Senior General Than Shwe sends Union Day messageSubversive elements resorting to diverse means and ways to weaken and break up the UnionNational people urged to surmount with the strength of national unity destructive acts that may cause deterioration of the Union

NAY PYI TAW, 12 Feb-The following is the message of Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe on the occasion of the 61st Anniversary Union Day which falls today.

Esteemed national brethren,

On the auspicious occasion of the 61st Anniversary Union Day, I, in greeting, wish all national brethren blessed with auspiciousness.

The Union of Myanmar is a multiethnic nation where national brethren have been living through thick and thin for ages. Myanmar national people have handed down high cultural heritage, national prestige and integrity from one generation to the next, while safeguarding the sovereignty of the Union with genuine patriotic spirit and unwavering spirit.

National races' brilliant anti-colonialist movements and national liberation movements in the independence struggles went down in the annals of the nation's history. They managed to build consolidated national unity on 12 February 1947, while engaging in independence struggles with anti-colonialist sentiment, nationalistic spirit and Union Spirit. As a result, since 4 January 1948, the nation has stood tall as the Union of Myanmar in the international community.

In the post-independence period, stability and peace could not be restored throughout the nation due to the evil consequences of the divide and rule tactic and oppression of the colonialist government. So, successive governments were not in a position to dedicate themselves to nation-building tasks and national development work, and the nation lagged behind other countries in development.

Today, the national policy of non-disintegration of the Union , non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty has been laid down, and national reconsolidation is being built firmly based on Union Spirit, while taking lessons from the historic incidents. At the same time, the government in its bid to build a modern and developed nation is implementing the border areas and national races development project, the rural development project and the 24 special development region project for equitable development of all parts of the nation.

Now, national people are pursuing the State's seven-step Road Map with a solemn determination in harness with the government for transition to a modern, developed democratic nation with flourishing discipline. And the third step of the Road Map - the drafting of State constitution - is under way.

However, subversive elements with negative attitude are resorting to diverse means and ways such as driving a wedge among national races, misleading the people, and aiding and abetting anti-government groups to weaken and break up the Union . In addition, they are imposing sanctions against the nation to create a large-scale disruption to national progress.

In conclusion, I would like to exhort the entire national people to work hard in harmony to be able to accomplish the objectives of the 61st Anniversary Union Day (2008):

(1) For all the national races to safeguard the national policy- non-disintegration of the Union , non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty;

(2) For all the national races to keep Union Spirit ever alive and dynamic among the national people;

(3) For all the national races to defend and safeguard the Union for the perpetual existence;

(4) For all the national races to prevent, through national solidarity, the danger of internal and external destructive elements undermining peace and stability of the State and national development;

(5) For all the national races to make endeavours for the emergence of an enduring State Constitution in accord with the fundamental principles and detailed basic principles laid down by the National Convention, and

(6) For all the national races to make concerted efforts for successful implementation of the seven-step Road Map

to surmount with the strength of national unity the destructive acts that may cause deterioration of the Union in all aspects and to ensure emergence of a peaceful, modern and discipline-flourishing democratic nation.