YANGON , 20 Jan—Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe received the trainees of the No 37 Course (BEd) of the University for Development of National Races at the Pyithu Hluttaw Hall on Pyay Road here this morning.

Also present on the occasion were Vice-Chairman of SPDC Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, SPDC Member General Thura Shwe Mann of the Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister General Soe Win, Secretary-1 of the SPDC Lt-Gen Thein Sein, SPDC members, the Commander-in-Chief (Navy), the Commander-in-Chief (Air), the chairman of Yangon Division PDC Yangon Command commander, ministers, the chief justice, the attorney-general, the chairman of the Civil Service Selection and Training Board, the Yangon mayor, members of CSSTB, the director-general of the SPDC Office, departmental heads, the rector of the university, course instructors and trainees.

SPDC Office Director-General Col Kyaw Kyaw Win acted as MC.

The Senior General in his speech said you trainees are going to graduate from the University for Development of National Races and to discharge educational duties. So, you should have to be convinced of the objectives of the university.

Of the objectives of the university, the most crucial one is “For national race youths from border areas to be educated and to become human resources”.

The University for Development of National Races was previously the Academy for Development of National Groups that produced primary assistant teachers. Now, it has been upgraded to a university with the aim of providing higher education for youths of national races to become graduates.

With different forms of objectives, the University for Development of National Races is different from other universities and colleges in nature. So, you trainees have to be equipped with the concepts and convictions that are in conformity with the salient points of the university.

In the past, far-flung areas had just a few relations with the interior regions of the nation. As a result, the majority of the youths in border areas were far from access to the opportunity of pursuing education.

That is why the government today is taking measures for nurturing the youths in border areas to become educated ones, and human resources, and for creating a situation in which the people in the interior regions and the people in border areas can enjoy equal opportunity.

In the drive for narrowing the development gap between one region and another and ensuring equitable development of all parts of the nation, the government has been opening educational institutions to raise the education standard of local people and establishing special training schools in far-flung areas. In this regard, you trainees will have to effectively nurture local youths for the development of human resources in accordance with the objective of the university.

Only then, will it be possible to ensure simultaneous development of human resources across the nation. In a bid to reduce the development gap as far as it can and to ensure equitable development of the Union , you trainees will have to make efforts whatever role you are in.

I would like to exhort you, in accordance with the objectives of the university, to cultivate a spirit of goodwill in nurturing and teaching local youths to become educated persons and human resources in the regions where you will be assigned duties.

Moreover, you will also have to inculcate youths of national races with the sprit of cherishing the Union in the spheres of ideas and moral conduct.

National races do not live in the nation separately race-wise or region-wise. But all the national brethren have lived harmoniously in each and every region of the nation since yore. Therefore, the national races in nature live together with amity without enmity.

So, you will have to enhance Union Spirit already inculcated into the youths. Only when the people are fully equipped with Union Spirit, will the territory of the Union of Myanmar exist perpetually.

Union Spirit is not the spirit based on an organization, a race and an ideology, but the nationalistic spirit that concerns the entire national people. Indeed, Our Three Main National Causes — non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, and perpetuation of sovereignty — is the national duty that concerns all the national races of the Union and that all the citizens have to carry out conscientiously.

I would like to urge you to cultivate Union Spirit among the people, while teaching and nurturing local youths wherever regions you are assigned duties.

The drive for flourishing of Union Spirit will not work if it is implemented through conception and conviction alone. It must be put into motion not only theoretically but also practically. So, the government is putting efforts into the harmonious implementation of the border areas and national races development project, the 24-special development regions project, and the rural development project.

Apart from original duties, you will also have to practically contribute towards regional development projects being implemented in the regions you will be posted.

The production of human resources plays an important role in the building of the nation. With this context, the government has taken measures for the youths in the special development regions to have access to higher education.

In the past, medical science, engineering, and architecture were available only in Yangon .

