US embassy cable - 94RANGOON1643

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 
----------------------------------------- 
 
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