Myanmar, 1995

It gives me great pleasure to

extend warm congratulations, on behalf of the delegation

of Myanmar and on my own behalf, to Mr. Diogo Freitas

do Amaral on his assumption of the presidency of the

General Assembly at its fiftieth session. The diplomatic

skills and experience he brings to his high office assure

us of a successful session.

Allow me to take this opportunity to express our

appreciation to Mr. Amara Essy, Foreign Minister of Côte

d’Ivoire, for having so successfully guided the

deliberations of the last session.

The United Nations is 50 years old this year. It is

both a time for celebration and an opportunity for

reflection. The Organization has evolved over time and

has served us well for half a century. The significant

increase in the membership — from the original 51 to the

present 185 — underscores the continuing relevance of

the United Nations. However, vast transformations are

now taking place, and reforms in the structure and work

of the Organization must be instituted to reflect the new

realities. We wish to see a more efficient and result-

oriented Organization — one that retains mechanisms

which have proved effective and adopts innovative

measures to ensure cooperation in the post-bloc world.

Security Council reforms constitute one of the most

important issues to be addressed. Myanmar stands for a

pragmatic approach that will ensure that the Council

evolves into a more representative, effective and

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democratic body. To judge from the work done during the

last two sessions of the General Assembly by the Open-

ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable

Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the

Security Council, it is clear that there is a convergence of

views that the Council should be enlarged. The enlargement

should however be accompanied by measures to make it

more effective. It should ensure equitable geographical

representation and at the same time preserve the possibility

for smaller States to serve on the Council.

Myanmar fully supports the position of the

non-aligned countries which stresses the importance of

enhancing the effective and efficient functioning of the

Security Council by adopting measures geared towards

reforming its working methods and procedures.

Myanmar welcomes the actions already taken to

enhance the relationship between the Council and the

general membership as well as measures to improve its

working methods and procedures. We are particularly

pleased to see that the Council has initiated the holding of

orientation debates and briefings by the President of the

Council for States non-members of the Security Council.

We see the need to enhance cooperation between the

Security Council and the General Assembly in accordance

with Articles 10, 11, 12 and 14 of the Charter. We also

share the view that reforms can best be achieved through a

combination of means that include General Assembly

resolutions, changes in the rules of procedure, and

appropriate amendments to the Charter where necessary.

At the same time, the role of the General Assembly —

the one forum where all the Member States are

represented — should be reviewed to enable it to deal more

effectively with outstanding problems and to allow it to

focus on the new challenges of our times.

We consider it vital that there be a more dynamic

relationship between the main organs of the

Organization — the General Assembly, the Security

Council and the Economic and Social Council.

In recent years the United Nations, despite constraints,

has been in the forefront of the international community’s

efforts to deal with the unresolved problems of the cold-war

decades as well as new ones that have surfaced. It has been

called upon to meet the burgeoning demand for

peace-keeping. In some cases, like Angola, Cambodia, El

Salvador and Mozambique, it has scored successes. In some

others, like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Somalia, it has

come under heavy strain and has proved to be ineffective.

The lesson to be learned is that the Security Council

should be far more conscious of when and under what

mandate to begin peace-keeping operations. Such

operations must have clearly defined objectives. More

important, agreement among major Powers must carry

with it the support of the majority of the Member States

if it is to have the desired result.

If the United Nations system is to be revitalized and

strengthened, the basic issue of adequate financing,

particularly of peace-keeping operations, must be

addressed. Whether that happens depends on us. The

United Nations can only be as strong or as effective as

Member States choose to make it. The limitations of the

United Nations should not encourage Member States to

take precipitate action. As a Myanmar saying goes:

“When mice enter the granary, we must catch the

mice and not set fire to the granary”.

The founders of the United Nations also envisaged

it as an international body for the promotion of the

economic and social welfare of all peoples. Even though

the right to development is recognized as an inalienable

human right, the disparity between developed and

developing countries continues to widen. Member States

should reaffirm their commitment to cooperate in creating

an international economic environment conducive to the

realization of the right to development. Without

development there can be no prospect for lasting peace.

In this regard I am pleased to note that in his

recommendations on an Agenda for Development the

Secretary-General last November stressed that

development should be recognized as the foremost and

most far-reaching task of our time.

The United Nations was established on the principle

of the equality of all its Members. The mandate of the

Organization is to advance peace and security, and bring

international justice and economic and social development

to all peoples. While it deserves to be commended for its

vital role in the historic process of decolonization which

led to the independence of more than 80 countries, much

less can be said for its efforts to create an equitable

international economic order.

I am pleased to note that the perceptible

improvement in the international climate is generating a

favourable impact on some long-standing issues such as

the Middle East peace process. The initial steps taken two

years ago towards a durable peace have now been

followed by firm strides. Myanmar joins other nations in

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welcoming the accord signed by Prime Minister Rabin and

Chairman Arafat in Washington, D.C. on 28 September

1995. We hope that it will pave the way to a

comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Just as the family of nations must work together to

ensure international peace and stability, individual States

must promote peace within their territories. I am happy to

be able to say that in Myanmar peace reigns as never

before and that the momentum for positive change

continues. The Government has set 12 objectives in the

political, economic and social fields and is working

steadfastly to achieve them.

