Government to hold a systematic election and hand over State responsibilities to elected government

The following is the message of greetings sent by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing to the ceremony to mark the 76th Anniversary of Independence Day 2024 today.
Esteemed national brethren,
I would like to extend warm greetings to all ethnic people residing in the country with physical and mental well-being and auspiciousness on the occasion of the 76th Anniversary of Independence Day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
All ethnic people had resided in Myanmar under their own monarchy for thousands of years while preserving their own culture and customs. However, due to the bad colonialism that influenced the world, Myanmar endowed with plenty of natural resources was aggressively occupied by British colonialists after three aggressive wars in 1824, 1852, and 1885 and lost its independence and sovereignty in 1886.
Ethnic people applied the Union spirit based on valuing their own monarchy, indomitable spirit against suppression, and extremely bitter towards British colonialists and fascists as the strongest power and arm in fighting in the independence struggle with relentless efforts. Consequently, Myanmar has been standing as an independent and sovereign country for 76 years from 4 January 1948.
Ethnic people sacrificed their lives, blood, and sweat for many years to regain the independence of the nation lost in a snapshot period. Although they possessed a Union with independence as an unrivaled prestige due to sacrifice and patriotic spirit of forefathers for the State, the country Myanmar faced periods of different dogmatisms based on racism. Such internal conflict depended on weakness in national unity based on the instigated administrative mechanism of colonialists for many years. From then on, the country encountered different terrible dangers that posed threats to the disintegration of the Union and sovereignty.
As Myanmar Tatmadaw harmoniously joins hands with ethnic people in safeguarding independence and sovereignty which are the lifeblood of the nation, the country is independent and sovereign. Our Three Main National Causes: Non-disintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity, and perpetuation of sovereignty which play a pivotal role in the perpetual existence of independence and sovereignty is vividly seen as an ethic all the ethnic people should follow. Hence, all ethnic people should deeply follow “Our Three Main National Causes” in shaping the Union based on genuine, disciplined democratic and federal systems to forge the strength of national unity. Esteemed national brethren,
The previous government did not legally solve voting frauds which happened in the 2020 election but made attempts to grasp the power of the State. Hence, Tatmadaw served the State responsibilities under the Constitution (2008) for ensuring the strengthening of the multiparty democratic system. The State Administration Council has been formed, and two political visions: strengthening a genuine, disciplined multiparty democratic system and building a Union based on democratic and federal systems have been adopted. Likewise, two national visions: ensuring peace and prosperity of the State and food security are being implemented.
An emphasis must be placed on building a Union based on a democratic and federal system in the regionally-based system but ethnic-based federalism. In building such a Union, as all leaders, implementers, and followers need to have knowledge, technology, personal capacity, and critical thinking skills, efforts must be made for the enhancement of a comprehensive education sector that can turn human resources for the State.
As today is the age of knowledge, only when individuals have been educated will they have a guarantee for their lives. Areas of ethnic people, especially some rural areas of states, are facing weakness in the education sector due to language barriers, less encouragement for education, and other challenges. Hence, all rural people and all ethnic people have to be literate and have to complete school education without fail. During the summer holidays in 2024, volunteer students, teachers, local educated persons, and local service personnel will implement a literacy campaign similar to the 3-Rs courses as a national activity across the nation by seeking assistance from ethnic language teachers.
Teachers need to teach students to actually be educated and encourage them to continuously read literature. Universities extend teaching on law and economic subjects for the emergence of those who are skillful in basic legal and economic knowledge and economists. Hence, it is necessary to strive for the emergence of well-versed educated people to develop the State. Only when the people have high education knowledge will they have the capacity to analyze everything. As such, it is necessary to improve the education of the entire ethnic people. The comprehensive education sector must be enhanced for the youths of the future to possess five strengths of capacity to preserve their own culture and national characters to keep abreast of others in the developing world.
Esteemed national brethren,
The majority of citizens are primarily emphasizing agriculture in Myanmar. A total of 72 per cent of people reside in rural areas, and 45 per cent of them engage in agriculture as their livelihood. Other rural people are doing businesses related to agriculture. If they combine their efforts with water supply, fertilizer/foods, quality strains of crops, and agricultural techniques in the agriculture and livestock sectors, agriculture and livestock sectors will accomplish food security which is one of national visions.
As such, more and more universities, colleges, institutes, and schools are established to turn out intellectuals, intelligentsia, and technicians in the agriculture and livestock sectors. To make education accessible to everyone, 51 industrial, agricultural, and livestock-affiliated high schools have been established in 50 districts for the students who passed the middle school education to learn industrial, agriculture, and livestock breeding subjects. In the 2024-25 academic year, 34 more schools were opened with more plans to extend further schools. These schools teach students to become industrial, agricultural, and livestock technicians. Qualified students will have the chance to study at institutes, colleges, and universities. If the number of technicians, experts, and human resources is on the rise, all have to strive for the nation to become the exporter from the status of importer by upgrading the businesses of producing one product in each region to manufacture personal goods for meeting the local demand. “Encouraging micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) based on agriculture and livestock sectors, they have to study advanced manufacturing technologies to produce value-added products so as to enhance socioeconomic life of the nation.
Esteemed national brethren,
The ultimatum aim of the State Administration Council is to hold a free and fair multiparty democratic general election. As such, preparations are being made to have a correct eligible voter list of people at home and abroad, enable all eligible voters to cast votes, and ensure cent per cent voting across the nation. It is necessary to enumerate the national census to compile voter lists successfully and have the necessary biometric data for the development of the nation. Hence, a test census enumeration started on 1 October 2023, and a plan is underway to collect the national census in 2024. Depending on this, when firm and correct voter lists have been compiled, efforts must be made to hold a free and fair multiparty democratic general election under the law in all parts of the nation and create chances for voters to cast votes in all parts of the nation without vacant areas. Continuous efforts will be made to hold a systematic election and handing over the State’s responsibilities to the government which would emerge from the election.
Esteemed national brethren,
The government on its part has decided to continuously strive to implement the great strategic plan, strategic plan, and tactics adopted with national solidarity and mutual respect and trust based on Union spirit.
I have sent this message to all, urging all national brethren to deeply accept five national objectives of the 76th Anniversary of Independence Day 2024 and join hands among them in unison to participate in striving for the perpetuity of the Independence and Sovereignty of Myanmar with genuine patriotic spirit and Union spirit.