US embassy cable - 05RANGOON351

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000351 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, PINS, MOPS, ASEC, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMESE ARMY PREPARES TO THROW A PARTY - FOR ITSELF 
 
REF: A. 04 RANGOON 404 
     B. 03 RANGOON 398 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  The Burmese regime is undertaking extensive 
preparations to commemorate the country's 60th Armed Forces 
Day (March 27), in more grandiose fashion than ever, with a 
traditional military parade and associated events, to which 
the general public is denied any access.  This year, in a 
sign of the regime's growing disregard for international 
opinion, the SPDC has not invited the diplomatic corps to 
participate.  The season would not be complete without 
mysterious bombing incidents and, true to form, several small 
devices detonated or were "discovered" in Rangoon between 
March 16-19, giving the regime a well-timed opportunity to 
rant against exiled "terrorists" and further make the case 
for SPDC control of the government.  For a population that 
faces daily reminders that the military rules the roost, 
Armed Forces Day is simply an opportunity for the regime to 
rub in the reality that the generals are here to stay.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (U) The SPDC military regime is pulling out all the stops 
in preparation for its most significant holiday of the year, 
Armed Forces Day, which is observed on March 27.  This year 
marks the 60th anniversary of the holiday, originally 
established to commemorate independence hero Aung San's 
(father of Aung San Suu Kyi) decision in 1945 to throw 
Burmese Army support behind international forces allied 
against the Japanese occupation.  However, the SPDC 
de-emphasizes the historical origins of the holiday and 
instead treats the occasion as an annual opportunity to 
glorify the exploits of the Armed Forces ("Tatmadaw") and to 
underscore the regime's view that military rule is a 
necessity. 
 
Those Pesky Subterranean Destructive Elements 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
3. (U) The regime's propaganda machinery has been in full 
gear since the beginning of the year, extolling the virtues 
of the Tatmadaw and laying the groundwork for a major 
military celebration on March 27.  State-run newspapers and 
television stations are documenting on a daily basis how the 
Tatmadaw, primarily through the construction of bridges and 
dams, has over the past 17 years pulled Burma out from the 
dark ages and saved the country from disintegration.  "In the 
absence of the Tatmadaw, the country would be like a fish in 
little water," read one recent headline, following by a poem 
that declared the Tatmadaw "is crushing all who fall in the 
category of enemies above land and under, also under the 
water." 
 
4. (U) SPDC member, and chief of military training, Lt Gen 
Kyaw Win is spearheading preparations for the regime's 
"special" observance of the 60th anniversary of the holiday, 
which will include an enormous military parade and an 
official state dinner.  Among many preparations, the regime 
has for weeks mobilized thousands of troops for regular 
parade drilling, erected Christmas-style lighting throughout 
central Rangoon, held various exhibitions and contests, and 
conducted a typical regime fundraising campaign in which 
businesses and wealthy individuals are hit up for cash and 
in-kind contributions.  A recent tally of donations published 
in the regime's mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar, 
included seven million kyat in cash (roughly US $8,000), 
5,000 cans of sardines, 3,000 postcards, 35 packets of 
biscuits, and 20 bags of rice. 
 
"For the People" (Who Stay at Home) 
----------------------------------- 
 
5. (U) The regime's primary focus on Armed Forces Day is a 
massive military parade that takes place at Resistance Park, 
a 20-acre parade ground inside People's Park in central 
Rangoon.  Ringing the parade ground are brightly painted 
billboards that declare "Tatmadaw for the People."  However, 
Resistance Park is closed year-round to the public and the 
regime takes every possible measure to ensure that "the 
people" do not partake in Armed Forces Day events.  Upwards 
of ten thousand rank and file soldiers will parade before the 
SPDC generals, while authorities close off all streets in the 
vicinity of the park; there are no spectators and the only 
invited guests are members of the defense attache corps. 
 
6. (SBU) This year, in a sign of the regime's growing 
disregard for international opinion, the SPDC has not invited 
the diplomatic corps to the official state dinner on the 
evening of Armed Forces Day (in past years, in any case, EU 
Ambassadors planned foreign travel to avoid attending the 
dinner and the U.S. Chief of Mission stayed in Rangoon, but 
declined to attend).  Instead, several hundred senior members 
of the military, government, and mass-member Union Solidarity 
and Development Association (USDA) are expected to gather and 
fete the accomplishments of the Tatmadaw, capping a day of 
partying held by, and for, the armed forces.  The National 
League for Democracy--without the participation of many 
leaders, members, and supporters who remain in 
detention--will host a considerably more modest commemoration 
for the political opposition, which refers to the holiday as 
"Resistance Day" (Emboffs plan to attend). 
Celebrating with a Bang 
----------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) In recent years (ref B), during the weeks leading up 
to, and including, Armed Forces Day, a traditional component 
of the holiday has been mysterious bombings and other 
incidents involving unexplained explosive devices.  This year 
has been no exception.  On March 16, authorities "discovered" 
an unexploded device at a bus station in eastern Rangoon and, 
on the following day, a small device detonated and damaged a 
bus at the same station.  During the early morning hours of 
March 19, a similar device exploded in the bathroom of a 
guest room at a two-star hotel in downtown Rangoon, causing 
limited damage.  None of these incidents has resulted in 
casualties. 
 
8. (C) In standard fashion, the regime has rounded up and 
interrogated individuals in the vicinity of these bombings 
and blamed anti-regime "terrorists," such as the exiled (and 
outlawed) Thailand-based "National League for Democracy, 
Liberated Areas" (NLD-LA) and the "All Burma Students' 
Democratic Front" (ABSDF).  However, as in the wake of 
previous incidents, authorities have offered no compelling 
evidence or made transparent their alleged investigations, 
leaving most locals to conclude that members or supporters of 
the government planted the explosive devices as a pretext to 
crack down further on the democratic opposition. 
 
Comment: Here's Mud in Your Face 
-------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) The omnipresent (and, some would say, omnipotent) 
Burmese military regime controls most aspects of average 
citizens' lives.  Harassment, intimidation, arrogance, and 
self-enrichment are daily reminders that the armed forces, 
and not the general population, rule the roost.  A recent 
regime "clarification" at the ongoing National Convention 
(the Parliament will have the power to make laws "if/if the 
executive authority is subject to the provisions of the 
Constitution") gave further evidence that the generals, who 
continue to believe that "the people" are incapable of 
governing, plan to perpetuate military rule.  Armed Forces 
Day is simply an opportunity for the regime to rub that 
reality in the faces of ordinary Burmese.  End Comment. 
Martinez