Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in- Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends Diamond Jubilee of Military Engineering Corps
Nay Pyi Taw February 24
Military Engineering Corps held its 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Day at Hsinbyushin Hall of Transit Centre here this morning, attended by Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present together with the Senior General were Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander- in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Maung Maung Aye, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Tun Aung, senior military officers from the Office of the Commanderin-Chief, union level officials, the Nay Pyi Taw Command commander, retired senior officers of the corps, officers and other ranks, officials and invited guests.
On arrival at the venue, the Senior General was welcomed by officials. General Maung Maung Aye, Command Commander Maj-Gen Saw Than Hlaing, and Director of Directorate of Military Engineering Maj-Gen Zaw Naing Oo formally opened the first part of the ceremony.
Then, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing unveiled the signboard commemorating the Diamond Jubilee Day and posed for documentary photos together with attendees.
At the second part, the Senior General and attendees enjoyed the songs “Our land of cherries” sung by academy award winner vocalist cum actor and Yang Aung “Our engineering corps” sung by members of the corps.
In his address, the Senior General said today is the 75th birthday of the corps, which has been a part of Tatmadaw since its establishment. In accord with its motto “To move, to fight, to live” the corps has been serving its missions well with the best of its intellectual and physical ability. Its dutifulness is recognized. It is a corps formed to help realize the Tatmadaw and the State’s staff and quartermaster goals and duties.
According to its history, the corps was established as Burma Sapper Miners Madras Sapper Miners after being separated from Madras Sapper Miners in 1937. It was a part of Tatmadaw that evolved through different stages during the independence struggle. It took part in combat missions and field engineering duties and drove out the colonialists to restore independence.
On 21 February 1949, KNDO insurgents seized Maymyo (now PyinOoLwin). Engineering training battalion gathered all available men and women, arms and ammunition, fought gallantly and took back the town on 24 February. During the battle, Ma Chit Po, wife of Corporal Hla Maung of the battalion showed her courage that has been recorded in history. As a true wife of a soldier, Ma Chit Po daringly took part in the battles with the spirit of a martyr and sacrificing spirit for the national cause at any emergency period. She was captured and killed by the enemy while battling the insurgents on 8 April 1949. She is a heroine who sacrificed life for the country. In 1950, the State conferred Thura Title on her as an acknowledgement of her heroism and valor. She is the first woman to receive the Thura Title and the pride of the corps.
In honor of its outstanding courage and the recapture of Pyin Oo Lwin on 24 February 1949, the Day was set as the Military Engineering Corps Day as an example of dutifulness, loyalty towards country and race, and ability to erect a milestone of the corps for all its members at all levels. Now it has reached the Diamond Jubilee.
From the early post-independence period and throughout the past successive periods Military Engineering Corps had provided battlefield engineering support in anti-insurgency operations and gallantly joined the infantry forces in the battles. After 1988, officers and other ranks of the corps took part in nation-building tasks from the respective sectors. It also built roads and bridges in border areas and erected essential infrastructures for the Tatmadaw.
The Military Engineering Corps is carrying out humanitarian demining and mine clearance operations. Special demining teams (EOD squads) have been formed in the battlefield engineering battalions and are conducting demining operations in towns and removing unexploded ordnance.
As the Tatmadaw, when a natural disaster occurs in the country, it provides relief and rescue operations without delay. And their engineering skills, machines, vehicles, and mechanisms are also actively contributing.
The Military Engineering Corps participated in the transportation of the Maravijaya Buddha Image, the world's largest marble statue, which was consecrated on August 1, 2023. Moreover, the corps took responsibility to build pagodas, monasteries, lakes, rest houses, a bridge, a garden and administrative buildingsin the precinct of the pagoda, and they are historical records of the Military Engineering Corps.
As a result of such efforts, the crops members were awarded honorary degrees and titles presented by the State. From the day it was first designated as the Military Engineering Crops Day to today's Diamond Jubilee, five people were awarded the title of Thura including Tura Ma Chit Po, 136 people gallantry medals, 57 people titles of heroism of the Commanderin-Chief of Defence Services, 103 people certificates of honor of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, and 24 people certificates of honor for military capability. In addition, one person was awarded the honorary degree presented by the State for his excellent management of engineering tasks, the title of Sithu and the title of Zeya Kyawhtin, one person the title of Thiri Pyanchi, eight people the title of Zeya Kyawhti and one person the title of Theikpa Kyawswa totaling 11. In the medal of excellence performance, eight people were awarded management excellence medals (first grade), 16 people (second grade) and 23 people (third grade), one person social excellence medal (second grade), one person (third grade), four people industrial and commercial excellencemedals (third grade), three people technical excellence medal (second grade), three people technical excellence medal (second grade), and seven people technical excellence medal (third grade) totalling 63.
The Military Engineering Corps, which was part of the Tatmadaw since the struggle for Myanmar's independence, has now been able to proudly stand as an international-level crops. In addition, the officers and soldiers who served in the military engineering corps have proven many times during their 75-year journey that they have been able to carry on the tasks given to them by the State and the Tatmadaw. Therefore, as members of the military engineering corps, they must take responsibility for maintaining these good traditions and pass them on to the next generations as a valuable legacy. The slogans set by the military engineering crops must continue to fulfill their duties.
The military engineering corps are urged to study the engineering technologies that are changing with the times and strive to build a capable corps. Then the Senior General wished that from the Diamond Jubilee Day of the Military Engineering Corps until many jubilees to come, as slogan says, "Continue to fight to win using engineering ability," the corps is to continue to try to stand as a crops on which the State and the Tatmadaw can rely.
After that, the Director of the Military Engineering Corps gave a summary of the history of the Corps and showed a documentary Video commemorating the Diamond Jubilee Day of the Military Engineering Corps. Then, the Military Engineering Corps members performed the commemorative song "Military Engineers in History".
Afterwards, the Director of the Military Engineering Corps presented a commemorative gift to the Senior General.
Then, the Senior General warmly greeted the retired senior officers of the military engineering corps who attended the ceremony.
Then, the Senior General and party toured the galleries commemorating the (75th) Diamond Jubilee Military Engineering Corps Day.
Later, the Senior General and party had lunch together to mark the (75th) Diamond Jubilee Military Engineering Corps Day.
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