Technological Academy I would like to impart you what you should know
in the Tatmadaw technological sector.
Comrades,
Today
you are about to be commissioned as junior military engineers in the Tatmadaw.
Today's battles are fought with the use of advancing science and technology.
Military science and technology has become sophisticated as now is the age of
revolution in military affairs. This is why the capabilities of you, military
junior leaders, are required to improve as we are trying to build a modern
Tatmadaw.
Moreover,
your initiatives and innovations are necessary for our agro-based country that
is striving to turn itself into an industrial one.
Comrades,
Thanks
to the innovations of engineers, industrial sector has improved very
significantly in the world today, benefiting the entire humanity. However,
from the natural phenomenon point of view, everything has its pros and cons.
The world and its all living things are now very much concerned about
environmental pollution. Greenhouse effect has become a critical condition due
to heat-trapping gases including carbon dioxide emitted from factories,
workshops and motor vehicles.
If
the greenhouse effect is not kept under control in time, there would be
climate changes such as floods and storms following the global warming.
Consequently, icebergs from the North Pole would melt resulting in the rise of
sea level.
Therefore,
in 1992 global nations signed a UN Convention on climate change in a bid to
get the developed nations reduce greenhouse gases. Then
While
seeking means and ways to reduce greenhouse gases, the world was able to
establish a carbon credit trading. In particular, owners of factories,
airplanes and cars are duty-bound to reduce carbon emission. Released carbon
can be consumed only by plants and forests. So, those responsible firm owners
have to grow required amount of plants and trees to dispose of MT volumes of
their carbon emission. Otherwise, they will have to pay for services of those
who undertake afforestation. That is why industrialists of today have to go to
the countries with vast tracts of forests for carbon credit trading in order
to show they have forests to cope with their carbon emission.
Comrades,
Now
the age of petro-chemical is on the brink of extinction. So oil will hardly be
used in energy sector soon and the use of fuel oil will be reduced in
different ways. Cars, despite their small size, consume a greater amount of
petrol, an energy product of oil. Although we have oil reserves,
petrol-powered cars are now being substituted and they will be outdated as the
use of petrol and diesel is being objected. So our country has begun to
convert
petrol-powered
cars into CNG ones, which emit little carbon dioxide.
As
engineers, you are urged to constantly learn the changing world and to make
innovative ways to adapt to the changing situation of the world.
Comrades,
You
are engineers as well as Tatmadaw members. Tatmadaw members must be
duty-conscious whatever sectors they are assigned to. You shall have to
discharge your duties not only in science and technological sector but also in
State defence and security sectors. Tatmadaw history has it that military
engineers by themselves participated in battles like infantry regiments. This
is the good duty of soldiers. This is why you must be junior military officers
who have good traditions of good soldiers.
Comrades,
A
military leader has to get involved in a battle at risk to his life, while
giving military commands to his subordinates. The role a leader has to play is
important because his subordinates must abide by his orders exactly without
any fear and hesitation even if they know they are going to have to sacrifice
their lives very soon.
The
conviction that only when a leader wins the trust and admiration of his
subordinates, will they stand firmly by their leader to sacrifice their lives
first, will immediately generate the spirit of sacrificing own lives in unison
in the interests of the State. So, you must win the trust and admiration of
your subordinates.
Comrades,
Since
its birth, our Tatmadaw has not been a mercenary force, but a patriotic
Tatmadaw that has been upholding the four oaths. As you know, we Tatmadaw
members are the ones who do not regard any entitlements as privileges and do
not care much whether we get salaries and ration or not. But, inspired by our
patriotic fervour, we will never hesitate to sacrifice our lives whenever
necessary. Being equipped with esprit de corps, we Tatmadaw members are
sacrificing lives for each other in the Tatmadaw that exists with patriotic
spirit. So, our Tatmadaw has possessed fine traditions.
Only
when you know the fine traditions of the Tatmadaw, will you be able to be
convinced of the 16 characteristics of leadership thoroughly. As a matter of
fact, these characteristics are just primary qualities, and a leader has to
enhance his military experience if he wishes to be a good leader.
Comrades,
A
military leader must be capable of building a force he leads to ensure its
cohesion forever.
The
unity of a force must be built with conviction and concept, and only then,
will it be strong. Our Tatmadaw is the one that always upholds Our Three Main
National Causes.
Our
Three Main National Causes namely non-disintegration of the
It
is not just a policy that cultivates Union Spirit in the interests of the
national races, but nationalistic spirit based on patriotic fervour, and a
national policy that can shape the brighter future of our nation. So, I would
like to exhort all of you to enhance your unity, while upholding Our Three
Main National Causes, also national conviction and concept.
Comrades,
In
conclusion, I would also like to urge you:
—
to strive to become reliable technicians capable of discharging national
defence duties,
—
to make sustained efforts to promote the science and technology of the
Tatmadaw and modernize the Tatmadaw,
—
to try your best to become new generation leaders who preserve the 12 noble
traditions of the Tatmadaw even in the face of death threat, and
—
to collectively participate in building a modern and developed nation, while
raising the role of science and technology of the Tatmadaw.
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