Myanmar’s Defence Services to support General Elections
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services promised to assist Myanmar’s upcoming general election to be held in November. “Any disturbances to the stability of the State and prevalence of the rule of law, any armed pressure or any threats for voting won’t be allowed in the General Elections,” he said at the 70th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Parade in Nay Pyi Taw on 27th March. More than 10,000 troops from the Army, Navy and Air of Defence Services participated in the parade in the celebration of the Armed Forces Day and it was attended by a number of senior officers from Armed Forces and government representatives. The Armed Forces Day, formerly known as the Resistance Day, is celebrated to the army started resisting Japanese occupation in 1945.
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Draft agreed by government and ethnic groups
The draft of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement was agreed and the completion was signed off between the Union Peace –making Working Committee (UPWC) and Nationwide Ceasefire Coordi- nation Team (NCCT) at the Myanmar Peace Center in Yangon on 31st March, witnessed by President U Thein Sein. The result of several peace talks and meetings came by signing of representatives from UPWC and NCCT during the last week of March. Signatories from UPWC included U Aung Min, U Thein Zaw, Lt-Gen Myint Soe, Union Minister Lt-Gen Thet Naing Win and U Khet Htein Nan, Member of Parliament. NCCT represented with U Naing Han Tha, Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win, Maj-Gen Guan Maw, Dr. Salai Lianmong Sakhoung and Col Khun Okkar. According to the imple- mentation of the peace process, a framework meeting is to be held within 60 days and a political dialogue within 90 days after the signing of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.
Netherlands’ Queen Maxima’s visit as UN’s Special Advocate
Queen Maxima arrived at Yangon International Airport on 30th March paying a visit as the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. During her three-day visit, the Queen had a meeting with ministers, professors and students at the Convocation Hall of Yangon University and noted, “Myanmar has an exciting chance to leap far ahead with financial Foreign Investment of Permitted Enterprises by the end of February By Sector inclusion thanks to the rapid rise of mobile phone services and other digital technologies.” Queen Maxima supports the collaboration between Central Bank, government ministries, commercial banks, mobile phone companies and knowledge institution to work together on financial services. During her visit, the Queen held discussions with bank representatives, micro-financing organizations and telecom companies. The mobile penetration in Myanmar is expected to reach 90 percent of the population by 2019.
