Black clad teenagers holding swords and battle-axes, raving with Electric Dance Music, jumping around burning tires when handcuffed police officer is dragged along the dance floor and kicked around with dancing feet before hacked to death with axes. It sound like scene from films like the Apocalypse or MadMax but this episode happened in the sunny streets of Mandalay city Myanmar on 3rd April 2021 behind the watchful eyes of international audiences, disguising as peaceful pro-Democracy protest by unarmed citizens against the military coup. Of course, no mainstream international media will report about this event since it will tarnish the image of peaceful protest against cruel soldiers by innocent Democracy loving youths.

Those images captured from the mobile phone of a protesting youth are not the pretty and sympathizing façade of the anti military coup protest movement that have been raging on in Myanmar for 100 days since February 2021 and manipulated by mainstream media outlets which are controlled by pro-Democracy activists and citizen journalists whose reports finally end up on the screens of international audience. The experiences witnessed by a foreign citizen who speak Myanmar language as native speaker and who have been living among ordinary Myanmar people throughout the crisis outside the cocoon of diplomatic compound might be totally different from what is portrayed on the silver screen.

The outpouring of public anger against military coup which is triggered by alleged Electoral fraud committed by ruling National League for Democracy led by disgraced Nobel laureate Aung San Su Kyi was followed by street protests since 4th February 2021. Although the initial protest movements until the end of February were participated by all walks of life and led by mosaic of local celebrities, Facebook influencers, scholars and veteran political activists such as 1988 generation ex-students, lack of uniformed movement and leadership made the protesters to shout plethora of demands with focus on inviting international community’s intervention to come and rescue by forceful removal of Myanmar army like in Iraq or Afghanistan. The whole February saw street full of people reveling, raving and dressing up like Brazilian carnival by letting out the steam off and defying one year nation-wide pandemic lockdown at the same time.

Mosaic of protesters formed small core groups with friends, relatives and their cyber buddies from social network such as Facebook group. All of the protest movements rely primarily on newsfeed from Facebook and people who have more Facebook followers became instant revolutionary leaders who instruct their followers with their random idea about the title of the protest, slogans to shout, dress code of the day etc. Anyone who speak fluent Burmese language and observe the protesters inside the mob will tell you that initially, the people on the streets were demanding the release of detained NLD party leaders, intervention by United Nations forces and restoration of Democracy as well as appealing soldiers and police to desert or not to obey order to shoot. No one demanded for Democracy, Federal system, armed revolution or solidarity with ethnic rebels and justice for Rohingya until at the later chapter of 100 days crisis. The Images of roses on riot police weapons or cakes for the stone-faced soldiers or selfie with roaring tanks were flying over the news at the beginning.

Sometimes protesters will instantly act on rumors from Facebook celebrities that American Aircraft carrier and navy ships entered Myanmar territory and spray painted roads with English words for U.S fighter jet pilots or light up the streets with candles to show landing strip. The popular belief on the protesting street is that if Myanmar Army opened fired on unarmed protesters and 10,000 lives were lost, the International Community will send armed forces under United Nations mandate of Right to Protect or R2P and finish Myanmar Army. Any western tourist who speak local language and live among the protesters will instantly puzzled by lunatic-asylum-like behaviors until he or she found out that majority of those protesters are so-called Generation Z or teenagers who were born on this millennium who are not old enough to vote on the disputed election and getting high on methamphetamines’ and ice that is cheaper than a pack of chewing gum here.

It is no secret that Myanmar is the largest producer of Methamphetamine, narcotic and psychotropic drugs in the world and second largest producer of Heroin after Afghanistan. The 10 plus billion dollar drug business have big influence on Asia’s poorest country whose GDP is about 60 billion dollar and fighting longest on-going civil war of the world since 73 years ago. The drug money and drug trade ingrained on every business or citizen’s life of the country and social media and online gaming teenagers found no exception as most of them are addicted or regularly use psychotropic drugs. The Untied Nations Drug watchdog UNDOC estimated there are 400,000 drug addicts in the country of 50 plus million people but the situation on the ground may be much differ as 80% of prisoners are incarcerated for drug related offenses and about 50% of students and factory workers are addicted or regularly using psychotropic drugs, devastating whole communities in some rural area.

