A ceremony to mark the 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) Navy Day was held yesterday afternoon in the Thiri Maha Zeya Kyaw Htin Hall of the Naval Training Headquarters in Yangon Region, and State Administration Council Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the ceremony and delivered a speech.
Present on the occasion were Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, the wife of SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Commanders-in-Chief (Navy) (Rtd) and their wives, the Commanders-in-Chief (Air) (Rtd) and their wives, Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Maung Maung Aye and his wife, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung and his wife, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Tun Aung and his wife, high-ranking Tatmadaw officers from the C-in-C Office and their wives, the Yangon Command commander, the commanders of the Naval Base Headquarters and officers and other ranks of the Navy and their families.
Delivering the speech honouring the Diamond Jubilee Day, the Senior General recalled that today is the 75th Anniversary Navy Day. He noted that Myanmar gained independence just 11 days after founding the Navy, that it can, therefore, be said the Navy has brought good luck to the country or it would not be wrong to say that the Navy was born together with independence and that Tatmadaw is the patriotic Union army made up of the national races. He added that Tatmadaw is an institution which is mainly responsible for the protection of the nation against internal and external dangers that might befall the country, that Tatmadaw members, bringing to the fore Our Three Main Causes, have sacrificed their lives and limbs with their hands joined by the people and that Myanmar abounds in precious natural resources. He emphasized the fact that Myanmar has very long nautical miles – 144,912 square miles, which is more than half of the land area, that the coastal areas and the beaches are famous for their beauty, that Myanmar territorial waters play an important role in the effectuation of the national economy. He went on to say that Myanmar is endowed with natural barriers that are serving as choke points and that Myanmar is important for the United States, China and India because of America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, China’s Two-Marine Strategy and India’s Act East Policy respectively.
Next, the C-in-C said that it is essential to review the political, economic and military situations in the context of the said three superpowers’ military strategies, that Myanmar’s Navy has a long tradition, that Myanmar Navy has joined hands with the Army and the Air Force in the fight against armed insurgents, that Myanmar Navy can now build the big naval crafts for conventional battles, that arrangements have been made to build the cruisers under the Active Defence Strategy and the Two-Sea Strategy, that Myanmar Navy can now be proud of its ability to wage the conventional war within the Exclusive Economic Zone with the use of the frigates and to contribute to enforcing the rule of law, that Myanmar Navy has been modernized with the use of Stealth Technology to boost its combat capacity and that the naval vessels can now move at a speed of 40 nautical miles per hour thanks to the use of waterjet propulsion system.
He added that the naval crafts cruising in the rivers have been equipped with the armour plate to make them able to launch effective attacks, that he would like to appreciate the naval engineers for their strenuous effort, and that in this regard, he had honoured a naval architect called Saya Shan by naming the floating docks after him and that these floating docks bearing the architect’s name have already been commissioned.
Then, the Senior General proudly said that the Navy has implemented the mission, “From Buyer to Builder” and that Myanmar Navy has stood tall among the other navies in the region because it now possessed two submarines.
Concerning Sea Shield, the naval exercises were first started in 2014, he said. Since then, the Senior General has been attending the naval exercises. In addition to its main duty to safeguard Myanmar, the navy is also engaged in humanitarian assistance activities. Additionally, Myanmar Navy is providing healthcare services to the people inhabiting the coastal areas. In conclusion, the Senior General said that Myanmar Navy has gone through 75 years, that it has now become a Three Dimensional Combat Ready Navy) and that he would like to urge the new generation to perform their duties to their utmost.
Afterwards, the video documentary marking the diamond jubilee was shown, followed by the musical performance programme.
Next, the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services greeted the attendees in a friendly manner. Then the Senior General and entourage attended the ceremony to formally open the building of the HQ office of the Coast Guard by unveiling the signboard. Next, they splashed the archive slab with the scented water. The Senior General and party were then conducted round the area for observation. —MNA
