December 07, 2019

Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the 61st intake graduation ceremony at the Defence Services Academy (DSA) in PyinOoLwin yesterday.

In his address, the Senior General said that the DSA has nurtured young leaders with the necessary skills and heart required for the Tatmadaw (Army, Navy, Air Force) and they need to maintain this standard when carrying out their assigned tasks. He said that they need to practice good leadership, become a role model for their peers, and acquire the trust and respect of others as well.

The Senior General said that the Tatmadaw is tasked with defending the nation and defence entails preparation and training as opposed to carrying out immediately. He said while the DSA provided the fundamentals of military and literature education, they must continually improve themselves and the troops under their command. He said they must be physically fit, skilled in their relevant sector, brave and continually self-improving.

The Senior General said that the Tatmadaw upholds the three tasks of non-disintegration of the nation, ethnic solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty as the pinnacle of national policies, and to carry out their assigned tasks even at the cost of sacrificing one’s own life. He said as the Tatmadaw was formed from among the various ethnic races of the people, they must protect the livelihood of all citizens and ensure their daily safety.

The Senior General said that while the nation has all the natural resources essential for a country, it still needs resources to ensure peace and the long armed conflicts in the country have to be quelled completely to establish a modern, developed and united country. He said the Tatmadaw is working not just for immediate peace, but for everlasting peace and stability. He said the peace process implementation must be done in line with the NCA path, which will eventually lead to a genuine democratic republic based on a federal system.

The Senior General said that this is why the Tatmadaw stands only with the NCA path and continues strongly with the peace process. He said they would endeavour to deliver completion of the peace process and everlasting peace desired by the people in 2020. He concluded his address by encouraging the graduates to practice their acquired skills and become dependable good leaders for the nation and the Tatmadaw, according to information released by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.—MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)