Myanmar, 2012

First and foremost, I

would like to congratulate Mr. Jeremić on his well-

deserved election as President of the General Assembly

at its sixty-seventh session. His country, Serbia, and

Myanmar have traditionally enjoyed a close friendship

and cooperation. Under his able leadership, the General

Assembly will hold deliberations on measures to

address the challenges faced by the world today. I am

confident that his great wisdom, rich experience and

great diplomatic skills will guide our discussions to

produce the desired outcomes.

I would also like to take this opportunity to extend

our sincere thanks and appreciation to his predecessor,

His Excellency Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, for his

outstanding leadership at the sixty-sixth session.

Myanmar consistently pursues an independent and

active foreign policy, a basic tenet of which is to actively

contribute to the maintenance of international peace

and security. In so doing, we encourage efforts to settle

differences among nations by peaceful and amicable

means. Our position is consistent with the essence of

the theme of the current session, namely, “Bringing

about adjustment or settlement of international disputes

or situations by peaceful means”.

There are different views and assessments regarding

the outcome of the United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development, held in Brazil in June. A

number of important decisions were taken on various

issues, such as the renewal of commitments, the

linkage of sustainable development to the Millennium

Development Goals, renewable energy and the

establishment of arrangements for better coordination

on sustainable development. Member States must turn those decisions into actions in order to leave the legacy

of a safe and sustainable environment to our future

generations.

Since becoming a Member State, Myanmar has

always adhered to the founding principles of the United

Nations. Our participation in the General Assembly

here in New York amply demonstrates our commitment

to active participation in, and support of, the work of

the Organization.

Today’s world is full of new challenges and

opportunities. Urbanization and industrialization

are taking place in developing countries on an

unprecedented scale. Rapid progress in information

technology gives the impression that our world is

getting smaller. Meanwhile, the natural environment

and the climate are facing new threats and challenges.

In short, the world is changing as never before. It is

also timely and appropriate to devote attention during

the current session to issues such as the post-2015

development agenda and the rule of law.

Myanmar is moving forward on the democratic

path, but that has not been an easy task. I would therefore

like to take this opportunity to share our experiences

in that regard. In the ongoing reform process, we face

challenges as well as opportunities. Within a short time,

the people of Myanmar have brought about remarkable

changes. I feel greatly privileged and honoured to

dutifully serve the people as their President at this

crucial time in the history of our nation. I truly consider

my people as my own parents and elders.

Since I took office some 18 months ago, the

parliament, the judiciary, the armed forces, the ethnic

groups, the political parties, civil society and the people

at large have been taking tangible and irreversible steps

in the democratic transition and reform process. Leaving

behind a system of authoritarian Government, in which

the administrative, legislative and judicial powers were

centralized, we have now established a democratic

Government and a strong and viable parliament that

follows a practice of checks and balances.

Despite the challenges, we can now see encouraging

progress and significant developments in the country.

Those include the granting of amnesties to prisoners; the

dignified return of exiled political forces; the successful

convening of the 2012 by-elections in a free, fair and

transparent manner; the abolition of media censorship;

freedom of access to the Internet; the establishment of worker and employer organizations; and increased

participation by the people in the political process.

At the current stage of the political process, we

can see the emergence of democratic traits, such as

the increasing participation of various political forces

and their mutual tolerance, magnanimity, the expanded

scope of political participation, representation and

accountability. Our Government and other stakeholders

have fostered a new political culture of tolerance and

dialogue.

The former main opposition leader, Nobel laureate

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, now participates in parliament,

not only in her capacity as a member but also as

Chairperson of the parliamentary Rule of Law and

Stability Committee. She is also in New York this week.

As a Myanmar citizen, I would like to congratulate her

on the honour that she has received in this country in

recognition of her efforts for democracy.

Our country’s political progress is strengthening

its political legitimacy. That, in turn, facilitates the

establishment of basic political stability, thereby paving

the way for the economic and social transformation

necessary for better living standards for the people.

