Nay Pyi Taw December 12
The Passing-out Parade of the 12th Intake of Graduate Female Cadet Course that will reinforce the role of servicewomen of the Tatamadaw was held at the parade ground of Myanmar Army Officer Training School-OTS (Hmawbi) in Yangon this morning with an address by Chair-man of State Security and PeaceCommission Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present at the ceremony together with the Senior General were wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Zeya Kyawhtin Htein Win and wife, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Zeya Kyawhtin Sithu Tun Aung and wife, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and wives, Union level dignitaries, Union ministers and wives, the Yangon Command commander, the acting commandant of the school and officials of Hmawbi Station, families and relatives of cadets and guests.
First, the Senior General took the salute of the cadet company and inspected the company of graduate cadets. Then, the cadet companies saluted the Senior General through slow-march past and quick-march past.
The Senior General presented the Best Cadet Award to CadetSwe Zin Phyo Wai.
In his address, the Senior Ge-neral said the Graduate Female Cadet Course was opened with the purpose of training and generating servicewomen (officers) for the participation of servicewomen in shouldering the defence duties of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Now the course has reached the 12th Intake.
Like their male counterparts, Myanmar women were persons with strong patriotism and nationalistic fervour during the British colonial rule. They possess a vivid historical record of taking part in the independence struggle, which is a national task, from a certain position. Myanmar women joined the corps, rescue units and the military service corps, set up in 1954, of their own volition, and their dutiful services in the relevant sectors as an essential part are honourable. Nowadays, they are standing shoulder to shoulder with men even in the fields of national defence and security and administration, taking part in nation-building endeavours with might and main.
The Tatmadaw opened the Graduate Female Cadet Course, training and generating service-women to participate in national defence on a par with service-men. At present, over 900 women officers are serving in Tatmadaw (Army Navy and Air) and corps. Some of them are brilliantly shouldering arduous duties in special forces, and others, on naval boats to safeguard the territorial waters, as pilots and female paratroopers, and in mobile medical teams. In addi-tion, they are able to perform to the level of achieving medals in multi-nation joint drills and Tatmadaw-level sports competitions.
Such achievements not only enhance the honour of the State and Tatmadaw, but also demon-strate the strength and capability of Myanmar women. Therefore, female graduate officers have to continue training, striving, and performing their duties responsibly so that they become capable and reliable officers in whom the State and Tatmadaw can place their confidence.
Training is an essential foundation for building a capable and effective Tatmadaw, and it is one of the most important responsibilities. In line with the policy of studying, practising, and adhering to the skills taught at the training school, officers must continuously learn and train to keep pace with the evolving field of military science and to improve their professional competence. At the same time, they must consistently follow the established rules and regulations. To ensure thorough and effective training, each individual must maintain strong personal health. This requires adopting a lifestyle and eating habits that support good health. Therefore, wherever they are assigned, officers need to follow the principle of “Stay healthy, train to stay strong,” so they can remain fully prepared and capable in their duties.
Looking back at history shows that no organization can endure in the long term without discip-line. In Myanmar’s own history, there were also periods when a lack of discipline led to the downfall of the throne. Tatmadaw members must therefore up-hold discipline and obedience to orders as firmly and conduct themselves in accordance with the 60 Military Codes of Conduct. For female graduate officers as well, it is essential to become leaders who possess discipline, obedience, and strong moral character. Therefore, a few words of guidance concerning leadership are offered.
If the 16 leadership qualities prescribed by Tatmadaw are truly followed and applied, they will enable officers to become reliable and trusted leaders.
When assigned to their work-places, they should relate the leadership lessons learned at the training school to real-life situations and foster a spirit of good leadership toward their subordinates with a mindset similar to responsible parents. They are expected to supervise and guide their teams fairly, without discrimination, and lead with integrity.
In addition, they were urged to strive to earn the trust and confidence of their superiors, as well as the respect, reliance, and loyal cooperation of their subordinates, while also setting an example through their own leadership. Therefore, the newly graduated female officers were instructed to strictly adhere to the prescribed leadership qualities and to consistently work towards becoming out-standing and capable leaders.
Considering the current situation both in the country and around the world, it is essential to build unity and cohesion among all citizens living in the nation, as well as between Tatmadaw and the people. Such unity strengthens the nation’s power, fosters development and progress, and promotes the national economy. Therefore, in line with the saying, “Strength of the nation lies within”, the nation must be built and sustained through its internal strength.
Among the three main duties of Tatmadaw, one is identified as the “responsibility to serve the public.” By putting this duty into practice, Tatmadaw helps maintain the cohesion of the people. Therefore, newly graduated female officers are urged to fully understand and embrace the principle of “The Tatmadaw and the people re-main united, never divided,” and to continue building a disciplined, strong, and well-organized military both within and outside the units.
The Constitution is an essen-tial law for any country. It determines how a nation will be governed, under what principles and system, and how executive, judicial, and legislative powers are to be divided and exercised. The Constitution also allocates administrative authority to re-gions, states, and self-admini-stered zones, while providing legal guarantees between the State and its citizens, including all ethnic communities. Since the Constitution emerges from the firm support and approval of the people, it must be respected and adhered to by all citizens. At the same time, Tatmadaw members, who originate from the people, have a primary responsibility to protect and uphold it.
