3 January
A nation is said to be sovereign if it upholds the three pillars of democracy — the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. In addition, its people must enjoy authentic freedom.
We can say there is freedom and sovereignty in a country if its citizens can access the three pillars of democracy in line with the established laws of the land, and the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, are in turn, accountable to the people.
But even a free sovereign state can be called authoritarian if its people do not have freedom of thought, expression, belief, vocation, association, or action. A truly free sovereign state must ensure justice, liberty, and equality to strengthen peace and stability.
These considerations were reflected in the preamble to the 1947 constitution of the Union of Burma and in our resolution for independence. Before our country achieved independence, our forefathers swore to make Myanmar an independent sovereign state built on liberty, justice, and equality, the birthright of every citizen.
One cannot enjoy these rights and opportunities under the administration of foreign entities. And though there may be more mobility under a kingship or an authoritarian administration, there cannot be fair and equal opportunity. Discrimination is not acceptable to our people anymore.
There are still countries which have a king or a queen, but they do not have a monarchy. Their real power lies in their parliament, elected by the people, and comes to life in the three pillars of democracy, without which they cannot claim to be truly independent and sovereign.
Myanmar is now an independent, sovereign nation with a democratic system and representatives elected by the people. After independence, Myanmar held its first general election to establish the resolutions for independence, and continues to do so.
As citizens of a free and sovereign nation, we must unite to protect and uphold the Republic of the Union of Myanmar for as long as the free and peaceful world exists.
GNLM
