1. The Information Team of the State Administration Council held a press conference (4/2021) at the Ministry of Information on 9 April 2021. Leader of the Information Team of the State Administration Council Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, member of the Union Election Commission U Khin Maung Oo and representatives of departmental information teams replied to questions raised by media.
2. Leader of Information Team of SAC Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun presented SAC performance in March and in the first week of April, measures for security and stability of State, Tatmadaw’s undertakings, the spreading of misinformation by media outlets, State-level corruption and embezzlement. Then, UEC Member U Khin Maung Oo briefed the announcement of UEC regarding the inspection findings on voter lists and ballots papers, ongoing and further work plans of UEC.
I want to say to the public that there are provokers who coerce people to keep committing such destructive acts that affect people’s daily lives. The people should cooperate with the security forces for the security of their wards, townships and villages. The State Administration Council will give priority to protecting people’s socio-economy and community peace. Violent people provoke the youths into the wrong ways.
3. Firstly, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun highlighted SAC meetings and management meetings for the government’s policies and future work plant. Discussions are being made as per the democratic practices. The SAC held council meeting five times while the management committee meetings were held two times in March and the second week of April. For the policies and future plans, arrangements are being made to improve the manufacturing sectors, including farming sectors, to hold outdoor sports competitions to strengthen the health sector, to revive the tourism and industrial sectors in connexion with the COVID-19 health rules, to be ready for the defence and security of State. He also explained the plans to adopt People’s Militia Law stipulated in 2010, reopening of schools and monastic schools, invitation of local and foreign investment to produce agro-based value-added products, more assistance for the teachers of ethnic languages, policies to grant citizenship scrutiny cards to all citizens and ethnics, duties of management committee while the country leads to multiparty democracy pathway, the needs of ministries to carry out in line with the democratic ways for the reopening of banks, schools and hospitals, supervisions on budget status, estimated budget and effective use of budget without inflation and losses for the country. He also briefed that Myanmar is an agricultural country with 70 per cent of population living in the rural area. Plans are being made to open further agricultural/breeding colleges and institutes as they have only one agricultural/livestock breeding university. It should focus on Research and Development sectors, and plans are being made with systematic researches in businesses. The State Administration Council Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visited Taninthayi Region, Yangon Region, Eastern Shan State, Mandalay Region and Magway Region to meet the officials for regional development and security measures in March. Similarly, Vice-Chairman of the Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win also visited Kalaw, Aungban, Bahtoo, PyinOoLwin and Mandalay. The Chairman of SAC met the higher rank officials, region and state council chairpersons on 6 April in Nay Pyi Taw. He discussed the current situation after the declaration of the state of emergency, future work programmes for the peace and development of State. The SAC Chairman also met the chairpersons of region/state administration councils, self-administered division and zones to discuss regional development programmes, including COVID-19 preventive measures as the people can be infected even though they receive the vaccine and COVID-19 vaccination programmes up to 500,000 doses before New Year. The Senior General discussed the detailed plan for the education sector, especially in remote areas, as the country has 3.7 million people (8 per cent) who do not join the school, according to the 2019 data. During that meeting, the Senior General stressed the CDM as a Country Destructive Movement based on former press conferences’ facts. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, there were only 7,422 patients just in Yangon General Hospital, and it reported 539 death cases per month. But now, the hospitals and clinics cannot be opened across the nation due to the healthcare workers who break the ethics. If there are more than 500 death cases just at Yangon General Hospital per month now, it should consider how many numbers of death cases will be in the country. It is just murder, so-called genocide. The video clip regarding the experience of the Chairman of SAC on 6 April was screened. The video clip shows CDM destroys the lives of the public and country as Country Destructive Movement. Two groups lead the movement composing local and foreign groups. Those living abroad include overseas groups. Some of them expect foreign aids, and they continuously attack the internal affairs of Myanmar. The local group has NLD supporters and extremists. CRPH can be defined as Committee Representing Pyi-Pyay-Hluttaw. Now, the leaders of CDM are known, and practical actions will be taken against them.
Voting frauds are the violation of democracy and ridicule the will of the people and lead to destruction. As the Tatmadaw is performing to promote democracy, it is necessary to weed to grow a tree and spray with pesticides if it is required to do so. I would like to urge the people to be aware of these people who are inciting and pushing young people to the streets.
