Military Parade: Celebrating the 79th Anniversary Armed Forces Day

The Parade of the 79th Anniversary Armed Forces Day took place at Nay Pyi Taw military parade ground on 27 March with an address by Chairman of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General ThadoeMahaThraySithuThadoeThiriThudhama Min Aung Hlaing.

Led by Parade Commander Maj-Gen Thein Zaw, the military personnel of the Tatmadaw (Army, Navy, and Air), the female parade company of the Tatmadaw (Army), members of the Myanmar Police Force, and the female parade company of MPF participated in the parade columns of Anawrahta, Kyansittha, Bayintnaung, Aung Zeya, Sinphyushin, Bandhula, and Aung San, marching from Thit Tat Ground to the Military Parade Ground, chanting the military songs.

Along the route, the wife of the Chairman of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, together with the wife of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) and wives of senior military officers, as well as family members, artists, and the local community welcomed the military columns by honoring them with garlands.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing arrived at the parade ground and took position at the dais, taking the salute of the Tatmadaw members and MPF members. He then inspected the military parade columns. The Senior General, the military personnel, and members of the MPF also saluted the State Flag and fallen personnel and took the Four Oaths in chorus.

In his speech, the Senior General stressed that since the pre-independence period, the history of the country’s political landscape has been characterized by unpredictability and complexity, echoing the sentiment of intransigent behaviors: “Intricate patterns of politics are similar to the nature’s outcome of an egg or a cloud”. Even after Independence, a stable political system has been elusive due to diverse ideologies and perspectives, resulting in the implementation of various political systems. It can be observed that along with the unstable political system, the development of the country has lagged behind compared to other nations.

Hence, to bolster the development and resilience of the present democratic trajectory, the State Administration Council is currently pursuing two political visions: “To strengthen a disciplined and authentic multiparty democratic system; To foster a Union founded upon democratic and federal systems” and the two national visions of the state: “The prosperity of the nation and food security”. He highlighted that these visions represent the nation’s ambitions that must be relentlessly pursued.

To achieve these ambitions, reflecting the absolute reality of the country, the Five-Point Roadmap and the Nine Objectives have been tailored and implemented. The Senior General urged Tatmadaw personnel to fulfill any assigned roles with a thorough understanding of these roadmaps and objectives. He emphasized that with the rapid developments in information technology and communication networks in the current age, there is an increasing misuse of social media.

Opposing individuals and organizations are exploiting social media to target the Tatmadaw, attempting to degrade its political reputation, falsify public opinion, and incite subversion. He stressed that all citizens, including Tatmadaw members, are needed to be critical and vigilant regarding unreliable media sources.

He called for Tatmadaw members, adhering to the military code of conduct, engaging in organizational activities in the public domain, and providing public welfare services in respective regions must be done with genuine intent and goodwill.

The Senior General urged all to follow the Tatmadaw’s work process of “Study, Practice, Obey” to transform into a technologically advanced modern armed force.Then, the military columns left the parade ground, marching past the Senior General, paying salute. Meanwhile, aircraft and helicopters from Tatmadaw (Air) flew in various formations, including the 79 Logo Formation, Trail Formation, and Echelon Formation, honoring the 79th anniversary Armed Forces Day.

In honor of the Armed Forces Day, the routes along the marching of military columns and the archway of the parade ground were illuminated with Truss Beam, Light Box, and Lighting Pole, as well as the LED Strip Light depicting the representing color of each military column. Likewise, streets were illuminated with colorful lights along with the banners and flags of the state and Tatmadaw (Army, Navy, Air).