While junta critics voice doubt that Min Aung Hlaing’s army still has sufficient troops to stage a military parade to mark Armed Forces Day, which falls on Wednesday, the regime has announced that the annual holiday would be celebrated at sunset.
The event was commemorated both in the daytime and evening during the time of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League government, and under the Revolutionary Council led by General Ne Win. For nearly six decades since then, however, it has been held only in the morning.
The regime cited the El Nino weather phenomenon as the reason for choosing to organize the commemoration at sunset, adding that a spectacular flypast would be held in the evening.
This year’s commemoration is scheduled to kick off at 5.15 p.m. Critics of the regime say the time was carefully chosen in line with yadaya traditional Burmese magic rituals. The three digits in the time—five, five and one—add up to 11, which helps to avert “Set Ta Mee”, or the Eleven Dangers, according to a traditional Myanmar belief.
The commemoration is scheduled at sunset for the same reason—to “keep the sun from setting on the Myanmar military”, critics say.
Former military dictator Than Shwe also performed a yadaya ritual at a dinner to mark Union Day. All cabinet members of his regime wore htamein (women’s sarongs), in a move widely believed to be a form of yadaya aimed at preventing a woman—specifically, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—from assuming the helm of the country’s affairs.
This year’s parade is different from previous years as it is the military’s first celebration of Armed Forces Day since it began losing large swathes of territory to ethnic armies late last year, and since the introduction of mandatory military service.
“We will be able to see the ornamental modern weaponry,” a former military officer wrote sarcastically on social media, referring to Min Aung Hlaing’s penchant for showcasing sophisticated military hardware and weapons systems during previous parades as a warning to revolutionary forces.
Far from containing the armed revolt, his regime has lost towns and bases across Kachin, Karenni (Kayah), Chin, Rakhine and Shan states and Sagaing and Magwe regions.
Min Aung Hlaing has lamented more than once that ethnic armed organizations have used high-technology drones to drop bombs on junta targets during the fighting in northern Shan State.
The military losses under his leadership have prompted military supporters to call on Min Aung Hlaing to step down as the military chief.
Meanwhile, a total of 215 companies have donated 1.3 billion kyats to the Myanmar military in honor of Armed Forces Day. The identities of those companies are unknown, but 52 more companies made donations this year than last year. In 2023, the military received 1.1 billion kyats and US$2,500 in donations.
Many business owners including junta cronies made donations to help construct the Maravijaya Buddha Statue, which Min Aung Hlaing ordered built in Naypyitaw. It has been claimed that a minimum amount was set for contributions, and that business owners were forced to donate, raising the possibility that business owners were forced to do so again this time.
