Excerpts from Clarifications of Maj-Gen. Zaw Min Tun at 22nd Press Conference Held by State Administration Council Information Team

Ministry of Defense/ Naypyitaw / August 29, 2023

The 22^nd Press Conference of the State Administration Council Information Team was held at the Ministry of Information on 22 August and State Administration Council Information Team Leader Maj-Gen. Zaw Min Tun clarified at the press conference as follows:

· Regarding the Reformation of the State Administration Council, the National Defence and Security Council was held on 31 July 2023 in which the remaining processes of the State by the State Administration Council were reported.

· In order to carry out the remaining processes of the State, the National Defence and Security Council released a statement that all the responsibilities of the State have been handed over to the State Administration Council for another six-month term from 1^st August 2023 to 31^st January 2024.

· According to the power entrusted by the National Defence and Security Council, the State Administration Council has been reformed with 18 members in order to serve the duties of the State effectively.

· In order to implement the Five-point Road Map and Objectives of the State effectively, Union Government has been reformed on 3^rd August 2023 as well as the governments of Union Territory, Region and State have been reformed as necessary.

After reviewing the various fields such

· as political, economic and social affairs happening in the State, the new Five-point Road Map was also adopted.

· The National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee held peace talks with seven NCA signatories and three NCA non-signatories 22 times from 1 February to 27 July 2023.

· Wishes, discussions and decisions of each group in the peace process were systematically gathered. Arrangements will be made to accelerate all peace talks.

· The Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister himself said at the peace talks and discussions about peace that the government always opens the door of peace to Ethnic Armed Organizations which embrace the wish to be a peace.

· In the new adopted roadmap, it can be seen that the government is working towards the election. The main goal of the government is to ensure that the rights of all eligible voters are not harmed as a basic right.

· Except for those who do not have the right to vote according to the constitution every citizen who has reached the age limit must be able to vote.

· In order to successfully implement the new adopted Five-point Road Map, the new political, economic and social objectives were also adopted.

· Two political visions of the government are to cement a disciplined, genuine multiparty democratic system and build a Union based on democratic and federal systems. As such, every citizen needs to be educated if we are going to move toward a democratic system.

· Therefore, the government set the goals for all school-age children to have a learning opportunity and complete the KG+9 of middle school education.

· Mainly, it was adopted as an objective to nurture the youths who will lead and serve the responsibilities of the future State.

As regards the registration of political parties, up to date, a total of 36 political parties have been allowed to register a

· political party under the Political Parties Registration Law.

· Of them, 30 existing political parties have been allowed to register a political party under Section 25 of the Political Parties Registration Law as well as six parties to establish a political party under Section 3.

· Among 36 political parties, seven political parties will carry out organizational activities across the entire Union while the rest of them only within the region or state.

· We would like to inform you all that the remaining political parties that have been applying for permission to register a political party will be approved after the necessary verifications have been carried out.

· As for the points that should be noted; the first point is that there are six new political parties in addition to the existing political parties and the second point is that there are up to seven parties that will organize the entire Union.

· The third point is that there are the most of the remaining political parties that will organize only within the ethnic regions.

· In building a Union based on democratic and federal systems, it should be aware that the government is moving towards a parliamentary system that includes all ethnicities representing the desire and demands of the entire ethnic people.

· With regard to the impacts of cyclone Mocha and rehabilitation activities in storm-hit areas, the government issued early warning that the cyclone Mocha could enter Myanmar on 4 May.

· On 6 May, the National Disaster Management Committee held an emergency work coordination meeting. Moreover, information about the cyclone, and Do’s and Don’t during disaster were provided through State-owned media in a timely manner.

· On 15 May 2023, seven townships in Rakhine State were announced in advance as red-level areas with a high risk of disaster when the cyclone Mocha passed through.

· According to the normal procedure and the meteorological advance warning process, it must be issued at 12 hours before the storm. But, the Chairman of the State Administration Council Senior General Min Aung Hlaing himself instructed the officials to issue advance warning more than a day before the cyclone. As a result, people from various areas that may be affected by the storm could be evacuated in time.

· Due to the good advanced preparation, the numbers of deaths and losses were low. The speed of the cyclone Mocha was stronger than the previous Nargis cyclone.

· Because of the timely preparations of the Chairman of the State Administration Council that focused on the interests of the public, there were least deaths and losses.

· After the cyclone Mocha, seven townships in the northern part of Rakhine State and two in Chin State faced losses and damages.

· In this regard, the SAC Chairman, Vice-Chairman, government officials and senior military officers visited the storm-hit areas in time and fulfilled the requirements.

· Moreover, the officials of the SAC and senior military officers were assigned to closely supervise the rehabilitation work in the disaster-affected areas.

· Almost cent percent of basic education school across the nation were opened shortly after the storm, and 95 per cent of basic education and higher education buildings have already been repaired at the current time.

· Health staff, Tatmadaw medical team under Military Medical Corps, and nurses made emphasis on healthcare services in disaster-hit areas.

· 94 per cent of the health facilities affected by the storm have been repaired.

· The government was able to provide clean drinking water to locals and agricultural water in a short time. Moreover, the government arranged the planting of agricultural activities on time.

· Currently, the mobile communication system has been completely restored. All power lines have also been prepared for electricity transmission.

· Regarding the emergency aids and relief items provided to the cyclone victims after the storm, People’s Republic of China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) donated foodstuff, medicines and medical supplies, relief and rescue items, and construction materials for disaster-affected areas. The government also appreciates those countries and organizations for such contributions.

· Due to the collective contributions of Myanmar citizens for storm victims in person, the cash donations to the relevant bank accounts and the cash assistance through the mobile banking system, there were more than K33 billion and US$750,000 for storm victims up to 21 August 2023. Moreover, cash donations have also been received as a volunteer donation without including the above-mentioned lists.

· Regarding the discussions in Myanmar with a delegation led by Mr. Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator and Chief of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the Head of the State met with them on 15 August.

· During the meeting, they cordially exchanged views on the political transitions in Myanmar, state responsibilities being taken by the Tatmadaw under the Constitution (2008) for occurrences of voting fraud in the 2020 multiparty democratic general elections, endeavours of the State Administration Council to move forward firmly on the path of multi-party democracy aspired by the people, restoration of internal peace and requirements for undertaking the development of ethnic areas, the need for the international community to know actual conditions in Myanmar regarding the spreading misinformation on various situations of Myanmar, and further cooperation in humanitarian aid.

Moreover, the delegation led by UNOCHA Chief held discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs; State Administration Council member the leader of the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) Lt-Gen Yar Pyae; Union Minister at the Union Government Office-2; Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement; and Chief Minister of Rakhine State.

During the meetings, the broader discussions were made on the matters pertaining to the effort for providing relief items for the storm-hit victims, cooperation with UNOCHA including partner countries and the requirements to be continued, and challenges being faced by humanitarian communities in delivering humanitarian assistance. Therefore, it was a successful trip achieving good results for Myanmar, said the UNOCHA Chief.