BURMA'S ARMED FORCES PAT THEMSELVES ON THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001643


DEPT FOR EAP/TB, INR

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV MARR BM
SUBJECT: BURMA'S ARMED FORCES PAT THEMSELVES ON THE
- BACK AND PROMOTE THE ARMY CINC


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: DESPITE UNUSUALLY INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE
49TH BURMQY WENT OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT ON MARCH 27. IN
HIS HOLIDAY ADDRESS, SLORC CHAIRMAN THAN SHWE STRESSED
THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE MILITARY IN BURMESE NATION-
BUILDING AND CALLED FOR NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND
STABILITY. WITHOUT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ARMY CINC LTG
MAUNG AYE WAS AWARDED HIS FOURTH STAR ON MARCH 21, THUS
FIRMING UP HIS FORMAL SUPERIOR RANKING TO POWERFUL
INTELLIGENCE CZAR LTG KHIN NYUNT. END SUMMARY.

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DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE
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3. THE MOST REMARKABLE ASPECT OF THE RITUAL MASS
MARCH AND SPEECH BY THE DEFENSE SERVICES COMMANDER AND
SLORC CHIEF, SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE, WAS THE
UNSEASONAL SQUALL (THE FIRST IN 118 YEARS OF
RECORD-KEEPING) THAT COINCIDED WITH THE EVENTS.
SHOWING THEIR METTLE, NOT A SINGLE MEMBER OF THE SLORC
FLINCHED FOR AN UMBRELLA; NEWSPAPER PHOTOS SHOW THE
WHOLE SLORC LINEUP, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAN SHWE,
SOAKED TO THE SKIN. NOT SURPRISINGLY GIVEN THE
STRENGTH OF SUPERSTITION HERE, THE FREAK WEATHER
PROVED TO BE GRIST FOR THE MILLS OF THE MANY BURMESE
LOOKING HERE FOR OMENS OF THE SLORC'S IMPENDING DEMISE.


4. IN A SHORT AND MINIMALLY POLEMICAL SPEECH, SENIOR
GENERAL THAN SHWE CHARACTERIZED THE MILITARY'S MAIN
TASK NOW AS CREATING CONDITIONS TO ENSURE POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC STABILITY EVEN AFTER POWER IS TRANSFERRED
TO A NOMINALLY CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT (NO TIMEFRAME
SPECIFIED). HE LAID SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON NATIONAL
RECONCILIATION BUT SPOKE SPECIFICALLY ONLY OF THE NEED
FOR A MEETING OF THE MINDS WITH ARMED INSURGENTS, NOT
THE SLORC'S POLITICAL OPPONENTS. HE ALSO POINTED TO
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION AND THE NEW CONSTITUTION AS
SERIOUS FACTORS IN BURMA'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.
INTERESTINGLY, THOUGH THAN SHWE HIMSELF CLAIMED "THE
NATION IS STRONG ONLY WHEN THE TATMADAW (ARMY) IS
STRONG," THE GOVERNMENT RADIO COMMENTATOR REMINDED
LISTENERS THAT THE MILITARY EXISTS FOR THE COUNTRY,
NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. NOTE: WHETHER COINCIDENTAL
OR NOT, THIS PHRASE WAS FREQUENTLY USED BY AUNG SAN
SUU KYI DURING HER PRO-DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGNING.


5. (ORIGINAL TEXT MISSIN) ...WESTERN AMBASSADORS
EITHER HAVING DISCREETLY LEFT TOWN FOR THE WEEKEND OR
SIMPLY DECLINING OUTRIGHT THEIR INVITATION TO THE ARMED
FORCES DAY BANQUET, THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR FOUND
HIMSELF THE TEMPORARY DEAN OF THE LOCAL DIPLOMATIC
CORPS. BESIDES OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, RUSSIA,
YUGOSLAVIA AND ISRAEL ALL SENT DIPLOMATS TO THE
DINNER, WHICH REPORTEDLY WAS OTHERWISE UNREMARKABLE.

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ERADICATING HISTORY WITH A HISTORY MUSEUM
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6. REGARDING OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ARMED FORCES DAY
CELEBRATION, SEVERAL CONSPICUOUS PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS
WERE SUCCESSFULLY RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN TIME FOR THE
HOLIDAY. THESE INCLUDED A DAM NEAR PROME, A
MILITARY-SPONSORED BUDDHIST MONASTERY NEAR THE
SHWEDAGON PAGODA, AND THE DEFENSE SERVICES MUSEUM.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE MASSIVE NEW MUSEUM ENTAILED THE
DEMOLITION OF THE COLONIAL-ERA JUBILEE HALL, THE SITE
OF MANY IMPORTANT EVENTS IN BURMA'S POST-INDEPENDENCE
HISTORY (INCLUDING AUNG SAN'S STATE FUNERAL). THE
MUSEUM'S INITIAL EXHIBITION FOCUSES ON BURMESE
MILITARY HISTORY (LESS HISTRIONIC THAN EXPECTED) AND
THE WORK OF THE REGIONAL COMMANDS. INDICATIVE OF THE
SEAMLESSNESS OF THE MILITARY/GOVERNMENT WEB HERE, EACH
MINISTRY, WHETHER OR NOT HEADED BY A MEMBER OF THE
ARMED FORCESQY DEVOTED TO ITSACTIVITIES. PUBLIC
ATTENDANCE HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN DISAPPOINTING.

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A QUIET PROMOTION
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7. TO DATE THE SLORC HAS NOT USED THE ARMED FORCES
CELEBRATION TO ANNOUNCE PROMOTIONS. ACCORDINGLY,
WITHOUT FANFARE, THE ARMY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, LTG
MAUNG AYE, WAS AWARDED HIS FOURTH STAR ON MARCH 21.
SINCE THEN HE HAS BEEN LISTED SIMPLY AS "GENERAL,"
INCLUDING IN THE PORTRAIT PANTHEON MOUNTED IN THE
ENTRANCE OF THE JUST OPENED DEFENSE SERVICES MUSEUM.
GOB CONTACTS VIEW HIS PROMOTION AS SIMPLY ROUTINE,
COMING AFTER THE TRADITIONAL YEAR'S WAIT IN THE FOUR
STAR ARMY CINC BILLET. ALL THE SAME, MAUNG AYE NOW
FORMALLY OUTRANKS KHIN NYUNT AND IS EVEN MORE THAN
BEFORE THE OBVIOUS CHOICE TO SUCCEED THAN SHWE, SHOULD
THE SLORC CHIEF CEDE THE REINS ANYTIME SOON.

HUDDLE