According to Section 20 (f) of Chapter 1 of the 2008 Constitution, “The Defence Services is mainly responsible for safe-guarding the Constitution.” In accordance with this provision, Tatmadaw continuously carries out Our Three Main National Causes, ensuring that all actions taken in national defence fully comply with the Constitution and do not exceed its legal framework. Female graduate officers must understand this principle. The Constitution of Myanmar is a law designed in line with the will of the people, incorporating the essential elements of democracy and a federal union, similar to other countries. It provides practical solutions to issues faced by the nation, its citizens, communities, and organizations. Therefore, it serves as the legal foundation to address challenges effectively while safeguarding the rights and interests of the people.
After Tatmadaw served national duties in 1988, the 2008 Constitution was enacted in accordance with the will of the people, establishing a framework that would allow the country to follow a multiparty demo-cratic path. In 2010, the multi-party democratic system was officially initiated. Tatmadaw continues to strive to ensure that the nation firmly advances along the path of multi-party democracy. In this process, all ethnic armed organizations were encouraged to pursue the path of peace. During the first term of the democratic government in 2010, efforts were made to bring these groups onto the peace track. To establish durable and stable peace, a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) was signed on 15 October 2015.
He stated that the reason for emphasizing theNCA in every peace-related discussion is that the NCA is fundamental and essential for the nation’s urgen-tly needed peace process. He pointed out that while Tatmadaw has repeatedly declared uni-lateral ceasefires, and the State Government has issued multiple invitations for peace process discussions, some EAOs that signed the NCA are noticeably violating their commitments under the agreement. Further-more, some other EAOs haven’t joined the path to peace due to external instigations. He em-phasized that armed conflicts have created weaknesses in the education, health, and economic sectors, and therefore, they must continue to strive for nationwide, lasting peace.
Also, he stated that it’s time for the groups fighting against the State to abandon the armed terrorism path and resolve political problems through poli-tical means. He noted that the National Defence and Security Council issued a statement titled “Further Invitation Extended for Union’s Interests” on Sep-tember 8, 2025, which reflects Tatmadaw’s magnanimity in patiently and positively offering an opportunity, based on the spirit of shared nationhood. However, he warned that since the demands of illegal armed terrorists won’t be compromised or conceded to, he urged every-one to maintain constant military awareness and vigilance for domestic stability and peace, even during the upcoming election period.
He then stated that prepa-rations for successfully holding the election are underway, and that they will ensure a dignified and successful election. He emphasized that the accuracy of voter lists is crucial for holding a free and fair election. The census on population and households conducted in October 2024 has, to some extent, helped ensure the completeness and accuracy of voter population figures, which are fundamental to the success of the multi-party democracy general election. He mentioned that to successfully hold the election, the Election Commission was re-formed, and data collection, including information on constituencies and security data for various regions, was also carried out.
He stated that they must learn lessons from the previous instances of electoral fraud and work to prevent any irregula-rities in the upcoming election. He mentioned that the Myan-mar Electronic Voting Machine (MEVM) will be used to prevent errors in voter lists during the election and stressed that these machines cannot be manipulated for fraud. He also noted that necessary protections are being provided to ensure that political party members and candidates participating in the election can operate safely, from the campaigning period up to the voting period. Therefore, he urged all eligible voters, including the graduating female officers who have the right to vote according to the law, to freely cast their ballots in the upcoming election and walk toward a Union based on the democratic system.
Then, he stated that many outstanding female service members have emerged in Tatmadaw, fulfilling their duties successfully in various ranks, and he urged them to strive to fulfill the responsibilities that will be assigned to them for the benefit of the State and its citizens. He encouraged them to strictly follow military discipline, be highly obedient, and strive to be trustworthy figures for their superiors and subordinates. He asked them to live up to the qualities of leadership, utilize their abilities and intellect to fulfill the assigned objectives, and strive to become officers who uphold the dignity of Tatmadaw. Finally, he urged them to understand the essence of the Constitution and the value of domestic stability and peace andcontinue to strive to be good female officers upon whom the State and Tatmadaw can rely.
After taking the salute from the cadet company, the Senior General left the parade ceremony.
After the ceremony, the Senior General met with outstanding cadets, Cadet Swe Zin Phyo Wai, the Best Cadet Award winner, Cadet Thin Kyu Hlaing, the Best Markswoman Award winner, Cadet Yin Min Thant, the Best Military Parader Award winner, and Cadet Khin Myint Moh Tun, the Best Fitness Award winner, and their parents and relatives at the parlour of headquarters of the school and spoke words of honour.
In his praise of the outstanding cadets, the Senior General said their outstanding achievements and awards are acknowledged and praised with joy together with their parents and relatives.They must preserve the good foundations of the continuous efforts throughout the course and the ability to control them-selves in the entire life. Every person has a life goal and hope, which must always be main-tained. Regarding the women’s sector of the country, women have been participating as a supporting force in the sectors starting from independence struggle together with their male counterparts.
They must never forget the gratitude they owe to their parents and teachers, who pro-tected and taught them since childhood days, while making continuous efforts to become good military officers, the pride of their families, on whom the State and the Tatmadaw can rely. The award-winners of the course should maintain their good foundations, while striving to promote their life and prevent their visions for life from being lost, through continuous efforts. They must learn academic literature that may serve as a good foundation for further improvement of life, read good books, and share knowledge with others. Throughout their life, they must value themselves and exercise self-control, trying to be the persons serving the interest of the nation in any posted place.
