Myanmar’s powerful army chief yesterday vowed to keep the nation “on the path to democracy,” days before Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government takes office after decades of army rule.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing made the remarks at an annual display of military might by Myanmar’s armed forces, a body that long crushed democratic aspirations with an iron fist but has since stewarded the country through a remarkable transition.
“I would solemnly impart the fact that the Tatmadaw [army] will cooperate to bring about the prosperity of the union and its citizens,” he said during a speech to troops at the annual Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyidaw.
Photo: EPA
“The two main obstacles to democratization are a failure to abide by the rule of law and regulations and the presence of armed insurgencies. These could lead to chaotic democracy,” he said. “Only if these two obstacles are properly tackled and overcome will there be advancement on the path to democracy.”
Myanmar has undergone a stunning political transformation since 2011, blossoming from isolation under successive juntas to become an increasingly vibrant nation.
Its growing political openness was crowned by November last years’ election that saw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy storm to victory.
Photo: AP
After a lengthy transition her government is to take over from the outgoing army-backed administration on Wednesday, ending more than five decades of direct and indirect military rule.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who is banned by a military-era constitution from becoming president, is to serve as minister of foreign affairs but has vowed to rule through Burmese president-elect Htin Kyaw.
Her ability to cooperate with and confront the still powerful military will be a crucial test of her government, which faces a range of challenges including poverty, corruption, years of chronic under-investment and insurgencies by ethnic minority rebels.
The military still holds strong political sway under a charter that reserves a quarter of the Burmese parliament’s seats for unelected soldiers and grants the army chief direct control over three key ministries: Home affairs, border affairs and defense.
It also has significant financial clout, with two sprawling military-owned conglomerates owning vast chunks of the economy and decades of wealth accumulated by the military elite over the years.
Yesterday’s parade was a vivid reminder of the military’s wealth with polished battle tanks, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles and helicopters all on display.
During junta rule, spending on education and healthcare was a fraction of the military’s budget, a daunting legacy which now confronts the incoming civilian government.
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts said. Footage of the collapse on Wednesday showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside into the hamlet of Blatten. Swiss Development Cooperation disaster risk reduction adviser Ali Neumann said that while the role of climate change in the case of Blatten “still needs to be investigated,” the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere — the part of the world covered by frozen water. “Climate change and
Poland is set to hold a presidential runoff election today between two candidates offering starkly different visions for the country’s future. The winner would succeed Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who is finishing his second and final term. The outcome would determine whether Poland embraces a nationalist populist trajectory or pivots more fully toward liberal, pro-European policies. An exit poll by Ipsos would be released when polls close today at 9pm local time, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Final results are expected tomorrow. Whoever wins can be expected to either help or hinder the
DENIAL: Musk said that the ‘New York Times was lying their ass off,’ after it reported he used so much drugs that he developed bladder problems Elon Musk on Saturday denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the US presidential campaign trail. The New York Times on Friday reported that the billionaire adviser to US President Donald Trump used so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world’s richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms, and traveled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took power in January. In a
IMBALANCE: In Vietnam, a preference for boys has caused the sex ratio at birth to be 112 boys for every 100 girls, despite penalties for gender selection The number of births in Japan last year fell for the ninth consecutive year, reaching another historical low of fewer than 700,000, government data showed yesterday, as Vietnam, which is also battling to reverse a declining birthrate, scrapped its long-standing policy of limiting families to two children. Fast-aging Japan welcomed 686,061 newborns last year — 41,227 fewer than in 2023, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data showed. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1899. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the situation a “quiet emergency,” pledging family friendly measures such as more flexible working hours to
RSS