YANGON, 27 Mar - Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe delivered an address at the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Parade in the Resistance Park on U Wisara Road here today.
Excerpts from Senior General Than Shwe's address:
Just as our Tatmadaw strove and regained our independence, it is also duty bound to safeguard and perpetuate this independence and sovereignty.
To be a Tatmadaw which is capable of defending a peaceful, modern and prosperous nation, it is essential to be modern, strong and highly capable.
History has taught us a great lesson that our nation was subjugated because we lacked a modern Tatmadaw.
You must possess military capability, organizational capability and administrative capability-the Three Capabilities.
You, Comrades, are having to shoulder the Tatmadaw's primary duty and duties of State simultaneously, you will have to strive four or five times harder than usual.
You cannot move at normal pace. It is necessary that you do not forget the rough path Tatmadawmen have traversed in life and your having to toil day and night, rain or shine, even passing up food.
In building up the Tatmadaw through morale, the first point is to see that patriotism is high. The second is discipline. You, Comrades, must be able to withstand hardship.
You must always bear in mind that with slackness in national spirit our country can be in danger.
__________________________________
(2) Chairman of State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe and Daw Kyaing Kyaing host Armed Forces Day reception and dinner
YANGON, 27 Mar - Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing hosted the reception and dinner in commemoration of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day at Zeya Thiri Beikman on Konmyinttha of Yangon Command Headquarters this evening.
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing arrived at the reception and dinner at 6.55 pm.
Afterwards, Senior General Than Shwe and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing cordially met Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye, Secretary-l of the State Peace and Development Council Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Director of Defence Services Intelligence Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-2 Chairman of the Leading Committee for Observance of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Chief of Bureau of Special Operations Chief of Staff (Army) Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Secretary-3 Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Win Myint, members of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Vice-Admiral Nyunt Thein, Commander-in-Chief (Air) Lt-Gen Kyaw Than and Chairman of Management Committee for Observance of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than, Deputy Prime Ministers Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin and Lt-Gen Tin Tun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Military Affairs Quartermaster-General Lt-Gen Tin Hla, and Dean of Diplomatic Corps Ambassador of Lao People's Democratic Republic Mr Ly Bounkham and ambassadors, Charge d'Affaires of the embassies.
__________________________________
(3) Deputy Prime Minister receives Managing Director of Shandong Agricultural Industry & Commerce, Group Corporation
YANGON, 27 March Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, accompanied by Officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, arrived at the construction site of Drug Abuse Control Museum on Hanthawady Road in Kamayut Township at 3 pm today.
They were welcomed by Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin Hlaing, Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races Development Affairs Col Thein Nyunt, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Brig-Gen Pyi Sone, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, Deputy Minister for Forestry Col Thaik Tun, senior Tatmadaw Officers, Director-General of Myanmar Police Force, Heads of Department and officials.
__________________________________
(4) 27 members resign from Mawlamyine Township NLD
YANGON, 27 Mar - Twenty-seven members resigned from the National League for Democracy of Mawlamyine Township, Mon State.
Six members of Mawlamyine Township NLD, Mon State, on their own volition, resigned by sending letters of resignation to Mawlamyine Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission and the party concerned on 12 March 1999 and 21 members, totaling 27, followed suit on 13 March 1999 as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD.
On 15 March 1999, 27 members of Mawlamyine Township NLD handed over their resignation letters and party signboard to the Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission.
__________________________________
(5) Commander attends prizes presentation of Literary and Art Competitions
YANGON, 27 Mar - Prizes presentation ceremony for special prize winners in Armed Forces Day Literary and Art Competitions in commemoration of 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day was held at Mya Nyila Hall of No 2 Basic Education High School in Latha Township this afternoon, attended by member of the State Peace and Development Council Chairman of Management Committee for Observance of 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than.
Also present on the occasion were Commanders of military regions, Commanding officers, Tatmadaw officers, Chairman of Latha Township Peace and Development Council U Thaung, Headmistress of Latha Basic Education High School No 2 Daw Khin Ohn Myint and winners.
Commander Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than presented prizes and certificates of honour to 98 winners in article, literary, poetry, colour photos, military marching song and military song composing, painting, sculpture, essay, extempore talks, TV quiz and computer quiz competitions.
__________________________________
(6) Armed Forces Day Exhibition continues for second day
YANGON, 27 Mar - The 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Exhibition continued for the second day at Defence Services Museum on Shwedagon Pagoda Road from 9 am to 6 pm today.
A total of 6,252 members of Sangha and people visited the exhibition.
The exhibition will continue from 9 am to 6 pm daily till 4 April. Admission is free.
__________________________________
(7) 47 members resign from Kyaukpadaung Township NLD
YANGON, 27 Mar - Forty-seven members resigned from the National League for Democracy of Kyaukpadaung Township, Mandalay Division.
Forty-sever members of Kyaukpadaung Township NLD, Mandalay Division, on their own volition, resigned by sending letters of resignation to Kyaukpadaung Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission and the party concerned op 9 December 1998 as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD.
__________________________________
(8) Tatmadaw men participating in marching columns accorded rousing welcome
YANGON, 27 Mar - Tatmadaw members of Anawrahta Column, Kyansitha Column, Bayintnaung Column, Nawaday Column, Aungzeya Column, Hsinpyushin Column, Bandoola Column, Myawady Column and Aung San Column led by Parade Commander Brig-Gen Aung Min were marching from Myoma Ground to Resistance Park at 6 am.
Along the route, they were cheered by 20,000 people.
Among the people, Daw Kyaing Kyaing, wife of Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe, Daw Mya Mya San, wife of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye, Dr Daw Khin Win Shwe, wife of Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Director of Defence Services Intelligence Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Daw Khin Than Nwe, wife of Secretary-2 Chairman of Leading Committee for Observance of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Chief of Bureau of Special Operations Chief of Staff (Army) Lt-Gen Tin Oo and Daw Khin Cho Oo, wife of Secretary-3 Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Win Myint, presented garlands and flowers to Tatmadaw men participating in marching columns.
__________________________________
(9) Defence Services Museum remains open
YANGON, 27 Mar - The Defence Services Museum opened in commemoration of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day on Shwedagon Pagoda Road remained open today and the booths were crowded with visitors.
The booth on Twelve Objectives of the State, booths of the Tatmadaw (Navy), Directorate of Signals and Office of the Chief of Armed Forces Training were staged on the ground floor. The booth on Nation Building Endeavours, Directorate of Defence Services Museum and Historical Research Institute exhibition room No-1 and booths of military commands were on the first floor.
There were documentary photographs and paintings, set-up of the Tatmadaw (Navy) and Tatmadaw (Air), biographies, photographs, maps and documents related to the Thirty Comrades, charts, graphs and development tasks endeavoured by the respective military commands and other booths in the museum.
The Defence Services Museum will remain open to the public from 9 am to 6 pm
daily till 4 May. Admission is free.