Esteemed all ethnic national people,
I respectfully extend greetings to all ethnic national people residing in the country with healthiness,happiness and auspiciousness on the occasion of the 74th Anniversary of Independence Day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
The national brethren residing in Myanmar in unison had stood tall in the world as an independent and sovereign country with its own monarch since yore in good traditions while preserving its own culture and own customs.
However, Myanmar was aggressively occupied similar to other countries by colonialists in the late-19th Century due to colonialism overwhelming the entire world, losing the independence and sovereignty of the State.
All national brethren of the Union sharing their future together fought back the colonialists through the Union spirit and regained the independence and sovereignty of the State on 4 January 1948. So far, Myanmar has regained its independence for 74 years.
The country lost its independence within some months but took many years to regain its independence in its struggle, with the sacrifice of many lives. The loss of independence is of great importance for a country, so all citizens are fully responsible for safeguarding the sovereignty in perpetuity.
Despite regaining the independence of Myanmar, the divide and-rule policy exercised by the colonialists between the hilly regions and plain regions for more than a hundred years sowed a seed of spark among the national brethren to decline the trust, and the doubts ignited the armed conflicts harming the internal peace. At that time, the AFPFL was the most powerful political organization in the country.
Later, the different attitudes of leaders made the country faint. Although the AFPFL could be combined with organizations in diverse political concepts such as communists, socialists and Pyithu Yebaw, later, the organizational measure broke down because of different opinions in groups and personal cults. Consequently, the AFPFL split into small groups, pushing the country into the narrow corner. Later, the conflicts based on political doctrines and isms in different forms harmed the stability of the State. Despite 74 years of term when the conflicts are being solved, the country lagged in development behind the neighbouring countries and regional countries.
Taking the lessons from the bitter past experiences of the evil colonialism, the entire ethnic people always need to take notice of instigation, incitement and posing pressure in serving the interests of the State. All citizens have to unitedly preserve the non-disintegration of the Union, the non-disintegration of the national solidarity and the perpetuation of sovereignty as the national duty with the mature nationalistic spirit and loyalty to the country, nationality and religion. As such, Myanmar would stand tall as an independent and sovereign nation.
Fully exercising the genuine, disciplined multiparty democracy in fairness, national brethren born in the Union all need to build the Union based on democracy and federalism through mutual respect, understanding and trust.
To be able to restore the perpetual peace through the united strength, it is necessary to continue the cooperation among all for ensuring the harmonious development of the Union in all aspects.
In so doing, the ethnic people and relevant organizations should join hands in unison with the Tatmadaw for the State to continuously strengthen on the right track of democratization. Our country is located on fertile soil and favourable weather. It is necessary to systematically utilize these naturally sound foundations together with human resources. If not only the government but political forces, political parties, the Tatmadaw and the ethnic national people harmoniously participate in domestic businesses and manufacturing industries with concerted efforts, it is sure that all would enjoy the fruits of development.
The government of the State Administration Council focuses on the prosperity of the country and food sufficiency as the way of development for the State. The prosperity of the country comprises peace and stability of the State, national unity and socio-economic development. The political system practised and to be practised by the State must be harmonized with the political culture for ensuring the peace and stability of the State. The political system being practised and to be practised by Myanmar is the genuine, disciplined multiparty democracy.
Individuals and organizations need to have a wider scope of political knowledge to practise democracy. It is necessary to realize the all-inclusive political system. To do so, the government is holding meetings with relevant political parties on a wider scale. The government is joining hands with the people in effectively preventing terror acts of NUG and PDF terrorists which harm the peace and stability and security of the people.
As Myanmar is a Union formed with all ethnic nationals, strengthening the national unity is to serve the national interests of the State and the people. Colonialists committed disunity of national races in the colonial era to last the term of enslavement. Likewise, it is noticeable that neo-colonialists are still committing the disintegration of unity among the national brethren to have the chance to exploit Myanmar as they like. The government is striving for ceasing the internal armed conflicts and disunity based on the different doctrines and isms to restore perpetual peace. Hence, all the entire ethnic people are urged to participate in the process.
More than 70 per cent of the people are residing in the rural areas of Myanmar, engaging in agriculture and livestock as their livelihoods. Hence, priority is being given to ensure food sufficiency for the improvement of the social life of the people. Food is a basic need across the world, and food is essential that it is used daily for the daily life of humans.
Plans are underway to increase the peracre yield of crops and develop mechanized farming through modern techniques in agriculture and livestock farming works. All the entire ethnic people are urged to strive for prosperity of the nation and food sufficiency with might and main. Such a development plan is the actual needs of the State. At present, the entire national people are facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
While making efforts for overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, all need to implement the development plan which actually needs for the State. In so doing, all national brethren must amicably strive for implementation of the plan based on the genuine Union spirit.
While the State Administration Council is implementing the five-point road map and nine political, economic and social objectives to build the Union based on democracy and federalism by fully exercising justice and fairness for the genuine disciplined multiparty democracy, the entire national people must overcome all difficulties and hindrances they face through the united strength. As such, the genuine disciplined democracy can be realized to emerge a good, clean government and governance.
As today is the knowledge age, education plays a crucial role in the development of the country. Only when Myanmar, a developing country, emphasizes state-building and nation-building based on knowledge will it conform with the era and keep abreast of the globe. Section 366 of the Constitution (2008) states that “Every citizen, in accord with the educational policy laid down by the Union: (a), has the right to education: and (b) shall be given basic education which the Union prescribes by law as Compulsory.”
The government is emphasizing the learning of all citizens and school-age children to finish the KG+9 (basic education middle school level). Only when they complete the basic education at the KG+9 level will they have to continue further learning in at least vocational education. Hence, the entire national people are urged to actively encourage them to learn for the future of the State.
Education is a tool to build necessary mental and physical characters to successfully overcome challenges whenever everybody faces the way of the mundane world. On the other hand, if one has adequate education, one will know to be healthy. If they are educated ones, they will have the knowledge to be healthy. Hence, continuous efforts must be made for ensuring the abundance of educated ones and for the emergence of well-versed human resources based on knowledge. I’d like to urge our people to strive for the development of the State with their capacity.
As such, the entire national people have to accept the four national objectives of the 74 th Anniversary of Independence Day
-All ethnic nationals to safeguard non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national unity, and perpetuation of sovereignty;
-To ensure the emergence of a good and clean government and administrative system by imple- menting a genuine disciplined democracy;All ethnic nationals to amicably and unitedly co - operate in the country development based on the genuine Union spirit;
-To strive for restoring perpetual peace the entire people aspire with a firm vow and to harmoniously participate in the implementation of the road map of the State. Taking lessons from the past events, in which forefathers passed their lives as slaves, on the integration of unity and lack of a strong permanent armed force, they all have to understand the value of independence. The new generations are urged to serve the interests of the motherland as much as they can after understanding the value of independence we have regained.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
Prime Minister
Chairman, State Administration Council
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