Fellow delegates and Chair, Myanmar is glad to be represented at the 2011 General Assembly. Myanmar has had a rough and complicated history with the UN; however, in the past year Myanmar has made great strides in creating a better relationship with the UN in regards to human rights issues. We hope to continue moving forward and are excited to see what advancements this year’s assembly brings.
It is in my Myanmar’s best interest to be an advocate for the regulation and limitation of private military contractors. Myanmar has been greatly affected by civil war in the past decade, and we are very aware of the tolls that inner conflict can take on a country. For this reason, the constitution was reformed in 2008 and democratic elections were held last year. The threat of internal conflict during the early stages of new government is very real. We do not want opposing parties building up private armies of mercenary soldiers in an attempt to take power by force and not democracy. There is much at stake for our country and for our people on this issue. We cannot afford another 10 years of civil war when we have worked this hard for peace and stability, and allowing mercenary armies to exist without regulation greatly increases the possibility of this occurring.
We must face the cost of the revolution and restore security and services to the people. This will instill confidence in the new government. In order to do so it is necessary that a new and strong constitution is installed. A constitution that suits the people as best it can in regards to government, history and culture. Natural resources must be gathered under solid control so that they are able to be distributed and increase revenue, while also avoiding conflict over them. Previous economy and government should be disregarded in creating a new and stable state, so that the country will accept and adapt to the newly created one. Maximum opportunity should be allowed to each individual, whether it is property protection bills or entrepreneurship. The labor division of the country should be analyzed and fixed in a fair manner for the country. Finally, partnership and cooperation internationally is what will best contribute to all the previous statements.
Terrorism is defined as the use of violence or threats to strike fear into enemies or innocents to achieve a goal whether it be political or ideological. Now we, the people of Myanmar believe terrorism to be a large problem and apparent threat in our country. Many terrorists have decided to harbor themselves. We believe that there is no measure, to great or extensive; that we could take to get rid of this deep seeded malignancy that infects our country and indeed the world. We believe that those who have made the choice to become terrorists are marked criminals and indeed marked for death so in that regard should they are treated. The response to any and all terrorism should ultimately be zero tolerance and instant justice
The economy of Myanmar was once a great thing. After the World War II we still had strong economic growth due to our well-educated population and various natural resources. However, once we gained our independence from British Colonial rule, the parliamentary governments of the Burmese economy failed to pursue consistent economic policies. Everything went downhill from here when General Ne Win pressed his extreme forms of socialism and isolationism on the Burmese economy. Finally the military regime forced Ne Win to step aside and embraced a market economy; however it was pursued with many repressive policies which prevented the market from functioning efficiently. Since then, a major factor in our failing economy is the embargo that was placed on Myanmar by the European Union. With the recent changes following the coming of president U Thein Sein, a new chapter is beginning in the history of Myanmar. We wish to end our diplomatic isolation and rebuild our dysfunctional economy that has trapped the country’s population of 55 million people in poverty. To do this, the embargo must be lifted. Originally placed due to crimes against humanity, the embargo's limits are these: an embargo on arms, munitions and military equipment and suspension of non-humanitarian aid or development programs. The new leader of Myanmar has released many political prisoners and is finally lifting the years of oppression that the citizens have suffered through. There are also new attempts at having peaceful resolutions with the many rebel groups spread out through the country. With these recent events, we believe that it is time for the embargo to end and for diplomatic relations to grow between us and the countries of the EU. This can be mutually beneficial due to our countries largely rice based agriculture, supply of natural gas, and various natural resources, including timber, petroleum, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, and hydropower.
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