4. For the second point, they are such doings that affect the stability of the State. The NLD party members and supporters intentionally commit incitements to the public to take to the streets, threaten the lives of those who do not participate in protests. The riots became anarchy mob and changed into insurrection. The rioters used .22 guns, homemade guns, bombs, and fire bottles to make arson attacks on administrative offices, police stations, legal buildings, and public housings, factories. They also attempted to raid these places. Then, the angry protestors blocked the railways and public roads to destroy the streamlined transport system and conducted activities against Myanmar culture and religion. They become armed terrorists. Now, the photos of deceased police members and civilians are shown. It also found the children among the riots. The numbers of rioters become lesser and lesser day by day, and only a small number of rioters keep committing such crimes. On the other hand, the unscrupulous persons persuade the government employees to join CDM to affect the governance mechanism. Their targets are the banking, healthcare and transport sectors. They also do social punishment, so-called social bullying against non-CDM staff. They received fund assistance from international organizations and formed unlawful organizations like CRPH. However, such formation can be considered High Treason. But the CDM Supporting Team cannot support the people who want to live peacefully. Due to SAC’s efforts for the rule of law and community peace, the acceleration of riots slowed down. According to the estimation, the numbers of CDM participants declined in March from 30 per cent in February. The rioters committed crimes of violent attacks in addition to arsons at 72 places, including 49 police stations and outposts, 29 ward/administrative offices, 39 departmental buildings, 11 roads/bridges, 10 banks, public housings, CCTVs, phone operator towers, warehouses, stalls, factories and industries in March. Due to these attacks, 16 police members died, and 263 police (36+227) were seriously injured. Moreover, six security forces and one family member also died. Some monks lost one eye, and the people grabbed the monks out of the cars and ordered them to disrobe. The NLD supporters commit explosions and arson attacks more and more now. There are two main reasons for doing so. The first one is that most of the people who want community peace no longer support their activities. It can be seen in the PowerPoint presentation. The data show the protests staged in February across the nation. There were only 5.1 million protestors on five twos revolution day, and it was just only 9 per cent of the country’s population. Then the numbers of protestors became lesser. But they also urged to stage protests and riots on the Armed Forces Day that fell on 27 March, and there was only 0.1 per cent of protestors across the nation on that day. When the numbers of protestors decline, they mainly commit violent attacks. They attacked with homemade bombs and grenades due to media news reporting for the possibility of civil war and incitement of criminal organizations. On 6 and 7 April, they used explosive devices like mines six times in Yangon Region, including five arsons on the ward administrative offices. I want to say to the public that there are provokers who coerce people to keep committing such destructive acts that affect people’s daily lives. The people should cooperate with the security forces for the security of their wards, townships and villages. The State Administration Council will give priority to protecting people’s socio-economy and community peace. Violent people provoke the youths into the wrong ways. On 29 March 2021, they burnt a police officer in Mandalay. Two suspects gave testimonies, and their recorded video clips will be screened. The victims were tortured and killed in such doings, raising a question: are they G-Z youths?
5. The Tatmadaw successfully held the 76th Anniversary of the Armed Forces Day. Humanitarian demining work is continuing in the Northern Command Area and the Western Command Area (Kachin and Rakhine States), and mine clearance work was carried out in 465 houses in Garayan village in Winemaw Township from 15 to 31 March.
Similarly, in Rakhine State, mine clearance work was carried out along the Yangon-Sittway highway, the Inumaw-Khamaungseik highway, in villages in the Maungtaw area, 290 road miles and 3,270 houses were cleared of mines. It is also being carried out in villages in Minbya, MyaukU, An, Buthidaung and Yathedaung townships.
From 1 January 2021 to 6 April 2021, a total of over 198 kg of heroin, 598 stimulant tablets, 1,189 kilograms of ice worth K102 billion were confiscated.
The Tatmadaw conducts the aerial, on-water and aquatic exercise in the Bay of Bengal from 4 to 11 April 2021. The naval vessels included in the military drill are armed with various weapons. They are conducting Gun Firing Exercise, Electronic Warfare Exercise, Anti- Submarine Warfare Exercise, Anti-Surface Warfare Exercise, Missile Non-Firing Exercise, and Search and Rescue Exercise.
6. Besides, the sixth transportation ceremony of stones to build the seated Buddha statue in Bumi Phattha Mudra, which will be the tallest Buddha statue among the seated Buddha statues in the world, was held on 4 April, and only one more time will be needed to transport all. The stone’s sixth transportation can be said the biggest stone displacement in the world. The stone weighs 1,190 tons, with the steel frame of 62 tonnes being transported by motor vehicle to Nay Pyi Taw.