Now, the opportunity to pursue higher education has thoroughly covered each and every region in the nation. As a result, infrastructures necessary for development are being constructed region-wise with the strength of the intellectuals and intelligentsia respective regions have produced. The government is taking steps with the aim of ensuring development of human resources in every region, and enabling the human resources to take part in the tasks for regional and national development.

With the development of human resources, all the regions of the Union will see equitable development.

You will have to play a part in developing human resources to be fit and healthy and valuable enough to discharge the assigned duties well. The government on its part has been making arrangements for development of economic infrastructures in all regions. The number of dams, highways and major bridges the government has built for economic development almost meets the national requirements.

The government’s aims is to develop industries and fulfill other national requirements together with the human resources development, the nation is achieving thanks to sound education, health and transport infrastructures. And with this aim in mind the government has launched the national development drive with high acceleration.

You should take part in the drive as a grain of sand and a lump of brick with the conviction that the Union will perpetuate as long as the results of the sound infrastructure development and the flourishing Union Spirit can be integrated well.

Our country is a Union made up of over 100 national races. Hence we will have to build a democratic state in accord with the essence of the nature of the Union , that is a communal home of various national races. But what is important is to build a discipline-flourishing state. However, so thin is the layer parting democracy, mobocracy and anarchism that without the control of law and discipline, democracy can become mobocracy and also anarchism.

We have witnessed in other countries as well as in our nation the eruption of anarchy resulting from mob rule. In this regard, the task of building of democratic State should go alongside the enforcement of law and discipline to clearly separate democracy from mobocracy and anarchism.

For the nation to develop firmly with peace and stability in the future, we will have to draw the line between democracy and mobocracy and anarchism, and with this task in mind, we are building a modern and developed discipline-flourishing nation. What’s more, stability of the State, community peace and tranquility, prevalence of law and order are the foremost requirements to reach this end. Without having those requirements, the people will not be in a position to rightly elect good persons with peace of mind in an election free from all kinds of frauds.

With the conviction that stability of the State, community peace and tranquility, prevalence of law and order are the most basic requirements in building a democratic state, you will have to cooperate with officials concerned to help fulfill the requirement.

The second requirement is the firm national economic development. People will be able to observe morals only if their social needs are ensured. In this regard, the government has been striving in all sectors for economic progress of the entire nation. But it is facing difficulties in its economic development drive because of the sanctions and disturbances of the foreign masters and their lackeys — the internal traitors. The people are also suffering from those disturbances and sanctions.

What you should know clearly is that we are going to build a peaceful, modern and developed discipline-flourishing democratic nation in earnest.

The government has been developing the human resources and public knowledge which is the third requirement for emergence of a true democratic state. People will be able to correctly choose good persons through democratic means only if they have higher level and wider scope of knowledge.

And that is why we are endeavouring for all the people living in all four corners of the Union to choose the right persons with correct knowledge and vision.

All in all, the government has been in the process of ensuring a strong economy, food sufficiency, community peace and the rule of law for the people to vote without any prejudices in the corruption-free election for the future nation.

As you are education staff produced by the UDNR, I wish you all to nurture national races youths of the remote areas to have better education, wider knowledge and stronger Union Spirit, while playing your own part in laying basic foundations for emergence of a peaceful, modern and developed discipline-flourishing nation.

On behalf of the trainees of BEd course No 37 of UDNR, Kayan national Maung Mya Than spoke words of thanks. He said under the arrangement of the government, we got opportunities to attend the University for Development of National Races that was established for the development of national races and the Union . We will have to perform our duties soon in the drive for regional development as we are about to complete our training at the university. We have pledged to serve the country dutifully by keeping the goodwill of the State in the fore.

