“The Tatmadaw personnel were also undertaking tough trainings like other militaries as instructed by the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services in order to respond to any dangers including natural disaster that may befall on the country and its citizens.”
Union Minister for Defence Lt-Gen Sein Win
Born of the independence struggles, Myanmar Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) had been steadfastly performing the duty of national defence through the successive governments’ terms. In doing so, it pays special attention to emergence of strong, efficient and patriotic armed forces which can defend the nation and its citizens competently.
A Myanmar delegation led by Union Minister for Defence Lt-Gen Sein Win attended a 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), and 5th ADMM-Plus and related meetings from 19 to 20 October 2018 in the Republic of Singapore. The delegation shared views with other delegations on defence, safety and humanitarian support matters to aid in international and regional development, security and stability.
Similarly, a Myanmar delegation led by Union Minister for Defence Lt-Gen Sein Win attended an 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum from 2018 October 24 to 27 in Beijing, People’s Republic of China to discuss and share future defence cooperation involving all nations to support the understanding of world’s security matters, assessing views on handling challenges, regional peace, stability and development.
Ministry of Defence and United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (UN CTFMR) signed an agreement on a plan of action for prevention of military recruitment of underage children on 27 June 2012 and a 13-member committee was formed. During the third one year term of the government, the government of Myanmar and UN CTFMR met twice in the Ministry of Defence and once in Yangon. Monitoring visits were made to two infantry regiments and two non-combatant units. Multiplier courses on preventing recruitment of children were conducted by Military Commands and were attended by 1,520 officers and 6,163 other ranks. The courses were conducted Military Command wise once every two months. Tatmadaw personnel found to have been recruited before reaching the age of 18 years were also being released from military duty according to Tatmadaw rules and regulations. 75 were released back to their parents or guardians on 31 August 2018 and a further 32 were released back to their parents or guardians on 31 March 2019. To prevent enlistment of under 18 years old bone X-ray method was used to determine their ages. Using this method prevents recruitment of 1,636 under age recruits during the third one year period. And it had prevented unusual recruitment of under aged recruits during the third one year period.
Myanmar Tatmadaw in cooperation with UN CTFMR was following to the letter the Plan of Action agreement to increase the momentum of preventing military recruitment of minor children.
Tatmadaw agreed to a request by CTFMR on using the National Campaign Materials again and materials were aired from state-own TV, radios and newspapers starting from 9 May 2017. Tatmadaw was ensuring that there were no recruitment of under aged recruits for any reason and was cooperating fully with CTFMR for removing it from the list of countries using child soldiers.
A standing order had been issued for the Tatmadaw to respond and provide necessary assistant without waiting for any instruction or order whenever a natural disaster occurs. The Tatmadaw personnel were also undertaking tough trainings like other militaries as instructed by the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services in order to respond to any dangers including natural disaster that may befall on the country and its citizens. Whenever national calamities like fire, storm, flood and inundation, earthquake etc. strikes in Myanmar, Tatmadaw provides timely rescue and rehabilitation works while families of Tamadaw personnel also provide victims with cash, foods and consumer goods.
Tatmadaw provide security and helped evacuate 214 households to safety when there was a fire outbreak in nine states and regions. Help cleared four monasteries and 46 houses and provide relief assistance worth K 4.9 million. Tatmadaw also provide security and helped evacuate 979 households, cleared six monasteries and 96 houses in a fire outbreak in eleven states and regions while relief assistance worth more than K 2.6 million was provided.
