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By tightening his grip on the armed forces, his regime remains as defiant as ever as it continues to condemn “neo-colonialists and Western powers who continue to destabilize the country.”

 

Aside from the obvious problems within the Tatmadaw, the bizarre decision to relocate Burma’s administrative center to Pyinmana, central Burma, has created confusion and uncertainty in the military.

 

With increasing pressure from the West and mounting criticism from regional neighbors, the regime is as isolated as ever, and the junta leadership’s focus and national policies are purely based on security and self-sufficiency.

 

In order to attain that security and self-sufficiency, a robust economy is necessary. Burma just does not have that. The lives of ordinary Burmese people have not improved in any discernible way since Than Shwe and his henchmen took power, almost 20 years ago and the blame lies squarely at the government’s feet.

 

So, it is obviously neither external nor internal destructive elements that are going to further destabilize the country: it is the incompetent generals, who are directly responsible for a multitude of homegrown problems, including a stalled political process, internal conflicts, deepening economic and social woes, and the mystifying Pyinmana relocation.

 

Foreign critics and humanitarian workers inside the country have warned that food crises, malnutrition and health problems should be Burma’s most immediate concerns.

 

In central Burma and other drought-stricken areas, food scarcity and preventable diseases are crippling farmers and their families. Then there is HIV/AIDS, which has quickly reached a crisis point. With little access to medication, the virus is spreading like wildfire across areas such as Kachin State and Mon State, where NGO workers have compared AIDS patients dying to leaves falling from trees.

 

Since coming to power in 1988, the junta has succeeded in significantly expanding the Tatmadaw, but incontrovertibly failed in its stated objective of nation building.

 

Therefore, it is unsurprising to hear rank and file soldiers yearn for more open-minded and reasonable leaders who could shrewdly guide the country towards economic stability—never mind prosperity—and pave the way for a civilian/military partnership government.

 

Than Shwe and his gang will continue to thrive and grow, for the time being at least. It is hard to predict how the once-respectable Tatmadaw will repair its tarnished image.