Since the first press conference of Junta on 16 February 2021 that coincided with the amnesty of prisoners, many veteran Myanmar politicians seemed to smell fish about the corruption scandals of deposed leader Suu kyi’s NLD party led government and its stooges when they ruled the country on 2015-2020 period and begin not to associate with the street protests. Also it is peculiar that most of Myanmar’s 500,000 strong Buddhist monks who are omnipresence in every chapter of Myanmar’s chaotic post-independence politics are not to be seen at street protests in 2021. All politically mature adult without partisan politics witnessed that the first full five year term of Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party led government 0n 2015-2020 (first Democracy experiment allowed by army) was spent on personal image building of Suu Kyi as a demigod like North Korea, rampant corruption and nepotism instead of fulfilling campaign promises. The basics human rights like freedom of belief and speech, including press freedom were severely oppressed as anyone who dared to protest or criticize peoples’ government is considered as enemy of the state. If it sounds like North Korea, look at party flag, political practice and backgrounds of NLD party leadership.

The most fishy of all, sensed by anyone literate about Myanmar politics is Aung San Suu Kyi’s complicity in 2017 Rohingya genocide. The records of Army spokesman on that period clearly stated that NLD party led civilian government gave consent or instruction for such genocidal military operation which is reconfirmed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s representation before ICJ International Court of Justice in the Hague on December 2019 to defend the actions of her armed forces. The rampant corruption of her NLD government, drop in domestic and international popularity, her fall from graceful Nobel Peace Laureate to a genocide perpetrator, her mismagement of economy before and during Covid-19 crisis and dark outlook for elected NLD party’s next 5 years term in the office and the Coup on February 2021 might be panacea for all Aung San Suu Kyi’s trouble. Every Myanmar watcher agree that just before February, Aung San Suu Kyi intentionally and persistently provoking the military who considered itself as the guardian of constitution in government controlled area of contested land to stage a coup. All the official conversation and verbal spat on cyberspace between her and military during three month onset of the coup November 2020 election and February 2021 period, leading what will happen next with every Myanmar watcher knew the coup is not” if “but “when” will happen.

Recent dispute in United States presidential election between old Donald Trump and Joe Biden is the proof that electoral dispute is part and parcel of multi-party parliamentary Democracy, that need to be respected and addressed for the healthy development of the Democratic system. But where even a mature Democracy like United States first chose to settle the electoral disputes before the competent courts, Myanmar’s quasi-Democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi rejected and even publicly ridiculed military’s repeated calls for a peaceful judicial settlement. Under the Myanmar’s constitution, the electoral disputes must be settled before Union Election Commission UEC the members of which are appointed by elected government in seat, Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD party. The next step when the court’s verdict on election result was still a dispute, democratically mature Americans settled it with People’s Coup de têt by invading Capitol building to stop the certification of vote results with lost of 5 souls and 140 injuries in Washington DC on 6 January 2021. While the American “peoples” who supported one candidate and staged coup to stop other candidate, the winner of the election, to be certified and take office with the motto of “Save America” was failed by the refusal of acting Vice President Mike Pence to cooperate with coup plots and adherence to the laws, just three weeks later on 1st February 2021 the copy-cat event at the other hemisphere of the world was succeeded. In Myanmar’s version the “people” was replaced with “people’s army” the motto with “ Save Democracy and Justice” and with the cooperation of the acting Vice President Myint Swe’s adherence to law of the land, the 2008 constitution which might not be the same with American’s 1788 mother law.

The coup leaders’ promises of new election after auditing the controversial result of previous election within one to two year period allowed by the constitution might seemed to solve every problem Aung San Suu Kyi is facing. If the promises by military Junta were kept, she can return with triumph of election victory and as a reborn mother of Democracy, the metamorphosis out of coup cocoon. There is no permanent friend or foe in the politics Eh! There also is other incriminating evidence to support such a theory about NLD party’s complicity in the coup plot and Suu Kyi’s image rebuilding in cocoon that no senior NLD party leadership who are not under detention by Junta, like former president Nyan Win who was acting de jury head of state during 2017 Rohingya genocide, do not join or lead the anti-coup activities and Civil Disobedience Movement as well as formation of cyber parliament CRPH and/or its parallel executive government branch NUG. Only the rookie Junior leaders, activists, film stars and lobbyists of NLD party are at play in the protest and anti-coup movements with no clear agenda or leadership. Nobody know what would Aung San Suu Kyi do if she was not detained.

The first casualty of the protest in Myanmar occurred around that time and it was not a TikTok loving cute girl Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing who passed away after few days in coma on 19 February but off-duty police officer Khin Zaw Latt who was bludgeoned to death by local protesting meth-head mobs in Mandalay on unfaithful night of 16 February. The peak of the peaceful protest was called on by NLD party junior leadership, Social-network-influencers and lobbyists on 22/2/2021 where millions of people poured out to street with no bloodshed. The participants of protest number decline from that day to downward trend. The Junta began to shut down mobile internet and blocked access to Facebook to control the protest movement which rely on cyberspace to communicate.