A unique feature of Myanmar is that it is a union

composed of well over a hundred national races. Unity

among the different national races is essential for the

preservation of our independence and sovereignty as well

as for the economic and social progress of the country. The

Government has adopted policies to prevent the

disintegration of the Union, ensure the non-disintegration of

national solidarity, and ensure the perpetuity of our

country’s sovereignty. Moreover, with a view to building a

peaceful, prosperous and modern nation, my Government

has formulated and is pursuing clear objectives in the

political, economic and social spheres.

Allow me to focus briefly on some of the main issues

on our national agenda.

The first issue of ensuring the stability of the State.

National reconsolidation is an indispensable component of

my Government’s policy to achieve peace and tranquillity.

A national convention has been convened to draft a new

Constitution which would be in harmony with present-day

realities and would reflect the aspirations of the entire

nation.

Secondly, in the economic sector guidelines have been

formulated to promote all-round development of agriculture,

which forms the mainstay of the nation’s economy. At the

same time, Myanmar has laid out a welcome mat to foreign

and domestic investors in order to attract capital and

technical know-how.

Thirdly, progress is sought in the social sector in order

to buttress political stability and economic progress, which

constitute foundation-stones for a peaceful, prosperous and

modern State. We are engaged in efforts to strengthen the

fabric of society by rekindling the spirit of patriotism and

uplifting the moral integrity of our citizens. The

Government is endeavouring to preserve the national

character and cultural heritage and to raise the standard of

education and health of the entire country.

It is a source of immense pride and satisfaction that

our efforts have achieved a significant measure of success

in charting a new course for the country. Insurgency,

which was born with our independence, is now coming to

a close. The unprecedented return to the legal fold of 15

out of the 16 armed groups speaks volumes for our

efforts at national reconsolidation.

On 10 July 1995 the Government also lifted the

restrictions placed on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The lifting

of restrictions is unconditional. A large number of

individuals against whom action had been taken in

accordance with the laws of the land have also been

released.

I am also pleased to be able to say that we in

Myanmar have been shouldering our responsibilities in

combating the menace posed by narcotic drugs. The

Myanmar Armed Forces have been mounting major

offensives against drug traffickers, including the forces of

Khun Sa. Since the end of 1988 there have been 823

engagements with the drug traffickers. In these clashes,

16 officers and 567 other ranks from the armed forces

sacrificed their lives for the country, 55 officers and 1,744

other ranks were wounded in action and 153 weapons

were lost. Enemy losses amounted to 720 killed, 118

captured, 221 surrendered and 708 assorted weapons

seized. The numbers speak for themselves. We are

determined to wage war against the drug traffickers as a

matter of national responsibility and we see it as our duty

to humanity. Our men have sacrificed life and limb so

that the world may be rid of the scourge of narcotic

drugs. The actions of the Myanmar Armed Forces deserve

to be accorded due recognition, just as the Blue Helmets

have been commended for their valour and courage.

In order to succeed in the fight against narcotic

drugs the Myanmar Government in May 1989 initiated an

integrated rural-development programme of an

unprecedented nature and scope in the border areas.

Subsequently, in 1992 a separate ministry devoted to the

development of border areas and national races was

established. We are fully confident that once those areas

are developed, the living standards of the local populace

are raised and alternative means of livelihood are made

available, poppy cultivation will be totally eradicated.

We have relied on our own resources in promoting

the development programmes in the border areas. Over

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2,842 million kyats, the equivalent of US$ 400 million,

have been expended for infrastructure-building. We are

grateful that, recently, Japan approved a grant of 1 billion

yen — US$ 10 million — to be used to purchase fertilizers

and agricultural machinery and implements for the food-

development programme in the border regions. It is our

hope that others too will join hands with us to develop

those regions in order that humanity may be freed from the

menace posed by narcotic drugs.

On the economic front, Myanmar has made important

gains. The economy registered a growth rate of 6.8 per cent

in 1994-1995, and prospects look bright for the future.

Foreign investment in Myanmar totals US$ 2.7 billion and

is expected to reach $4 billion by the end of the year.

An indicator of the pace of the development of the

economy is the dramatic increase in the production of the

staple crop, rice, permitting the export of over 1 million

tons. In the meantime, Myanmar is fulfilling the basic

needs of the people and is striving to narrow the gap in

living standards between urban dwellers and the rural

population.

In the realm of international relations Myanmar has

consistently pursued a policy of peace and friendship with

all States, and especially with neighbouring countries. A

recent landmark event was Myanmar’s accession to the

Treaty of Amity and Cooperation at the twenty-eighth

Ministerial Meeting of the Association of South-East Asian

Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei, paving the way for

Myanmar’s eventual entry into ASEAN.

In the light of the political and socio-economic

transformations taking place in the country and the

increased cooperation with its neighbours, Myanmar

continues to make important contributions to peace and

stability in the region and in the world.

The commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the

United Nations is a time for reflection and for resolution.

I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to renew

my country’s dedication and commitment to the purposes

and principles of the Charter and to pledge that Myanmar

will contribute, however modestly, to the realization of a

United Nations which will both serve the cause of world

peace and fulfil the needs of humanity.

In this new era we must strive to ensure that all

nations can live together in peace and harmony. Every

nation must also strive to keep its house in order. We have

a responsibility in our time, just as the founding fathers of

the United Nations had in theirs, to bequeath to the

generations to come a world that is secure and peaceful.