The legislative body has also developed well and

functions more effectively at every sitting. Parliament

has now adopted landmark laws through democratic

practices. We are promulgating laws and by-laws,

taking into account the fact that economic development

must not widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

The rights of citizens must be protected. The natural

environment must be preserved. Our workers should

enjoy rights in line with international standards. We give

carefull consideration to investments in the extractive

sectors, such as energy, to ensure transparency and

impartiality.

We believe that the cessation of all armed conflicts

is a prerequisite to building genuine democracy. As

such, we place high priority on achieving lasting peace

in the country. In accordance with our motto “From war

to peace”, we are striving to put an end to the long-

standing problems in regions inhabited by our ethnic

groups. To date, we have reached ceasefire agreements

with 10 armed groups. We will continue the peace

talks, while further strengthening confidence-building

measures. Peace negotiations at the national level will

then continue towards a final peace agreement, which

would completely end the armed hostilities. In order to redress the situation in northern

Myanmar, leaders of the Union Peace-making Work

Committee and the Kachin armed group are holding

informal consultations and are working to further

strengthen confidence-building measures. We consider

any loss of life and property on either side in the armed

conflict as a loss for the country.

While the Government is resolutely pursuing

political, social and economic reforms, some

unfortunate and unexpected issues have arisen. A case

in point is the recent communal violence in Rakhine

State. In that connection, I would like to mention in

the first place that the people inhabiting our country,

regardless of race, religion and gender, have the right to

live in peace and security.

As the Assembly is aware, an independent

national-level investigation commission has been

established to look into the issue. To ensure impartiality,

the commission is composed of representatives from all

strata of society, including widely respected personalities

from the Buddhist, Muslim, Christian and Hindu faiths.

Upon completion of its task, the commission will submit

its findings and recommendations to me.

Demonstrating our determination to resolve the

issue in a transparent manner, we have facilitated field

visits to Rakhine State by representatives from the

Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Association

of Southeast Asian Nations, United Nations agencies,

the United States and resident foreign diplomats

in Myanmar. Access is being facilitated to those

organizations that are willing to provide relief

assistance to both communities without discrimination.

The issue at hand cannot be resolved overnight. It

will be resolved by taking short-term and long-term

measures through a multifaceted approach, taking

into account political, economic and social aspects. I

sincerely believe that as an independent and sovereign

State, Myanmar has done the right thing to secure our

borders and to safeguard our sovereignty. We will do

our utmost to resolve the issue in line with international

norms.

I am well aware of the fact that Myanmar’s

democratic transformation process will be a complex

and delicate one that requires patience. To complete

the process, we certainly need the understanding and

support of the United Nations and its States Members,

the international community as a whole and, last but

not least, the people of Myanmar. At the same time, it is equally important that Myanmar should be viewed from

a different and new perspective. It is also necessary for

us to be able to work in a more favourable environment

than ever before.

Myanmar is now ushering in a new era. As a

member in the family of nations, Myanmar will

participate more actively in the activities of the United

Nations in various fields. Standing as a responsible and

respectable nation on the world stage, we will take on

the challenges of the twenty-first century in a bold and

resolute manner.

I would also like to take this opportunity to

congratulate Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his reappointment

as General-Secretary and on his achievements thus far.

Before I conclude, allow me to brief ly mention

an important figure, namely, U Thant, a brilliant

son of Myanmar who served as the third Secretary-

General. Even in those days, U Thant had a vision of

one world. He envisioned a global society guided by

the spirit of one world — a world safe for diversity and

a place of peaceful coexistence where global citizens

could practice the virtues of tolerance, cooperation,

understanding and compassion. We believe that if we

make his vision a reality, we will soon achieve a world

that is more peaceful and prosperous. U Thant’s tireless

endeavours for peace and his achievements during his

tenure as the Secretary-General will never be forgotten.

The people of Myanmar will always take pride in and

remember him as a great son of Myanmar.