After the retreat from street protest around late February by veteran politicians and mature adults who smelt fish about political scandal that lead to the coup and option of prudent wait for the premise of new election within one to two years, the deposed NLD party and its Facebook lobbyists found new foot soldiers for their cause called Generation Z teenagers most of whom grown up under Aung San Suu Kyi’s ascension to power on 2012 and who build their lives around Facebook, online games like PUBG and methamphetamine. They also are not old enough to vote on controversial November 2020 election. in addition, they are really very mad for one year home lock-down of pandemic with all schools closed and shutting down of internet by the coup leaders, ruining cyber world which they have built their entire lives around. That lead to the formation of black clad local militias around the country who dress up like warriors from PUBG and other online games with cheap Chinese made gears and home made bullet proof vests. They called themselves local Defense Teams or Def, guarding the residential areas from the potential crime committed by released prisoners as well as defending peaceful protesters from the police bullets. They are funded by voluntary donations from public as well as forceful collection of block watch taxes from households that can not contribute labor on defense of living quarter and supplemented by food donation and free methamphetamine. There also is accusation from Junta that Def militias and Civil Disobedience Movement is funded by foreign sources such as American billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Institute, remittance from expatriate Myanmar nationals and drug warlords.

Since the beginning of March 2021, local teenagers or Generation Z defense team warriors build fortresses out of the streets around the country. They used sand bags, debris, stones, lamp posts and concrete pavement slabs to build fortresses across the streets, blocking traffic flow of entire cities across the country. In some cases, they pour concrete on railway tracks, digging trenches or ditches across motor roads, build Great Walls with concrete to block main artery of the cities they live and arming themselves with crude homemade guns, Improvised Explosive Devices IED, Molotov cocktails, cross bows and steel arrows along with metal shields. Some of the riot gear shields held by meth-headed militants even spray painted Anarchist symbols. Their hope about armed international intervention on junta to their rescue if ten thousand corpses strewn on the streets of Myanmar, is very much alive as NLD social media lobbyist , Entertainment Industry celebrities, low level NLD party leaders and elected parliamentarians of NLD party encouraging the youths on social media with such false hopes.

There was no peaceful street protest anywhere in the country since early March and armed uprising phase of the CDM Civil Disobedience Movement begun with teenagers on drugs facing off against riot-geared police on the streets. Some of the elected NLD party candidates of 2020 controversial election began to convene Parliament on cyberspace called CRPH (or representative group of parliamentarians which copied its processor CRPP of 1990s) and begin giving some instructions for aggressive Civil Disobedience Movement to force or shame anyone who do not participate in boycotting of work or opening the businesses. The CRPH cyber government declared itself as legitimate Government of Myanmar and designated ruling military junta as terrorist organization and anyone cooperating it would be deemed as public enemy. Hence it is legal for any Myanmar citizen to attack and kill armed forces personnel and their family members as well as any civilian deemed collaborating with them. They used the slangs like serving biryani to firebomb or violently attack armed forces, government building, hospitals, schools that open in defiance of CDM movement and anyone deemed collaborators of the regime.

The Civil Administration of Myanmar broke down since 1st February and fenced, isolated patches of residential areas with maze of defensive walls are ruled by roaming mobs of armed teenagers as well as local thugs and criminal elements. Any civilian, suspected or accused of collaborating with police or soldier is deemed public enemy and kill, amputate or socially shamed in the residential areas. Understandingly anyone who did not join the street protest or show three finger salute or beating utensils at 8PM or not donating anything for protesters or not joining block watch volunteer or not supporting CDM movement by going to work or opening businesses are labeled as anti-Democratic, pro-military and face severe punishment by the De Facto Anarchaic rulers of the street, the protesting teenage mob who are high on methamphetamine.

The silent majority live in the climate of fear with dilemma about whether to continue social distancing for Covid-19 or support protest movements of teenagers as police and soldiers can not provide security for general public. In a country with multi-party Democracy where 60 plus registered political parties, NLD party supporters and their teenage meth-head child soldier mob ruled the streets and harassed supporters of other political parties accusing as supporters or collaborators of Junta army. The words “public” or “people” is only reserved for and seemed to be hijacked by NLD party supporters. The mainstream media only refer NLD party led mobs as “people” and “Not” to the the silent majority. The meth-head child soldiers of NLD party called themselves Generation Z defenders of people. The whole generation of adults who are older and did not join their movement or having different political opinions are dubbed with derogatory terms as Generation L or Generation Penis (abbreviation of Burmese word Lee for Penis) and kept their voices silent by teenagers. this is reminiscent of Chinese Mao youths during the cultural revolution.

