A ceremony to confer Maha Mingala Dhamma Jotika Dhaja Title on Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and appoint him the lifelong honorary Patron of Myanmar Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) was held at Zeyathiri Beikman Hall in Yangon on September 7.

The Senior General said today is an auspicious day for him and the Tatmadaw. It is the very first time an inservice Tatmadaw leader is conferred on a title.  

The Senior General said he took much pride of appointing him as honorary patron of the 113 year-old YMBA which has been maintaining great historic tradition in leading Myanmar independence struggle. He said he further took pride of appointing him as honorary patron in accordance with six points which are: looking after lineage, language, religion and education, steadfastly carrying out peace process of the State, striving for religious affairs, building the Tatmadaw to become a modern Tatmadaw possessing high nationalistic spirit, defending lives and property of the people, and having humanitarian spirit of good leader without discrimination of languages and races.

The Senior General continued to say that he was born of parents who traditionally believed in Buddhism. He is serving State defence duties under the advice and preaching of the Lord Buddha. In Myanmar, number of Buddhist population accounts for more than 87 percent, Christians more than six percent, and Islamists more than four percent. They all are re-siding in the same land, drinking same water and breathing same air of Myanmar. They must do tasks for the sake of the country in unison under the disciplines similar to the past events which they joined hands along the history of Myanmar.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing accepted the sash, medallion, badge and the Maha Mingala Dhamma Jotika Dhaja Title conferred on him by the YMBA president, who also appointed the Senior General as the lifelong honorary Patron of YMBA.

Present on the occasion together with the Senior General were Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, senior military officers of the Office of Commander-in-Chief (Army, Navy and Air), the commander of Yangon Command, commanders of battalions and units of respective stations in Yangon Command, President of YMBA U Ye Tun and party, members of the boards of trustees of Shwedagon Pagoda, Lawkha Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image, Botahtaung Pagoda and Kaba Aye Pagoda, and invited guests from Mingun Tipitaka Sarpay Mawgun Associa-tion, Wainayya Thukha Yaychansin Association, Theravada Buddhist Association, Mingala Byuha Federation, Pitaka Byuha Association and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.

Translated and Edited by Win Htut