Myanmar military pledges to stop future power grab<\/p>\n
YANGON (Agencies): The Myanmar military government has vowed
\nto develop the country so the nation's armed forces never need to
\nseize power again, official media outlets said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, the army's chief of staff and Secretary Two
\nin the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), was
\nquoted as making the statement Monday during a meeting with armed
\nforces officers. The meeting was convened to clarify the
\ncountry's present situation.<\/p>\n
\"The SPDC government is building good political, economic and
\nsocial foundations with genuine goodwill in order that the
\nTatmadaw (the military) will never take over state power in the
\nfuture,\" Tin Oo was quoted as saying at the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n
The SPDC abolished the former ruling body -- the State Law and
\nOrder Restoration Council (SLORC) -- and took power in a surprise
\ngovernment change last month, reportedly aimed at rooting out
\ncorrupt ministers.<\/p>\n
The change involved some major reshuffles in the ministries
\nand the ruling military body. Several allegedly corrupt ministers
\nwere removed from the cabinet and placed on an Advisory Group,
\nwhich the SPDC dissolved last week.<\/p>\n
Rumors have been sweeping through Yangon that authorities have
\narrested several members of the group and were questioning them,
\nbut the government has denied making any arrests.<\/p>\n
Tin Oo, who is also chief of the Bureau of Special Operations,
\nsaid the SPDC was a military government that planned to transfer
\nstate power back to the people.<\/p>\n
He did not say when this would occur but stressed the
\ngovernment was laying the groundwork.<\/p>\n
\"Without these good foundations, the country will never be
\nfree from the endless cycle of the situation under which the
\nTatmadaw will have to take responsibility.\"<\/p>\n
The army seized power in 1988, after crushing a nationwide
\npro-democracy uprising.<\/p>\n
The military government allowed elections in 1990, that were
\nwon overwhelmingly by the opposition National League for
\nDemocracy (NLD) -- led by Aung San Suu Kyi -- but the SLORC
\nrefused to recognize the result and held on to power.<\/p>\n
But in an apparent reference to the recent government changes
\nand the dissolution of the Advisory Group, Tin Oo said the SPDC
\nhad to \"reconstitute\" the government.<\/p>\n
\"It is necessary for those who are taking the responsibilities
\nof the State to discharge their duties properly in the public
\ninterest,\" he was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
\"If ... mistakes cannot be mended, reconstitution like this
\nhas to be carried out,\" he said, referring to the dissolution of
\nthe SLORC.<\/p>\n
East Asian leaders agreed Monday that Myanmar should attend
\nnext year's Asia-Europe summit in Britain despite objections from
\nthe European Union (EU), a Japanese foreign ministry official
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the leaders -- from the nine-member Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with China, Japan and South
\nKorea -- \"agreed that ASEAN would go to the ASEM meeting with the
\ncurrent members next year\".<\/p>\n
ASEM is the acronym for the dialog launched by the Asia-Europe
\nmeeting of heads of state and government from the two regions in
\nBangkok last year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/myanmar-military-pledges-to-stop-future-power-grab-1447893297",
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