The National Defence and Security Council of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar held the meeting 1/2022 at the Office of the State Administration Council Chairman in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
Present at the meeting were Pro Tem President U Myint Swe, Speaker of Pyithu Hluttaw U T Khun Myat, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Union Minister for Defence General Mya Tun Oo, Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Wunna Maung Lwin, Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, specially invited Secretary of the State Administration Council Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dwe and Joint-Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo. Vice-President U Henry Van Thio asked for a leave of absence from the meeting.
The Member of the Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services asked for extending the declared period of the State of Emergency with reasons.
With regard to the State responsibilities taken by the Tatmadaw related to the political situation on one-year responsibilities of the State Administration Council, the Senior General said that the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services expressed the wish to be a free and fair election related to the 2020 election for 24 times at the State level ceremonies, meeting with political parties, diplomats and international representatives and media as well as military families. At the election held on 8 November 2020, 10,482,116 voting frauds (more than one-fourth of the voters) were found in the scrutiny of the Tatmadaw, worsening the multiparty democracy. So, the Tatmadaw and political parties requested the UEC, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and the government to address the voting frauds under the law. Without daring to address the voting frauds, the attempts to convene the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on 1 February 2021 were designed to forcefully seize the State responsibilities under Section 417 of the Constitution. Consequently, these may cause unprecedented difficulties on the path of democracy of the State. So, the State of Emergency was declared and the State responsibilities were taken in accord with Sections 417, 418 and 419 of the Constitution.
Multiparty democracy general election is the foundation of Myanmar’s democracy and political system as heads and participants of the legislative, executive and judicial estates were elected through the election in direct and indirect manners.
After taking the State responsibilities, the Senior General explained addressing the current political situations under the law to the Hluttaw representatives under monitoring at the Sibin Yeiktha in Nay Pyi Taw and allowed them to be released to their respective regions from 2 to 4 February 2021. It was an act of giving them the right to do things under the law. The State Administration Council was equally constituted with Tatmadaw members and civilians to lead the region/state, townships, ward and village level administration bodies.
The National Unity and Peace Restoration Coordination Committee, the Work Committee and the Coordination Committee were formed with the adoption of a five-point policy on 3 March. The coordination committee has met NCA signatory ethnic armed organizations 16 times, non-NCA signatory EAOs nine times, political parties seven times and the religious leaders and peace negotiators two times, totalling 34.
A joint declaration between Myanmar and Cambodia was released after holding a meeting with the Cambodian Prime Minister in early 2022 with a plan to extend the ceasefire till the end of this year.
Multiparty democracy general election is the foundation of Myanmar’s democracy and political system as heads and participants of the legislative, executive and judicial estates were elected through the election in direct and indirect manners.
The Senior General then explained the tasks to be prioritized. He said: “Myanmar is the least development country. Seventy per cent of the population of the country reside in rural areas and some 30.4 per cent of them are poor. So, it is necessary to carry out solving the issues of the nation and beef up the tasks for the development of the State economy. If we are delayed to do so, we will lag development behind others. So, it is necessary to carry out two national political tasks for prosperity and food sufficiency of the nation, two political tasks for strengthening of genuine, disciplined multiparty democracy, building the Union based on democracy and federalism, and restoration of peace and federalism. The year 2022 is of importance.
Coming 12 February is Diamond Jubilee Union Day and the 4th January 2023 is Diamond Jubilee Independence Day. Hence, it is necessary to strengthen the sovereignty of the State and the country must be fruitful for development. So, we must start new steps for peace. As it has been mentioned in the five-point Road Map, I always invite all to talk about the peace issue. The government of the State Administration Council is ready to open all to hold the peace talks.”
In the security sector before the Tatmadaw took the State responsibility, generally, engagements happened in EAO areas as usual but clashes with AA armed groups in Rakhine State were very violent.
The matters related to changing of peaceful demonstration to the armed insurrection after the Tatmadaw has taken the State responsibilities, those who do not have right to stand as Hluttaw representatives illegally formed the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) on 5 February 2021 and committed riots and anarchic mobs. They attacked security forces in late February. So, security forces performed the least strengths at the lowest level in controlling the insurrections. Then, martial law was imposed on six townships of Yangon Region on 15 March 2021 as the CRPH terrorist group committed terrorist acts. The CRPH formed a parallel government.
CRPH, NUG and PDF terrorist groups committed war crimes in Thantlang and Mindat of Chin State, some parts of Sagaing Region, Kinma Village in Magway Region, Loikaw and Demawhso townships in Kayah State and Pekhon and Moebye of Shan State. Hence, martial law was imposed on Mindat Township of Chin State on 13 May 2021 to control the terror acts. Within one year period, there were 9,437 times of terror acts, and 5,606 assorted arms, 161,556 rounds of ammunition, 1,890 grenades and 11,424 homemade mines and bombs were seized in addition to arresting 4,338 terrorists.
