UN Peacekeeping Training Course opens

Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivers an address at the opening ceremony of the UN Peacekeeping Training Course.

Nay Pyi Taw May 17

The UN Peacekeeping Training Course, a training cooperation between the Myanmar Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) and the Indian Armed Forces opened with a ceremony held at Parkroyal Hotel here yesterday morning.

Present on the occasion were Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in- Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, senior military officers of the Office of the Commander-in- Chief, the commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command, Indian Ambassador to Myanmar H.E. Mr. Shri Gautam Mukhopadhaya, Military Attaché Colonel Gaurav Sharma, officer instructors of the Indian military related to UN peacekeeping and officer trainees of the Tatmadaw.

In his opening address, Vice-Senior General Soe Win recounted the participation of some officers and other ranks in UN peacekeeping missions in 1958 and during the period from 1960 to 1963 after restoring independence. He also said currently some officers are serving as military observers and staff officers in the UN Mission in Liberia-UNMIL and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan- UNMISS explaining the sending of officers to ASEAN member states, some European countries and India, Pakistan and Australia to attend UN peacekeeping courses with vision for future, and the need for officer trainees to learn with keen interest to be skilful as plans are under way to partake in the international peacekeeping missions under the UN leadership.

Afterwards, the Indian Ambassador provided emblem to the Vice-Senior General as a gift after he gave remarks.

Vice-Senior General Soe Win and party then posed for documentary photos together with the attendees including trainers and trainee officers before they viewed documentary photos.

The aims of the UN Peacekeeping Training Course are to enable Myanmar military officers to observe UN’s peace-related subjects, to exchange views between trainers and trainees and to promote friendships between the two armed forces.

Altogether 25 officers are attending the two-week course. The Indian military officers will give talks on different kinds of UN peacekeeping processes, history and their development, structure and functions, contracts, sensitive problems related to culture, media management, public relations, general rules and regulations, civilian protection, child protection, security of a convoy and deploying of military units to be ready for combat. (100)

The Myawady Daily