I have been following events in Myanmar since 1995, and have spent quite a bit of time studying it's history. I have no idea why. I have just seem to be drawn to doing this. To tell the truth, I find Thailand and Cambodia more interesting. But now I'm glad that I have. Interesting days ...
Edit: And OP, Thanks a lot for the link to "The Irrawaddy". I'm always looking for new NON-US sources of news. This journal is exactly what I was going to be trying to find as soon as I got the time to be digging arounf.
Would you be willing to share any insights? Specifically regarding the current military takeover and if you think it is in the genuine best interest of the Myanmar people? I haven’t had the time to dig into this at all so I’ve only skimmed a few resources linked on this site. I’ve read the “elected” president has ties to Obama/Killary but I’ve also read conflicting statements that the Myanmar military has abused its citizens in the past so would love to hear your thoughts/insights.
The first thing to keep in mind is that Myanmar was part of the Hindusphere. The culture is heavily influenced by Hindu and later Buddhist thought and morality. It also has a long and sophisticated martial tradition. Men of the military take their responsibilities very seriously.
Modern Myanmar has two main problems. One is ethnic tension that can be exploited by outside concerns. This is the main source of instability. The second is that the northern part of the country borders China. It is also part of the Golden Triangle. This did not become a problem until the 70's and not serious until the 80's. There are several powerful drug lords in ethnic minority areas. They are wealthy and build infrastructure like schools and hospitals in the regions they control. This illegal activity extends into China. Both the Myanmar government and the Chinese want to eradicate this plague and have sometimes engaged in joint actions to do so.
Generally, the Myanmar military doesn't trust the CCP, because Myanmar provides an end round of the Himalayas into India. The CCP is already supporting radicals 8n places such as Assam. Because of their history, the Myanmar military also doesn't trust the west. The CIA has had their dirty fingers in Myanmar politics for decades.
During the 60's ethnic tensions were tearing apart the country. The military, figuring that Socialism was the solution, staged a coup. The military eventually backed away from the government but still had a lot of influence. The experiment with Socialism was even more of a disaster then it usually is. This was when the drug loads got their foothold. The CCP was probably also working to cause instability. Corruption was rampant. The central government was barely function.
The military got fed up and staged another coup with the intent of stabilizing things to the point were they could form a modern Democratic system. During this time the standard of living improved a lot, but some freedoms were lacking. There was a lot of dissatisfaction, but these were magnified by outside players. This is were Suu Kyi comes in.
In general, the Myanmar military has always disliked ruling as it distracts from their primary mission and provides an avenue for corruption. Every military organization from former Hindusphere countries hates corruption. Myanmar is no exception.
The NLD has been getting cozy with the CCP, and is obviously supported by the international globalists. These work against the unified and independent Myanmar that the military has always worked towards, even with their mistakes.
I have been following events in Myanmar since 1995, and have spent quite a bit of time studying it's history. I have no idea why. I have just seem to be drawn to doing this. To tell the truth, I find Thailand and Cambodia more interesting. But now I'm glad that I have. Interesting days ...
Edit: And OP, Thanks a lot for the link to "The Irrawaddy". I'm always looking for new NON-US sources of news. This journal is exactly what I was going to be trying to find as soon as I got the time to be digging arounf.
Would you be willing to share any insights? Specifically regarding the current military takeover and if you think it is in the genuine best interest of the Myanmar people? I haven’t had the time to dig into this at all so I’ve only skimmed a few resources linked on this site. I’ve read the “elected” president has ties to Obama/Killary but I’ve also read conflicting statements that the Myanmar military has abused its citizens in the past so would love to hear your thoughts/insights.
The first thing to keep in mind is that Myanmar was part of the Hindusphere. The culture is heavily influenced by Hindu and later Buddhist thought and morality. It also has a long and sophisticated martial tradition. Men of the military take their responsibilities very seriously.
Modern Myanmar has two main problems. One is ethnic tension that can be exploited by outside concerns. This is the main source of instability. The second is that the northern part of the country borders China. It is also part of the Golden Triangle. This did not become a problem until the 70's and not serious until the 80's. There are several powerful drug lords in ethnic minority areas. They are wealthy and build infrastructure like schools and hospitals in the regions they control. This illegal activity extends into China. Both the Myanmar government and the Chinese want to eradicate this plague and have sometimes engaged in joint actions to do so.
Generally, the Myanmar military doesn't trust the CCP, because Myanmar provides an end round of the Himalayas into India. The CCP is already supporting radicals 8n places such as Assam. Because of their history, the Myanmar military also doesn't trust the west. The CIA has had their dirty fingers in Myanmar politics for decades.
During the 60's ethnic tensions were tearing apart the country. The military, figuring that Socialism was the solution, staged a coup. The military eventually backed away from the government but still had a lot of influence. The experiment with Socialism was even more of a disaster then it usually is. This was when the drug loads got their foothold. The CCP was probably also working to cause instability. Corruption was rampant. The central government was barely function.
The military got fed up and staged another coup with the intent of stabilizing things to the point were they could form a modern Democratic system. During this time the standard of living improved a lot, but some freedoms were lacking. There was a lot of dissatisfaction, but these were magnified by outside players. This is were Suu Kyi comes in.
In general, the Myanmar military has always disliked ruling as it distracts from their primary mission and provides an avenue for corruption. Every military organization from former Hindusphere countries hates corruption. Myanmar is no exception.
The NLD has been getting cozy with the CCP, and is obviously supported by the international globalists. These work against the unified and independent Myanmar that the military has always worked towards, even with their mistakes.
Btw, the student massacre was at the hands of Security units and not the military proper. It was one of the triggers for the second coup.