10 May
Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Office of the Commander-in-Chief of
Defence Services
Statement on Ceasefire and Eternal Peace
(3rd Waning of Kasone, 1382 ME)
(9 May 2020)
1. As global countries are encountering world pandemic COVID-19, General Secretary Antonio Guterres of the United Nations on 23 March 2020 urged all to stop armed conflicts happening throughout the world.
2. In Myanmar, the government established the National-Level Central Committee on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Prevention, Containment and Treatment and committees at different levels in order to contain, prevent and treat the world pandemic COVID-19, and the Tatmadaw is participating in it with might and main.
3. The Tatmadaw issued a statement meeting the international standards to enforce a ceasefire in the areas from 10 May to 31 August 2020 except the areas where terrorist groups declared by the government take positions, with the aim of effectively and rapidly carrying out containment, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Myanmar and restoring eternal peace.
4. During the ceasefire period, all ethnic armed organizations need to deeply observe the following four principles of the six peace principles of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.
(a) Commitment to peace agreements
(b) Abstaining from taking unfair advantages from the peace agreement
(c) Not to put burdens on local people
(d) Strict adherence to existing laws.
5. Moreover, ethnic armed organizations need to control themselves and take responsibilities for avoiding attacks to each other with powerful strengths and bullying local ethnic people.
6. Similarly, they all must take responsibilities for avoiding the acts harmful to different levels of administrative machinery of the State, secure and smooth transportation and lives, property and interest of the people.
7. If the events related to aforesaid paragraphs (4), (5) and (6) happen, the Tatmadaw will take necessary action against them.
8. The Tatmadaw will continuously strive for realizing its pledge to entrust eternal peace that the ethnic people long for into the hand of the people and will effectively participate in the world pandemic COVID-19 containment, prevention and treatment processes in the country as State cause and national cause.
Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services