The border regions had poor transport and faced various kinds of hardships in the past due to lack of peace and stability. As there was inadequate number of teaching staff to educate the students, the government arranged to nurture our brothers and sisters to become not only teachers but also junior leaders to participate in regional development work. The State has also placed emphasis on improvement of education in border regions. So, a total of 1,034 basic education schools have been opened and 170,000 local youths are able to pursue their education well. Besides, more universities and colleges have been opened in respective regions for higher education. Educated local youths are now able to actively participate in regional development tasks. Education is fundamental to develop the State and the people. While the State is taking systematic measures to enhance national education, we, on our part, shall try our best to be educated so as to serve the country realizing the goodwill of the State. Now is the time when the government is building a peaceful and modern developed nation. All sectors of the country have met significant progress as the State is undertaking border region development tasks as well as 24 special region development project to ensure the equitable development of all the regions in Myanmar . There has been progress in socioeconomic life of the people and they have realized the goodwill of the State. These fruitful results have emerged due to strenuous efforts of the people under the correct leadership of the government. We, all national brethren have made a vow to continue our efforts for the emergence of a modern, developed discipline-flourishing democratic nation with the sense of Union Spirit. We shall also participate in the national development tasks for the improvement of socio-economy of the people. We will train our pupils to cultivate themselves correct thoughts and good attitude so as to flourish Union Spirit.

Since the assumption of State duties, the government has spared no efforts to build political and economic foundations to shape a new modern and developed nation. However, those who are jealous of the progress of the State are attempting to tarnish the image of the State by resorting various ways. But we are confident that we will be able to guard against their acts with the might of the people. I would like to conclude that we will strive for the successful realization of the work programmes laid down by the State enlisting the national people.

Next, on behalf of the trainees of BED course No 37 of UDNR, Po Kayin national Nan May Lwin Aung spoke words of thanks. She said our alma mater has trained us during a period of four years to cultivate correct thoughts and Unin Spirit so as to efficiently carry out the tasks for development of education, health, economic and social sectors. Besides, we have been trained to realize the objectives of the State. As we have completed our learning at the university, we will have to carry out duties assigned by the State in the near future. We are committed to serve the interest of the State and the people.

By implementing long-term education plans, the government is taking measures to reform the education system to meet international standard and to enable the country to become a constant learning society. In doing so, it has established e-development centres for communication and technology, electronic networks and e-libraries at the schools and universities and opened postgraduate and doctorate courses for creating more learning opportunities. Hence, human resources that can defence the nation well have emerged. At our university also, teacher ship diploma courses, bridge courses and four-year bachelor’s courses are being conducted and those qualified will have a chance to attend the M Ed courses next year. As we know the importance of our job ahead, now we are trying to become qualified teachers and to produce educated youths on whom the State can rely.

The Union of Myanmar is home to diverse national races. Our ancestors, while seeking greener pasture across the nation, had lived together in unity and amity keeping eggs and nest intact. With the conviction that unity is the strength of the nation, they established Myanmar . We have learned in history that they guarded against any dangers in times of emergency at risk of their lives wherever they lived in the country. They protected the motherland with patriotic spirit for perpetuity of the Union . We have our bounden duty to safeguard our nation. So we will try to inculcate Union Spirit into our pupils and local people. The nation has developed significantly in a short period owing to harmonious efforts of the government and the people with correct State policies and objectives. While keeping the development momentum, we national people are required to take part in respective roles for the success of State work programmes in cooperation with the government. We are determined to serve our duties consciously as good service personnel by upholding Our Three Main National Causes.

Later, the ceremony came to a close at 10 am. Senior General Than Shwe and party then cordially greeted the trainees and supervisor teachers.

Senior General Than Shwe receives visiting Indian Admiral and party

YANGON, 20 Jan — Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe received visiting Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC) and wife of Indian Navy of the Republic of India at Zeyathiri Beikman on Konmyinttha, here, at 11.30 am today.

Also present at the call were Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, Member of the State Peace and Development Council General Thura Shwe Mann of the Ministry of Defence, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Thein Sein, members of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Ye Myint and Quartermaster-General Lt-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo of the Ministry of Defence, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, Commander-in-Chief (Air) Lt-Gen Myat Hein, Chief of Military Affairs Security Lt-Gen Myint Swe and Minister for Foreign Affairs U Nyan Win.

The Indian Admiral and party were accompanied by Indian Ambassador Mr Bhaskar Kumar Mitra and Defence Attaché Colonel Jasvinder Singh Chopra.