'Citizens must get behind reforms to ensure peace, stability'

Speaking to the nation on Sunday, he also promised that his government would lower the cost of SIM cards and said that the military would continue to safeguard the country, as it had since independence.

He said the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology would soon begin selling SIM cards for mobile phones at an affordable price. They will be distributed fairly and infrastructure for mobile networks will be expanded, Thein Sein said, adding that mobile service would be accessible in rural areas.

The president also discussed this month’s 20,000-kyats (Bt670) rise in salaries for civil servants, saying the government would increase salaries for its staff “from time to time” depending on economic conditions and the state of its finances.

Thein Sein defended the importance of foreign investment. “Our country needs investment, technology and human resources to establish factories and industries that provide jobs. Foreign investment is required to meet our country’s needs, but this foreign investment need not hurt the interests of the people and the state,” he said.

“The Foreign Investment Law to attract foreign investment has been enacted. Some economic sanctions imposed on our country have been eased and our debt of US$6 billion [Bt176.2 billion] from preceding governments has been written off,” Thein Sein said.

He said that the country was now able to obtain low-interest loans to fund development from international organisations like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asia Development Bank as well as from countries like Japan.

Peace and stability was the country’s main need, Thein Sein said. “Without restoring the rule of law we will miss good opportunities, so the people should provide support to maintain peace and stability,” he said.

The president also called for a shift from small-scale to mechanised farming. To help farmers develop their farms, cooperative banks and other small-loan lenders have been established, he said, adding that the government was seeking foreign assistance and funds to help develop the industry.

Thein Sein reiterated that the rule of law was critical, saying its absence was the cause of Myanmar slow development. “We lagged behind because there was no rule of law in the past,” he said, adding that the government’s reform process had been designed to enable all people to participate in it.

This includes former prisoners. Thein Sein noted the government had granted amnesty to prisoners and that it would continue to do so, saying that a committee to identify political prisoners had already been formed.

The president said the effort to eliminate ethnic conflict was accelerating. He described the recent rioting as “terrorist acts”, saying it had tarnished the country’s image. Instigators behind the riots have been found, he said. “I am firmly committed to using the power vested in me by the Constitution to protect and defend life and property,” he said.

The president also praised the military following last week’s Armed Forces Day, the 68th, saying the army had traditionally preserved and safeguarded independence by preventing external and internal threats. “The army is also playing an important role in cooperation with the people in the reform process and will follow its good traditions to safeguard the country,” Thein Sein said.