Baubles for buddies
A week before the 79th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has invented four new titles to honor allies in foreign governments.
On Wednesday, he added two categories to a 2009 provision regarding the conferment of honorary titles and medals, introducing the Thiri Zeya Kyaw and Thiri Theinkha Kyaw titles for outstanding contributions to international cooperation, as well as the Thiri Thiha Kyaw and Thiri Thura Kyaw for outstanding contributions to international military cooperation.
Junta media reported that the addition was made as per Section 205(a) of the constitution, which states, “The President may, by the law, have the power to confer honorary titles and awards.”
Citing the timing of their introduction, observers say the newly created titles are intended to be bestowed on officials from junta allies like Russia, China, India and Thailand on Armed Forces Day.
After awarding honorary titles to some seven military and civilian officials from Russia and Japan over the past three years, the junta chief apparently wants more baubles for his handful of international friends.
At the same time, he no doubt wants to claim legitimacy by signing a provision that can only be introduced by the country’s president, as per the constitution. By doing this, Min Aung Hlaing has again shown that his insatiable power lust remains undimmed despite his failure on the political, economic, military, and diplomatic fronts.
Pointing the finger
Min Aung Hlaing never tires of playing the blame game. The latest example came at Thursday’s meeting of the National Planning Commission when he whined that his hard work for Myanmar had borne little fruit because of “terrorist acts”.
By terrorist acts, he means the countrywide armed revolt against his regime.
He also boasted that his regime had improved public services like health and education. He didn’t explain how, but Myanmar people can easily see the effect of his rule by counting the number of airstrikes on schools and healthcare facilities he has ordered since seizing power in 2021.
His blustering speech culminated with this brazen declaration: “The regime has taken measures to keep food prices low.”
To cut a long story short, food prices have tripled since the coup, largely due to his economic mismanagement. But Min Aung Hlaing again blamed “terrorist acts”, saying they had disrupted the production and flow of goods.
The junta chief served up the same cocktail of blame and self-pity during his New Year’s message on Jan. 1. Previously, he has placed the blame for the country’s woes on the elected National League for Democracy government that he ousted in the 2021 coup, as well as its predecessor led by his then-boss, general Thein Sein. Western countries and international institutions have not been spared. For all his failures, no one can doubt that Min Aung Hlaing is a champion when it comes to pointing the finger.
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