Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing called for Myanmar’s military to remain a political force in the country at the 71st Armed Forces Day held in Nay Pyi Taw on Sunday.
Noticeably absent from the gathering of the military and some MPs was Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the elected President U Htin Kyaw who are just days away from taking power in the country after a landslide win for the National League for Democracy in the November 2015 elections.
Suu Kyi attended the Armed Forces Day celebration in 2013, raising some eyebrows at the time.
Against a backdrop of 10,000 military personnel and drive and fly-past, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing made a speech saying the military had cooperated with the government and people to hold a historic election, but it was not yet time to walk away from the political arena.
“The Tatmadaw has to be present as the leading role in national politics with regards to the ways we stand along the history and the critical situations of the country,” Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said, according to Channel News Asia.
Myanmar’s Armed Forces Day remembers the day in 1945 when General Aung San and his fledgling army turned against the Japanese forces occupying Burma.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has stressed that the Military will protect the 2008 Constitution which allows the military to hold important ministries, 25 percent of the seats in parliament, and the option to grab power in a time of “crisis”.
NLD leader Suu Kyi is currently prevented from taking up the presidency because of an article in the constitution that bars anybody with family members who have foreign nationality from the position. U Htin Kyaw has been elected to fill in for the NLD leader.