(Bloomberg) -- Amid political challenges, the people of Myanmar must be self-reliant as the nation will be progressive and stable only through cooperation, according to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
“Politically, we are facing various kinds of criticism and restrictions,” the coup leader said on state-broadcaster MRTV on Monday to mark nine months of the ouster of the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. “Now is the time our people must be working together to ensure development and stability of the country,” he said.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations excluded Myanmar’s top general from a regional summit last week after the military government didn’t allow the bloc’s special envoy to meet with ousted leaders including Suu Kyi and ex-president Win Myint. The rare move came as the bloc viewed that the regime failed to do enough to end violence after the coup.
At the regional meet last week, world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar, and called on the junta to fulfill its commitment to the five-point consensus of the Asean leaders’ meeting in April.
Earlier on Monday, Mahn Winn Khaing Thann, prime minister of the parallel National Unity Government pledged to boost ties with neighboring China, India and Asean countries and to expand the opposition-controlled areas across the nation.
Other takeaways of Min Aung Hlaing’s speech include_
- Junta mulls reopening as the pandemic is now under control, though the country was severely hit by the third virus wave
- More than 35% of the population aged 45 years and above, and nearly 1m students aged 12 years and above have been vaccinated
- Nation enjoyed a trade surplus of about $269 million last fiscal, and aims at improved foreign trade this year
- With an export-oriented approach, manufacturing, productivity of ethnic people and SMEs are encouraged
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