YANGON -- Myanmar's military chief on Sunday pledged to support the country's new civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, but emphasized security concerns that signaled determination to keep the armed forces at the heart of government.

In a speech marking Armed Forces Day, an annual event in Napyitaw, Myanmar's capital, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that the armed forces would work for the nation's prosperity, but also warned about challenges. "The two main hindrances to democratization are not abiding by the rule of law, and the presence of armed insurgencies. These could lead to a chaotic democracy," he said. His remarks about the rule of law were widely seen as a pointed reference to attempts by Suu Kyi to amend the 2008 constitution.

In a colorful show of force, more than 1,000 troops paraded on the main military grounds in the capital, along with armored vehicles and trucks bearing missiles, against a backdrop of three towering statues of ancient Myanmar kings.

Ongoing conflict in some of the country's ethnic areas has seen fighting between the armed forces and ethnic armed groups - despite a protracted peace process and a partial ceasefire signed by eight out of 16 groups that participated in talks with the outgoing government.

Peace negotiations will be one of the biggest challenges for Suu Kyi, requiring as much negotiation with the military - which controls counter-insurgency strategy - as with ethnic leaders.

The new government, led by President Htin Kyaw, will take over from the outgoing administration of President Thein Sein from April 1, after more than five decades of military-backed rule. The former academic and bureaucrat is widely seen as a proxy for Suu Kyi, who led her National League for Democracy to a crushing electoral victory last November but is barred from the presidency by constitutional restrictions against Myanmar nationals with foreign relatives. Her two sons and late husband held British citizenship.

Despite strenuous lobbying, Suu Kyi was unable to persuade the military to support a constitutional amendment to enable her to take the presidency. The Tatmadaw, as the military is known, holds veto power over constitutional changes through its 25% allocation of all parliamentary seats. Any change requires a "super majority" of 75% or more in the national parliament.

The relationship between Suu Kyi, as de facto leader, and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander in chief, will be crucial to the progress of the government - and indeed, the country -- over the next five years. On top of its 25% of seats in national and regional parliaments, the military as set by the constitution holds three key cabinet positions - defense, border and home affairs -- which between them control all security related aspects including prisons and police, as well as local and municipal government. The military also nominated one of the two vice presidents, Myint Swe, who as the more senior of the two, having garnered more votes is officially in charge when the president is out of the country.

Mixed signals

Min Aung Hlaing, who was due to retire from the military in the coming year, recently extended his term for five years. After signaling the military's acceptance of the election results, which saw the ruling, military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party all but wiped out at the polls, he has sent mixed signals about his support for Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and Nobel Laureate. In February the military finalized a new doctrine that set out priorities to build a "strong, capable and modern patriotic Tatmadaw" that emphasized administrative and organizational as well as military capabilities.

In his Sunday speech, he noted that the "principles of democracy mean holding elections," adding that "some parties win and others lose."

While making some conciliatory remarks in recent months, and meeting Suu Kyi and her top aides several times, he has made it clear in various speeches that the priority for the next five years will be stability in a similar vein to the last five years under Thein Sein. In addition, the military's choice for vice president, Myint Swe, a former general and chief minister of Yangon, was seen as a blow to Suu Kyi's strident messages against corruption and human rights abuses. As a military commander, Myint Swe was linked to the violent crackdown on protestors in Yangon in 2007, and as chief minister to an attempt to hand a lucrative property development deal to private business interests in Yangon.

Already, the NLD has announced it will slash the number of cabinet positions from about 36 to 21. Suu Kyi has indicated she will take on four of the 21 portfolios -- the foreign ministry, education, electric power and energy, and minister of the President's Office, a role that became powerful under the Thein Sein administration. The incoming government is already facing controversy, with exposes of questionable credentials among the NLD's cabinet choices -- notably the planning and finance minister-designate, Kyaw Win, who was proven to be using a fake PhD degree.

On a broader level are concerns that Suu Kyi is taking on too much with four portfolios.

Answering such criticisms, Win Htein, a close aide to the NLD leader, earlier said: "It doesn't matter how many ministries she takes, as she will run the whole government anyway."