Nobel duty

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Nobel duty

(Article from The New Light of Myanmar, 16th July,1999)
Author : Kethari

       "Patriotic spirit will lead the people to have loyalty towards the 
nation and the race and the Union spirit can bring about amity and 
solidarity. These qualities are the basic strength for the nation. This basic 
strength can develop political, economic and social conditions of the nation 
and ensure perpetuity of the Union. This is the noble dub for the people; and 
only good citizens have the ability to shoulder such noble duty."

    Above is an excerpt from the address delivered by Patron of Union 
Solidarity-and Development Association Chairman of the State Peace and 
Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General 
Than Shwe at the closing ceremony of USDA Executives' Advanced Management 
Course No 5 and Executives' Management Course No 18 which was held in 
Pyidaungsu Hall of the Central Public Relations Unit in Hmawby, Yangon 
Division, at 9 am. on 23 June.

    Every citizen or national born and brought up in a country should love 
and be loyal to their mother country.

    He or she should have amity and sincere goodwill for his or her fellow 
countrymen who were born on the same land and are living together with him or 
her through thick and thin and in weal or woe. This is the Union spirit and 
spirit of love and amity towards one's own nationality. It can be called 
patriotic spirit when taken together.

    As it can be said that vitalization of patriotic spirit originates from 
the cetena and wish for the perpetuation, flourishing and development of the 
nation for the people to enjoy peace, tranquillity, progress and prosperity, 
it can be also said that due to patriotic spirit, goodwill towards the nation 
and the people will become stronger. The total of 135 national races who were 
born on same land and who are close relatives are residing in the Union of 
Myanmar. The combination of all these 135 national races is call Myanmar.

    The spirit of loving Myanmar and Myanmar nationality is Myanmar patriotic 
spirit. Myanmar spirit is always loyal to Myanmar and Myanmar people. One 
will love Myanmar only if he or she is a pure Myanmar. The spirit of the 
non-Myanmar international friends who are helping Myanmar are based on cetena 
and metta. Nations are usually built with the spirit of oneness or the Union 
spirit. Since yore, Myanmar has been a Union where various national races 
have lived together. The independent Union of Myanmar was founded on 4 

January 1948 with the united strength of all the national races, though the 
colonialist British made perpetrations to cause dissension among the 
nationalities. The independent Union of Myanmar emerged again due to the 
spirit of the unity of all the national races which came out from the Panlong 
Conference.

    The spirit of patriotism has been vitalized as all the national races, 
though they have differences in regions, climate conditions, culture, 
costumes and traditions, have lived together through thick and thin and weal 
or woe with eggs and nest intact in unity and amity with the conviction that 
they are of the same family who were born on Myanmar land.

    The spirit of loving the nation should be kept in the hearts of all the 
Myanmar people. Patriotism of all the people in nations or Unions formed with 
the Union system is the Union spirit. Union spirit always flourishes in 
Unions which were formed with the solidarity, unity and amity of all the 
nation races. Manifestation of the Union spirit is love and unity of all the 
nationalities.

    Patron of USDA Senior General Than Shwe has given the guidance, saying, 
"Patriotic spirit will lead towards having loyalty to the nation and the 
people and the Union spirit can bring about amity and solidarity." He also 
said that patriotic spirit based on loyalty and Union spirit based on 
solidarity and amity are the basic strength of the nation.

    The Patron of the USDA gave guidance to its members. "This basic strength 
can develop political, economic and social conditions of the nation and 
ensure perpetuity.of the Union. This is the noble duty of the people and only 
good citizens will be able to shoulder such noble duties. Members of USDA 
should strive possess the qualifications of the good citizens. A standard 
citizen is always sincere and strives for the constructive development, 
always giving priority to and having the will to work for the well-being of 
the people, knowing the law of civics and ethics and being able to safeguard 
and preserve the race. Today's youth who will have to assume duties in future 
society should strive to have abilities of good citizens and ones who can 
build and defend the nation.

    The USDA was formed as a national force and its members are now 11 
million. Courses are being conducted for it to have not only quantity but 
also quality. The courses at central level are five USDA Executives' Advanced 
Management Courses, 18 Executives' Management Courses and multiplier courses 
in townships. I also learned that various kinds of courses-computer courses, 
spoken English courses, accounting courses and Buddhist culture courses were 
opened.

    Correct thought can be acquired based on the lectures of the courses; 
especially ability to make criticism and assessment can be obtained. The 
Patron said, "You will have to make differentiations in conducting practical 
duties; you should have ability to differentiate between constructive 
endeavours and destructive misdeeds, to foresee what can lead to unity and 
what can lead to destruction; and you should distinguish between policy of 
augmentation and policy of devastation and progress and retrogression and 

should have correct attitude." We have had bitter experiences in Myanmar 
history as we could not distinguish between right and wrong, construction and 
destruction and good and bad. If we do not have ability to make criticism and 
assessment on the basis of our own knowledge and intelligence, we cannot 
advance beyond being   just followers or tagging along blindly at the tail 
end of wrong concepts.

    Emergence of a peaceful, modern developed nation is the State's goal the 
entire Myanmar people aspire to. In marching toward the goal, Myanmar people 
have to lay down short-term and long-term projects and implement them. While 
ministries concerned are endeavouring for success of projects with the 
guidance of the State, Patron Senior General Than Shwe gave guidance on role 
of the USDA members like this.

    "Concerning the projects, I will tell you about two aspects. The first is 
that we are standing on our own strength and depending on ourselves in 
implementing the projects. Self-reliant spirit is the spirit of our people. I 
believe that if there are no disturbances plans can be successfully 
implemented with goodwill, zeal and perseverance and participation of the 
people. The second is as the USDA is a national force you should know the 
benefits of the projects and take part with high momentum in implementing 
them. You should also make efforts to fulfil the wish of the people who are 
aspiring to a high standard of living and a peaceful and tranquil life."

    This monsoon, crop cultivation activities are under way nationwide. The 
Patron urged USDA members to give assistance in crop cultivation and to 
observe oath, conduct and responsibilities prescribed in basic principles of 
the association, accepting the life of the good citizens. I take it as not 
just an exhortation, but assigning of a great duty.

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