Myanmar urges drive to achieve success with roadmap

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-22 11:29

YANGON -- Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe Saturday called on his people to be duty-bound to actively participate with union spirit and national fervor in the drive to achieve success in the implementation of the government's seven-step roadmap.

Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, made the call in his message on the occasion of the 88th anniversary National Day which falls on Saturday.

"The state's seven-step roadmap is being implemented step by step to build a peaceful, modern and developed new democratic nation with flourishing discipline," he said, underlining that a new state constitution was adopted with the support of 92.48 percent of the voters at a referendum held in May this year.

Following the ratification of the new constitution, a multi-party general election is set for 2010 to produce parliament and form a new democratic government according to the roadmap.

In his message, Than Shwe warned against threat by certain world powers which are "attempting to dominate other countries in various sectors by interfering in their internal affairs through the practice of neo-colonialism".

He called for constant vigilance against such threat in order to protect the country based on national awareness.

He went on to say that the government is implementing human resources development programs across the country including border areas through a 30-year long-term education plan in order to raise the education standard of the country, stressing the need to work hard to narrow the development gap between one region and another and to ensure equitable development of all parts of the nation.

He called for endeavors to materialize the objectives of the National Day anniversary including strengthening of nationalistic spirit and uplifting of national prestige and integrity, promotion of national education and perpetuity of independence and sovereignty of the state.

Myanmar's national day was designated 88 years ago when students launched a national movement in a bid to establish a new national education system to replace the British colonial one. The movement partly led to the successful regaining of the country's independence in 1948.