In the economic sector after the Tatmadaw has taken the State responsibilities and sanctions of the international community, the Senior General said direct and indirect sanctions were imported on relevant foreign partners to dip the foreign investments and trade of Myanmar. The value of the Myanmar kyat was down and transport charges, fuel and cooking oil prices were hiking. And, the demand plunged in the market.
In the banking sector, the government sold US$508.8 million through a special foreign exchange auction till 21-1-2022 to import entrepreneurs to meet the US dollar demands so as to stabilize the exchange rate.
In the trade sector, in the time of the State Administration Council government, the country has more than US$677 million of trade surplus. But, local and foreign loan amounts reached K52,488 billion in 2020-21 FY. Hence, it is necessary to calculate the loan resilience in the long run. The government of the State Administration Council arranges to resume operations of the iron and steel mills suspended in the past. Iron rods and bars will be produced in all parts of the nation.
In 2021, a total of 858,685 tonnes of cooking oil worth US$866.711 million were imported. So, a plan is underway to reduce the import volume of cooking oil abroad while efforts will be made for ensuring cooking oil sufficiency at home.
According to the statistics on 29 January, there remains one per cent of infection rate of the pandemic in the nation.
The government spent US$276.64 million on the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and also accepted the donated vaccines worth US$121.12 million from China, India, Russia and Nippon Foundation. Vaccination has been given to the people, accounting for 53 per cent at present.
In 2021, more than 4.12 million tonnes of fuel worth US$2,496.652 million was imported. Hence, ethnic people need to efficiently use the fuel for the development of the nation as much as possible. If solar power can be generated in rural areas, it will contribute to the electricity demand of the State, urban projects, operation of electric buses and train projects.
Regarding destruction of religion and language before the Tatmadaw has taken State responsibilities, the organizations related to religious affairs such as Ma Ba Tha organization were cancelled. The rights of paying homage to the pagodas and paying worship in the religious buildings were banned. Propaganda was disseminated for the decline of the State economy because of members of the Sangha. The Senior General also explained the prohibitions adopted for cultural measures of Myanmar.
Maravijaya Marble Sitting Buddha image is being carved to be kept in Buddha Park of Dekkhinathiri Township in NayPyi Taw. So far, the parts of the throne have been placed. Pitaka treatises will be carved in Romanized language and Pali language on the stone plaques. Generation-Z youths killed 37 teachers and caused injuries to 30 more teachers. They also killed 20 members of the Sangha and set fire to schools for 504 times. The government granted pardon for 47,879 inmates and prisoners for participation in the nation-building tasks
In implementing the five-point road map and nine objectives, the State Administration Council formed a new Union Election Commission on 2 February 2021. The commission members inspected ballots of 315 townships where the general election was held in 2020. As more than 4.6 million voters did not have citizenship scrutiny cards in the previous election, the Pankhinn project is being implemented to issue the CSC to the people. So far, the CSCs have been issued to some two million people, accounting for 55 per cent.
The Senior General explained the electoral system. He said: “As the current election system is FPTP system, it is not in conformity with the democracy and federalism of Myanmar formed with 135 ethnic nationals. So, the Union Election Commission held meetings political parties four times to change the electoral system suitable for Myanmar. According to the papers of six political parties, all groups discussed practising Proportional Representation (PR). The multiparty democracy elections of Myanmar were held on 8 November 2010 in 325 townships and 323 townships on 7 November 2015. Electoral complaints were solved. The 2020 election was held in 315 townships on 8 November. The multiparty democracy general elections are general elections to select representatives for Pyithu Hluttaw, Amyotha Hluttaw and region and state Hluttaws. In the 2020 multiparty general elections, relevant organizations and persons did not dare to solve the voting frauds. It caused the downtrend of trust for the implementation of the democracy, tarnishing the image of the State. So, action is being taken against those who harmed the election under the law. At a time when the State of Emergency has completed, the government is striving for holding the election in accord with its pledge. The election will be free and fair when the situation is peaceful and stable. To hold the elections in all regions and states, all the ethnic people need to join hands with the government in realizing the peace and stability.”
In fighting the COVID-19, a total of 1,674 treatment centres in addition to the hospitals and clinics were established for promptly controlling the pandemic. The government built 225 oxygen plants and the private sector 242 plants, totalling 446 for providing healthcare services to the people. According to the statistics on 29 January 2022, there remains one per cent of infection rate of the pandemic in the nation.
The government spent US$276.64 million on the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and also accepted the donated vaccines worth US$121.12 million from China, India, Russia and Nippon Foundation. Vaccination has been given to the people, accounting for 53 per cent at present.
As some medical staff from hospitals and health centres left their duties across the nation, members of the military medical corps performed healthcare services to 329,759 outpatients, 98,328 inpatients and surgical operations on 19,526 pregnant women and other patients with various diseases. Retired military and civilian medics also joined the healthcare services for the people to secure success in battling the COVID-19.
To be continued
