Shan shame
Military sympathizers may be struggling to hide their shame after Min Aung Hlaing lamented (again) that his troops were being attacked by ethnic armies with superior strength and technology in northern Shan State.
The junta boss told a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council on Wednesday that his forces were outnumbered by better-equipped rebel armies.
Perhaps he had forgotten that he also has a Navy and Air Force, while rebel armies are limited to boots on the ground. It appears that the “professional military” that Min Aung Hlaing likes to brag he is building is a little short on brains, given that the Defense Ministry received the lion’s share of the national budget even under the now-ousted National League for Democracy government.
Myanmar’s military had imported at least US$1 billion in arms and raw materials since the 2021 coup, according to a report in May last year by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar.
Despite increasing the defense budget since the coup, the junta has lost dozens of towns, hundreds of outposts, and entire armories of weapons since three ethnic armies launched Operation 1027 at the end of October last year. Even hardcore military supporters are now calling on Min Aung Hlaing to step down following a string of humiliating defeats that are unprecedented in the history of Myanmar’s military.
If the shoe fits…
Min Aung Hlaing has earned himself another nickname after extending the state of emergency for a fifth time on Jan. 31. People are calling the junta chief “Toe” – Burmese for “extend” or “renew.”
The military first declared a state of emergency when it ousted the National League for Democracy government in February 2021, alleging fraud in the 2020 general election.
Myanmar’s constitution states that an emergency can imposed for an initial period of one year and can “normally” be extended for a maximum of two half-year terms at the discretion of the military-dominated National Defense and Security Council.
Min Aung Hlaing has ignored the supreme law and extended emergency rule no less than five times, citing the need to restore peace and stability so that the election he promised after the coup can be held.
Three years after his putsch, it is clear that he has failed in every sphere, from politics and economics to military matters and diplomacy. The only thing he can do is extend the state of emergency, thus earning the name “Toe Aung Hlaing”.
‘Whatever it takes’ to crush opposition
Min Aung Hlaing vowed to “return the state to stability” hours after the National Defense and Security Council agreed on another six-month extension to the state of emergency. Read more.
Election body chief replaced
The move comes on the heels of changes to the regime’s political parties law and an extension of the state of emergency in Myanmar. Read more.
Never-ending emergency
The regime’s security council has extended emergency rule for a fifth time, saying it is fighting “terrorists”. Read more.
