The Tatmadaw is carrying out political, social and economic development by assuming State responsibilities in accord with Sections 417 and 418 of the Constitution (2008) as of 1 February 2021 and forming the State Administration Council in line with Section 419. The council temporarily takes responsibilities in a short time to ensure genuine democracy and disciplined and firm democracy. Tatmadaw members need to conscientiously try hard for their works in individuals and must strive for uplifting the prestige of the Tatmadaw, the State and the nationality while improving their individuals and military units, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the separate meetings with officers, other ranks and families of Myeik, Kyunsu and Cocogyun stations.
Also present at the meetings were members of the State Administration Council General Maung Maung Kyaw and Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army), Commander of Coastal Region Command Brig-Gen Saw Than Hlaing, station commanders, officers, other ranks and families of Myeik, Kyunsu and Cocogyun stations.
In his address, the Senior General said the Tatmadaw tried to address the voter list fraud in the 2020 multiparty democracy general election in line with the practice of democracy under the law many times. It was such a gigantic error on the voter list but normal ones. Although the Tatmadaw tried to solve the problems of voter list fraud in accord with the democracy ways as much as possible, any negotiation could not be undertaken. Hence, it reached the current stage. The country has lesser experience in the election. It gained election experiences as of 1990. Since then, the country has been possessing experiences that the correct result cannot come out if an election is under pressure.
Democracy is based on the wish of the majority, but such a wish must be authentic with honest politics. If the majority’s wish is not honest, it is difficult to identify such politics is of democracy.
Democracy is based on the wish of the majority, but such a wish must be authentic with honest politics. If the majority’s wish is not honest, it is difficult to identify such politics is of democracy. The elected governments need actually to serve their tasks in a correct way of democracy. A total of 77 per cent of eligible voters cast votes in the 2020 election. It was found that the people felt frustrated over the endeavours of the government elected in 2016. As the people felt frustrated over the endeavours of the government based on anticipation of all strata, they lost their wish to cast votes in the election due to disappointment. As such, no vote campaigns were staged. It was known that when the election for the Yangon City Development Committee was held in 2019, some 14 per cent of eligible voters from Yangon City cast votes.
As holding the election and casting a vote are the essence of democracy, the Senior General recounted that he urged all to cast votes for those whom they aspire, those who can serve the State and the nationality and those who can serve the interests of the region whenever he arrived. The Senior General retold that he urged all to do things that should be done. When the Tatmadaw was ordered to cast votes together with the people at polling stations outside the military units, the Senior General said he suddenly agreed on it. Arrangements were made to cast votes together with the people freely. During the election period, some problems happened for advance votes at the polling stations.
With regard to the advance votes, order, directives and amendments were issued to order casting of votes. It is impossible to be beyond the law. The orders beyond the election law should not be issued. However, the release of many orders was based on the outbreak of Covid-19 by turning a blind eye to the above-mentioned facts.
Some doubts about fairness on talks and authority of parties were found in canvassing before the election. Canvassing with declaring party policies were placed under censorship. So, the Senior General on his tours said he called for holding a free and fair election. He emphasized holding a free and fair election.
In holding the 2020 election, as it was the time of breaking out Covid-19, votes were cast under the social distancing. Votes were cast by 71 per cent. Large numbers of difference were found in the inspection of the voting result, and such findings were released. Requests were made for addressing the differences in voting results many times. There were more than 50,000 vote-riggings in Myeik Township and over 30,000 in Kyunsu Township, in addition to more than 10 million across the nation. Voting fraud was terrible. Such an event was similar to the act of illegally sitting the examination to take the highest marks. As attempts were made to form the new government by holding the third Hluttaw in addition to absence of addressing the errors on voting list, the Tatmadaw assumed the State responsibilities in accord with Sections 417 and 418 of the Constitution starting from 1 February 2021 and formed the State Administration Council under Section 419. The council was constituted with military and civilian persons in balance, and civilians were appointed as chairmen of region and state administration councils. In fact, the Tatmadaw is taking responsibilities in a short period to ensure genuine democracy and disciplined and firm democracy.
Although the first week of assuming the responsibilities was stable and peaceful, staging riots and protests started in the second week. These protests were based on restriction in the outbreak of Covid-19 and addressing the vote-rigging. Members of the Myanmar Police Force control all riotous protests under the mob control manual. Now, riotous protests transformed themselves to the anarchic mobs breaking laws and then to armed violent acts in holding destructive elements such as arms, home-made guns, home-made grenades and arson wares, setting fire to State administrative buildings, police stations, law office and people’s housings as well as factories and making attempts to raid these buildings. Moreover, those rioters set fire to factories built with local and foreign investments and attacked security personnel. Hence, the order of martial law was released in Hlinethaya, Shwepyitha, Dagon Myothit (South and North), North Okkalapa and Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) townships of Yangon Region for ensuring security, the rule of law, and community peace and tranquillity. It was seen that some incite the youths to commit acts against nationality, language, religion and culture so as to cause violence and riots and these attempts are dangerous for the State.
Currently, the State Administration Council is implementing five future programmes and releasing findings of scrutiny on voter lists on first priority. The combined lists will be released upon completion. Moreover, the findings on briberies were also released. It is necessary to strive for improvement of the political, economic and social sectors of the State. As the closure of schools based on the outbreak of Covid-19 cause loss to individual students and parents as well as the State, preparations are being made to reopen the schools in a systematic manner. Some suggestions were made to close the schools, not to gather crowds and not to commit incitement. He expressed his concept that if schools are closed one year, it will be a one-year loss. So, efforts will be made to reopen the schools. Moreover, strenuous efforts are being made to achieve success in the peace process. Based on experiences, undertakings will be carried out for the all-round development of the State so as to build the Union based on democracy and federalism firmly.
State defence duty is the primary duty of the State, especially defending external danger. So, the capacity of members of the Myanmar Police Forces is being improved as they are mainly responsible for the security of the country.
The Senior General stressed the need to improve the Tatmadaw with high combat power and combat ability. He urged all to enhance the individual capability to have better teamwork and serve their duties conscientiously. He also urged all to improve individuals and their military units while striving for uplifting prestige of the Tatmadaw, the State and the nationality.
After the meetings, the Senior General and party viewed agricultural and livestock breeding tasks of regiments and units in respective stations and the progress of military buildings by car.—MNA
