Lifetime Honorary Patron of Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) Agga Maha Mingala Dhamma Jotikadhaja Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets members of YMBA (Central) Protection of race, language and religion is national cause, and when it comes to national cause, every citizen has the responsibility
Nay Pyi Taw February 17
Lifetime Honorary Patron of Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) Agga Maha Mingala Dhamma Jotikadhaja Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met members of YMBA (Central) at their office in the precinct of Shwedagon Pagoda, Dagon, Township, Yangon Region this morning.
Present together with the Senior General were SAC Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, SAC member Lt-Gen Nyo Saw, union ministers, the Yangon Region chief minister, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Yangon Command commander, and YMBA Chair U Ye Tun and patrons, the vice chair and members.
First, the Senior General was warmly welcomed by the YMBA chair, patrons, the vice chair and members.
At the parlour of the office, the YMBA chair reported on Abhidhamma and culture courses, and language courses conducted by YMBA on a national scale, involvement of YMBA members in public welfare undertakings, formation of teams for natural disaster relief and rescue, a new HQ building project, and the new building’s interior plan including an exhibition room on YMBA’s history.
The Senior General said the new HQ must be built systematically, and since its establishment, the promotion of race, language, religion, knowledge, has been a YMBA goal. Protection of race, language and religion is the national cause, and when it comes to the national cause, every citizen has the responsibility. SAC is also serving the national cause, and YMBA is serving the national cause through race, language, religion, and knowledge promotion. YMBA must try to set up a good human society by teaching youths politeness and develop the country by strengthening the power of national spirit. YMBA should steer youths to embrace better basic principles, the spirit of protecting and preserving the race, language, religion and knowledge, a correct attitude towards the country and citizens, and the correct path.
Sadly, youths are involved in terrorism under the internal and external instigations to ruin the country and the influences of political extremists. The valuable new generation of the country are absent from nation-building endeavours, while committing destructive acts on the wrong path. It’s an alarming situation for the nation’s future. Those youths should be steered back towards the correct path.
The country must produce valuable human resources in developing the five strengths of youths. SAC adopted a social objective to promote the youth sector by nurturing youth members to have the five strengths and to lead the nation's development undertakings. YMBA’s goal also includes the production of versatile, physically strong, knowledgeable youths. So, both have the same objective for the betterment of the country. YMBA must work with a broader vision like its founders and leaders of the successive periods did. YMBA should play a role in bringing out required human resources for the country.
YMBA must be an organization that can take the leading role in the national cause and should be free from politics in doing so. Instigators of terrorism and destructive media are against the national cause as they are trying to ruin the country’s future. All the citizens including nationalities can enjoy equal rights, but ethnic armed conflicts broke out as a result of insincere actions.
Every citizen has a duty to defend the country and the Tatmadaw will never allow anyone to undermine “Our Three Main National Causes.” Ways and means must be sought to inspire the union spirit and patriotism in every citizen. In taking measures for the stability of the country, all the people must have fine physical and mental convictions. Only when measures are taken out of the spirit of fine convictions for the country and the people, will physical conditions improve.
At present, the People’s Military Service Law has been enforced with the aim of safeguarding “Our Three Main National Causes” as a national duty. It is necessary for the YMBA to carry out tasks to improve five strengths by taking the concept into consideration. Since its formation, the YMBA has been a national organization that is based on social affairs in the interests of the country rather than on religion and has been carrying out nation building tasks through physical, intellectual and mental strengths. As every citizen has a duty to defend the country, the People’s Military Service Law has been promulgated for a long time. An appropriate number of people within the designated age limits will be assigned duties within the limited periods and measures will be taken not to put burden on the country and the people. However, there are instigations founded on baseless fake news and opinions without studying the law. YMBA branches in respective regions themselves are required to understand the law and to take measures to enable the public to have the right understanding about the law.
By serving people’s military service or national military service, citizens will nurture the spirit of serving the interests of the country through fine practices of team spirit and team work in themselves. The spirit of defending one’s country is a noble spirit. Nowadays, there are many war veterans who volunteer themselves to serve in the military while there are many civilians who express the desire to do so. The YMBA is required to instill the spirit of serving the defence duties of the country in youths. As the YMBA is one of the important social organizations in serving the interests of the country, it is required to carry out tasks to protect the race, religion, Sasana and wisdom with all seriousness and to take other necessary measures systematically.
Then, union ministers and officials reported to the Senior General on measures to enable the public to get true news and to ward off worries with the correct understanding about the People’s Military Service Law to defend the country, to ensure the security of the public health sector and to enhance the role of youths who are future of the country and pointed out the need for the YMBA to participate in the efforts of government officials to instill union spirit and national solidarity spirit in the citizens.
After hearing the reports, the Senior General made concluding remarks, saying elders are required to use their experience and wisdom as pushes and pulls in shaping a family or a country into a better and safe one while youths are required to follow the guidance of elders through their youthful strength. As it is members of a family or citizens of a country who are responsible for improving the conditions of a family or a country, tasks to inspire love for the family or the country in citizens must be carried out as a national duty. The government has been working at multiple fronts to nurture wellorganized united strength for nation building. In conclusion, the Senior General urged the YMBA to exert utmost efforts to protect the race, religion, Sasana and wisdom and to strengthen national solidarity.
Then, the Senior General accepted the Dhamma gift presented by Chairman U Ye Tun and members of the YMBA.
Afterward, the Senior General cordially greeted the chairman and members of the YMBA and members of teams founded by the YMBA for prevention of natural disasters.