Strong winds in 12 states and regions causes damages to religious, government and private buildings and houses. Tatmadaw helped evacuate 1,020 households, helped clear 18 monasteries, 15 schools, a hospital and 598 houses while providing more than K 4.5 million of relief assistance. During the three year term strong winds in 12 states and regions causes damages to religious, government and private buildings and houses. Tatmadaw helped evacuate 2,241 households, helped clear and repair 950 pagodas, 112 monasteries, 115 schools, 9 hospitals, 5,999 houses while transporting more than 19.5 tons of relief goods by Tatmadaw (Air Force) planes and helicopters in three sorties and providing more than K 156 million worth of relief assistance. Due to heavy rains, flooding and inundation occurs in 13 states and regions. Tatmadaw helped evacuate 18,347 households, helped clear and repair two pagodas, 12 monasteries, 21 schools and 91 houses. Tatmadaw (Air Force) planes and helicopters flew six sorties to transport more than 6.91 tons of relief goods and provided more than K 115 million worth of relief assistance. During the three year period heavy rains causes flooding and inundation in 14 states and regions. Tatmadaw helped evacuate 30,198 households, helped clear and repair 30 pagodas, 87 monasteries, 73 schools, six hospitals and 1,182 houses. Tatmadaw (Air Force) planes and helicopters flew 47 sorties to transport more than 133.91 tons of relief goods and provided more than K 252 million of relief assistance. When there was a collapse of a spillway in Bago Region, a train was left stranded by overflowing waters. Tatmadaw transported 50 train personnel and 1,209 passengers between Bago Region Yedashe Town and Swa Railway Station by 18 City Buses. Debris and silts covering a school was also cleared as well as affected roads.
15 Tatmadaw (Navy) vessels also conducted search and rescue of 159 persons affected by natural disaster. When the Myaungmya Suspension bridge collapse, between 14 April 2018 to 1 April 2019, two Navy landing craft helped transport 555,237 persons in 12,432 trips. When there was flooding in Mon State and Bago Region Tatmadaw (Air Force) planes and helicopters transported more than 6.9 tons of relief supplies. In addition to this, for the ease of travel of locals and departmental officials in remote and difficult to travel areas, Tatmadaw (Air Force) planes and helicopters flew 116 sorties to transport 6,479 persons and transports 4.48 tons of cargo.
Coastal hospital ship Thanlwin and inland water hospital ship Shwepazun with four support vessels conducted five treatment trips and provided health care treatments to 39,352 patients. From 5 September 2018 to 30 January 2019 mobile medical teams provided help care treatments to 14,222 patients. During the three year term health care treatments were provided to 441,482 patients out of which 2,998 patients were transferred to Tatmadaw hospitals for further treatment. Tatmadaw medical specialists provided health care and health education services in 22 townships of Chin State and Naga region.
Tatmadaw medical corps and Indian Army Medical Corps were serving as joint chair of ADMM (ASEAN Defence Minister Meeting)-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Military Medicine (EWG on MM) for three years. Myanmar’s ADDM-Plus EWG on MM hosted the 2nd ASEAN Military Medicine Conference (2nd AMMC) from 17 to 21 February 2019 in Melia Hotel, Yangon.
University Training Corps (UTC) was formed in 1952 as a reserve force and by 1988 it was expanded to UTC 1, UTC 2 and UTC 3. In academic year 2018-2019 the corps numbered UTC 1, UTC 2, UTC 3, UTC 4 and UTC 6 and trained 4,379. During the three year term a total of 15,995 were trained. In 2018 a total of 1,850 teachers and students were given additional training at Tatmadaw training schools. Starting from 2016 to date a total of 4,904 teachers and students were given additional training at Tatmadaw training school. Advisory Committee had appointed 16 teachers of the Corps as honorary gazetted officers between 2014 and 2016. In academic year 2018-2019 arrangements were made to appoint 12 more teachers of the Corps as honorary gazetted officers.
Furthermore during 2019 a total of 302 students from University for Development of National Races (Ywathitgyi) were given basic military training at UTCs. Arrangements were made to provide basic military trainings to students from Degree College for Development of National Races (Yangon and Sagaing) during academic year 2018-2019. From 2015 to date a total of 9,460 students from these education institutes were provided with basic military trainings.
The Tatmadaw, upholding “Our Three Main National Causes” (Non-disintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity and Perpetuation of sovereignty), was performing its national defence duties and participating in the national development works and the works of Military of Defence during the third one year period was hereby presented.
( Translated by Handytips)
