Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.Photo: AFP Myanmar’s military chief on Sunday pledged to join hands with a new civilian government that takes over the country this week, after 54 years of rule by the junta or its proxy. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that the armed forces will work to bring about prosperity for the nation, but also warned about challenges. “The two main hindrances to democratisation are not abiding by the rule of law and the presence of armed insurgencies. These could lead to a chaotic democracy,” he said in a speech during the annual Armed Forces Day parade in the capital of Naypyitaw. Myanmar’s military ran the country directly or indirectly for five decades before handing over to a quasi-civilian government in 2011. Last year’s elections propelled Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy into power, although the military remains a powerful political force. Suu Kyi’s aide, President-elect Htin Kyaw, will take office this Friday.AP