The Buddha statue, 81-foot-tall and 4,780-tonne-weight, will be built in Dekkhinathiri township in Nay Pyi Taw.
7. He said he would like to present the misinformation and incitement by the media.
Around 7 am on 27 March, the American Centre, located on Inya Road, Kamayut Township, Yangon Region, was shot by a gun. Some media immediately misinformed the public that the security forces did that. Aye Thaw Kaung, who shot at the American Centre, was arrested on 30 March, and he also confessed that he shot it. The political insurgency has been sparked by the incitement of 27 March as People’s Revolution Day. That is what the media is provoking people at their oppotune time.
He urged the public to know the tactics of some corrupt media and be aware of incitements. Even now, some media outlets are instigating the emergence of armed terrorists in the country and are indicating that a civil war could break out. These are dangerous both for the country and the people as well as pushing the young people to the wrong way.
He urged the people not to believe the rumours and help the government move towards genuine and disciplined democracy. He said there are still protests and riots, although the number of riots and places is decreasing. Therefore, there are more mine attacks, killings and arson attacks. He said the unrest had been reduced due to the cooperation of the people who want peace and stability and urged them to collaborate between the security forces and the people to crack down on the ongoing acts of terrorism.
8. He continued the investigation on the State-level bribery and corruption is underway. Mon State former chief minister Dr Aye Zan was found to have received money from business people by using his chief minister’s capacity. Since 2008, he had received a total of K569,809,000 from the entrepreneurs who have been extracting sand in the Salween River.
In the sand dredging project, K132,357,000 was lost due to his permission in order to reduce the mineral tax to be paid to the State budget without the right to do so.
A case has been filed against him under Section 55 for personally transferring K20 million from the COVID-19 fund to another person without repayment being made, paying K65 million to two other persons. It was found that the non-repayment caused damage to the State’s financial assets.
Similarly, former chief minister for Kayin State Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint and former minister for Kayin State Planning, Finance and Development U Than Naing were convicted of bribery.
Due to their issuance of the land lease grant to the private sector for over 4 acres of Kannar road regarding the upgrading project of the Kannar road in Hpa-an, more than 5,370 million kyats was lost to the state budget.
Although funds raised by various businesses for regional development from 14 May 2018 to 31 January 2021 were supposed to be allocated to the State Funds under the Financial Procedures Order No 58/2019, more than K9,697 million were received by opening separate accounts in private banks.
Moreover, he was lending K742.5 million from the funds of regional development to 19 persons without repayment, receiving K500 million from the company that won the tender to construct shopping mall before the contract was signed, spending 1.65 million from the State fund for medical service in July 2017, receiving US$10,000 from a business person during his healthcare in Thailand in 2018, and receiving 5 million from a business person during a campaign trip to the villages during the October election campaign.
A case has been filed under Section 44 of the Anti-Corruption Law, and K16,320 million were also misappropriated by Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint.
9. Two types of protest can be seen: one is the voters who voted the NLD, not related to the fraudsters, and another type is NLD extremists and members of the extremist party who were implicated and involved in vote-rigging. Type two are involving in armed riots. The more the election commission reveals fraudulent ballots, the more they are afraid of being prosecuted. The more the public will become aware of their dishonesty. That is the reason they are escalating the protests. This situation is similar to the Harrington uprising that happened in 1956 in Myanmar, which was started from the leak of the exam questions. Of the 60,000 students who sat the exam, over 50 per cent who did not know the question in advance started the incitement, and students protested when the government dismissed the exam. During the uprising, Harrington from Saint Paul School died. Finally, the government had to let all the students pass the exam.
There were 39 million eligible voters in the 2020 General Election. There were 10.4 million fraudulent ballots, a quarter of which were vote-rigging, and there were injustices in the pre-election environment. The government that will take care of the people’s destiny and the country’s destiny cannot “pass the exam because of Harrington”.
Voting frauds are the violation of democracy and ridicule the will of the people and lead to destruction. As the Tatmadaw is performing to promote democracy, it is necessary to weed to grow a tree and spray with pesticides if it is required to do so. I would like to urge the people to be aware of these people who are inciting and pushing young people to the streets.
To be continued.
