Opening address delivered by Vice Chairman of State Administration Council of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win at the 6th ASEANSAI Summit
Nay Pyi Taw November 2
Mingalaba!
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great privilege taking pride in Myanmar to assume the responsibility of the Chairmanship of ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions and also host the 6th Supreme Audit Institutions Summit of ASEAN Member States.
I wish to congratulate Malaysia for its exemplary leadership of ASEANSAI over the past years.
I would like to warmly welcome the Heads of SAIs and members of delegates from respective SAIs to our Virtual Summit today. Although we intended to welcome you in person at a Physical Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, the COVID-19 situation did not allow us to do so.
In fact, ASEANSAI General Assembly Meeting always reflects the continued commitment and sound progress in the enhancement of good governance within the ASEAN region.
ASEANSAI, being an entity associated with ASEAN, I believe it will continue contributing to the realization of the mission and vision of the ASEAN Community.
Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates, Taking this opportunity, I would like to briefly explain our country’s current situation. There was a lot of electoral and voting fraud in the multi-party democracy general election held on 8th November 2020 during the previous NLD government’s term and the voter list
and potential unfair number of ballots occurred terribly; there was a failure to resolve it legally and these were trying to grab the state power illegally, and therefore the Tatmadaw (military) declared the state of emergency and took the State responsibilities in accord with the stipulations of the 2008 Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Taking State responsibility, we are doing our utmost to firmly build the disciplined and genuine multi-party democratic system, which is the wish and aspiration of the entire people of Myanmar.
In practising a multi-party democratic system, free and fair multi-party democratic elections are “the fundamental of these isms”. The basic necessity to become free and fair multiparty democratic elections is stability, peace and the rule of law.
The State Administration Council has laid down Five-Point Roadmap, Nine Political, Economic and Social Objectives and is in the process of implementing them to achieve stability and peace in politics, security and economy in order to succeed and make progress more in nurturing the best practice such as the rule of law and compliance with the existing law. In order to implement these points more effectively and successfully, the Union Government of Myanmar was formed on 1st August 2021 and the Chairman of the State Administration Council himself took over the responsibility as the Prime Minister and accelerated the implementation of all the endeavours.
In doing so, we exercise an independent, proactive, and non-aligned foreign policy. The “principle” of peaceful coexistence among nations continues to be adhered to. I would like to say that we are working together for world peace, stability, and sustainable development in the international community based on the international law of equality, fairness, and justice.
In this region, we, ASEAN countries stand united as part of the ASEAN Community in accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development, promoting regional peace and stability. For Myanmar, since we joined ASEAN in 1997, we have been going hand in hand with the principles of Consensus, avoiding interference in the other’s internal affairs, the only ASEAN family spirit prescribed in the ASEAN Charter such as ASEAN Centrality, ASEAN UNITY and ASEAN WAY.
Today demands regarding Myanmar in ASEAN Summit and PLUS Meetings are found to be suspicious of violating the images of ASEAN’s solidarity, ASEAN Centrality, ASEAN UNITY and ASEAN WAY. Regarding the visit of the ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar, the Chairman of the State Administration Council, the Prime Minister discussed in the meeting held in Jakarta on 24th April 2021 related to the five-point consensus of ASEAN on Myanmar that it would be taken into consideration in relation to the current internal affairs, ASEAN’s proposals and trips will be considered based on the internal stability, and it would also be considered on the constructive wish of ASEAN for support if it was based on the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN WAY and ASEAN Spirit for the welfare of the State. And also with respect to the visit of the ASEAN Special Envoy, we are facing various coordination, claim, changes and demanding to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi beyond the rules that any person, any organization shall not be allowed to meet a person who is facing a trial. I believe no country will allow anyone to do beyond the existing law like this. From the part of the State, we allowed as far as we can except for the restriction of the existing law but we sadly found that regarding the exclusion of Myanmar from the ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings to the denial of ASEAN Special Envoy into Myanmar is in contrast to para 20 (1), para 8(2)(a) and para 2(2), (a), (e) and (f) of the ASEAN Charter.
Conducting as such beyond the ASEAN Centrality, UNITY and WAY will have implications not only on Myanmar but also on the rest of the member states being managed as they wish and being pushed and a wedge being driven outside ASEAN Community in a time, a situation, may arise in the united ASEAN countries. In other words, I would like to remind you that the effects on looking beyond the ASEAN Countries may occur among themselves.
Excellencies and Distinguished delegates, As the Good Governance in the ASEAN Member States, is a foundation for achieving the goals set in the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the role of ASEANSAI is critical to turn these visions into actions while making practical impacts on ASEAN peoples to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms, higher quality of life and resilience through good governance, greater peace, stability and prosperity.
I wish to acknowledge that ASEANSAI has made remarkable accomplishments since its establishment in 2011. Implementation of successive strategic plans has helped promote the capacity of SAI in the ASEAN Member States while also strengthening ASEANSAI as an organization.
In this respect, I would like to encourage ASEANSAI to continue its efforts to materialize the foundational objectives set on the ASEANSAI Establishment Agreement in strengthening ASEANSAI members’ capacity in promoting good governance ensuring correct financial statements, to prevent misspending and detect fraud in public financial management.
I also wish to encourage a greater role of ASEANSAI in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals so that we can advance the ASEAN development agenda and strengthen its regional and global partnership.
I wish to conclude by wishing SAI Myanmar to successfully discharge its responsibilities as the Chair of ASEANSAI from 2021-2023 and also for successful deliberations at the 6th Supreme Audit Institutions Summit of ASEAN Member States in ensuring efficient and correct spending of public funds in the interests of citizens and taxpayers in the ASEAN Member States.
Thank you.