Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE TATMADAW
'Born of the people and one with the people': that's how former Senior General
Than Shwe describes Myanmar's army, the Tatmadaw. Other commentators, in-
cluding the academic and former diplomat Andrew Selth, author of Burma's
Armed Forces: Power Without Glory, call it a 'state within a state'.
From a small and disunited force at the time of independence, the army has
grown to nearly half a million soldiers. It takes care of its troops and their depend-
ants by providing subsidised housing and access to special schools and hospitals.
The military also owns two giant corporations - the Union of Myanmar Economic
Holdings (UMEH) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) - whose dealings
extend into nearly every corner of the economy.
Small wonder that for many families, having a son (it's rarely a daughter, al-
though there are some roles for women in the army) who is a solider results in
much appreciation for the financial security it brings. Many other people in Myan-
mar live in fear of the army, but there are others who continue to respect the insti-
tution for the role it originally played in securing independence for the nation.
Summing up such divided feelings is none other than Aung San Suu Kyi who, in
an interview for the Financial Timessaid, 'I was brought up to be fond of the milit-
ary, to believe that everybody in military uniform was, in some way or other, my
father's son. This is not something that you can just get rid of. It stays with you.'
NLD Under Attack
Slorc barred the elected members of parliament from assuming power, decreeing that a
state-approved constitution had to be passed by national referendum first. In October
1990 the military raided NLD offices and arrested key leaders. Five years later Slorc
deemed it safe enough to release Aung San Suu Kyi; at the same time many other high-
level dissidents, including the NLD's Tin U and Kyi Maung, were also released from
prison.
In May and September 1996 a congress of NLD members was held in a bold political
gambit to show that the party was still an active force. The military junta responded by
detaining hundreds who attended the congress; the street leading to Suu Kyi's residence
was also blockaded, prohibiting her from making speeches at her residence.
In 1998 Suu Kyi attempted to leave Yangon to meet with supporters, but was blocked
by the military and forcibly returned to the city. A second attempt to drive to Mandalay
in September 2000 again saw the Lady (as she is affectionately known) detained at a mil-
itary roadblock and later placed under house arrest. Save for barely a year (between 6
