The 60th anniversary of independence of the Union of Myanmar falls on 4 January 2008. Myanmar had been able to stand tall in the world only when national brethren worked hard in harmony for national progress after the nation regained independence. Nevertheless, disintegration of national people brought about internal armed conflicts and broke up stability and peace of the State. The situations had a strong negative impact on production of goods, trade and job opportunities.
In consequence, the people lost opportunities to show their hard work even though they were willing to do so. After that, peace could be restored to an extent. However, nationalization of private enterprises posed a barrier to the opportunities of hardworking Myanmar people in the time of the Revolutionary Council Government. Again in the time of the Myanmar Socialist Programme Party, restrictions on private enterprises according to the socialist economy hindered Myanmar people’s opportunities to make efforts in their work. In those times, Myanmar people had to work hard several times more than others did. Nonetheless, they were not in a position to achieve targets. Forty years after independence, Myanmar became one of the least developed countries, resulting from lack of national cohesion from 1948 to 1988, and defects in the economic system it exercised.
The nation’s situations went from bad to worse, and the nation was on the verge of losing sovereignty. On 18 September 1988, the Tatmadaw (armed forces) had to take up State duties unavoidably. The Tatmadaw government took all possible measures to reconstruct the nation. It held peace talks with national race armed groups for national reconsolidation and could make peace with 17 major armed groups and many small ones. As a result, peace could be restored in the regions that had not enjoyed peace, and the people had been able to spread their wings in their businesses.
In Mon and Kayin states where peace could not be restored in the past, the government managed to make peace with national race armed groups to foster national solidarity. The people in the states were able to cultivate crops in the vacant and fallow lands extensively. They put thousands of acres under rubber. In Taninthayi Division, rubber and oil palm were grown on hundreds of thousands of acres of arable land. I witnessed that the regions in Mon State where battles broke out before 1988 became green with crop plantations. Similarly, Kachin and Shan states came to enjoy national unity and peace. So, they were able to reclaim vacant and virgin lands and cultivated crops on them.
Therefore, the least developed regions were able to enjoy development due to national solidarity built at the unprecedented level in the time of the Tatmadaw government.
The Tatmadaw government introduced the market economy and encouraged private economy. So, national entrepreneurs have become increasingly competitive in business. Industrial zones were established in states and divisions and a large number of factories there launched their production lines. At the same time, private hotels, travel agencies, export and import enterprises and private hospitals have emerged across the nation. So, the private sector is booming now. I find Myanmar people are hardworking owing to a wide range of unprecedented opportunities created in the time of the Tatmadaw government. And they have been inspired to take four to ten steps when other countries take one. With that spirit, they tried to enable the nation to keep abreast of regional countries.
At a time when the Tatmadaw government and the people are working in collaboration to rebuild the nation, anti-government groups should realize the prevailing conditions as they really are and join hands with the people in the nation building tasks. Now, even national race armed groups have made peace and are working hand in hand with the government and the people. So, if anti-government groups participate in the nation-building undertakings, the nation will achieve rapid development and the people will enjoy prosperity all the more. And if public prosperity is not given priority and political ideology of the party concerned is put in the fore, no one will enjoy benefit and disagreements will remain unsettled.
Now, antigovernment groups are demanding West Bloc countries to impose economic sanctions against Myanmar with the intention of disrupting the economic steps the people are taking, instead of working together with the people in the nation building work. The West Bloc countries that had intended to colonize Myanmar took advantage of the demands and came to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar. That affected Myanmar people’s willingness to work hard and national development to a certain degree.
However much internal and external subversive elements and some West Bloc countries are hindering the steps the government and the people are taking in harmony, the government and the people are determined to continue to work in accordance with the State’s seven-step Road Map on self-reliant basis. Today’s Myanmar people with national awareness are keen on cooperating with global countries in national interests.
In the process, they want the motherland to be treated equally as an independent and sovereign country with other countries. They will never allow the nation to become a minion or puppet having to lose its independence or sovereignty.
Many heroes and many of our forefathers sacrificed their lives to help the Union of Myanmar regain independence. However, it is disheartening to witness that due to lack of unity among national brethren, Myanmar has not developed yet for 60 years, and the people still have to make efforts with tenacity to ensure national development. In recognition of the gratitude of those who tried at risk to their lives for independence, those misunderstanding the government should work with zest and zeal in harness with the government and the people for modernization and development of the nation. I firmly believe that if Myanmar national people are united and hardworking, Myanmar will soon meet the status of developed nations which we envy and are trying to emulate.