People distrust and accuse each other of being a Dalan (Burmese slang for police informer or spy) and polarizing of society began. There are ugly events about rape and murder cases in industrial townships of Yangon suburb for being accused as police collaborators and burning of Chinese own factories since NLD social media lobbyists accused China of supporting Myanmar junta. The NLD party lobbyists called for boycott of Chinese made goods since they think China who used veto on United Nations Security Council meeting to block United Nations forces not to come and help Myanmar protesters, is their enemy. In the universe of Myanmar meth-head protesters who are guided by pro-NLD party Facebook lobbyist, their country Myanmar is the center of the universe and whole wide world is focusing their attention on the everyday movements of them with world leaders adore their Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and organizing international forces to rescue her from the clutches of cruel military coup leaders.

The brewing tension got momentum at the middle of March with arson attacks on Chinese own factories, rise in crimes about rape and murder of accused police collaborators by mobs in the industrial suburb townships around Yangon city on 14 March which led to the violent crackdown across the country by the armed forces with about 60 people lost their lives. The following day of 15 March saw declaration of martial laws on five suburbs of Yangon where the violent crackdown took place and nation-wide shut down of mobile internet access citing the NLD lobbyist using social media to organize armed protest. The couple of days of calm after the internet shutting down might justify the claim of junta but restoration of internet access again saw sharp rise in violent protest as well as call for nation-wide armed uprising on 27th March by Facebook based NLD party lobbyists whose election victory was denied by coup.

The enthusiasm of meth-head teenage militants were fueled by NLD lobbyist and CRPH cyber parliament of NLD claiming they are the legitimate government of Myanmar recognized by international community and Myanmar people are allowed to defend themselves by attacking the junta forces with any available weapons. The defection of Myanmar’s UN ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun was a big blow on Junta and encouraged CRPH which convinced its armed meth-head mob about their legitimacy to attack. The call for arms is answered with renew efforts by teenagers making weapons in metal workshops, auto garage, plumbing shops and gas pumps which chunk out gas-pressurized pellet guns, flint-locked rifles, cross bows and Molotov bottles preparing for the anti-fascist peoples’ uprising day on 27 March 2021 which is the remake of the 76th anniversary of “Revolution Day led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s father against the Japanese occupation on 1945” . It is the annual ritual of Myanmar armed forces to parade its military prowess, showing off new weapons like Russia’s Victory Day parade and NLD chose this very day to throw its meth-headed militant mob generation Z teenage supporters to play with the firepower of a national army. Their belief about international armed intervention if 10,000 corpses of innocent souls strewn in the street was very much alive.

Accordingly 27th March 2021 saw full scale violent uprising by millions of armed meth-head teenagers attacking junta’s armed forces across the country with mostly crude home-made weapons that saw the record body count of about 107 which is the peak daily casualty since the beginning of the coup. The casualty figures, if accurate, may show the miraculous attempt by junta on dealing with armed and hostile mob as 500,000 plus fully armed battle hardened Junta soldiers facing off millions of hostile and untrained youths who were high on drugs in the full urban combat. The fighting raged on for following few days with lesser body count and untrained hostile teenagers pretending as characters from online games like PUBG and Mobile Legends fueled by help of free methamphetamine were crushed down by Myanmar junta ‘s forces.

International media cherry-picked newsfeed from pro-NLD Myanmar media outlets who survive on handouts of western countries. There was no press freedom under Suu Kyi’s 5 year in office and drying out foreign funds for pro-NLD or so called “pro-people” media was saved by the windfall from coup. They never reported or under-reported about the armed conflict or city street-to-street battle between NLD led armed-protesters fighting with homemade weapons against military Junta forces but portrayed as unarmed peaceful protesters under the brutal crackdown of the cruel army. It may sound like old Donald Trump’s rant about media-bias but the reality witnessed by impartial eyes can not be denied. According to news video and social media news feeds from pro-NLD party media outlets like DVB,RFA,VOA and others, their reporters in the street battlefields were harassed by armed protesters who accused them as revealing their defenses and position to the police and deleted footages that might show negative images of the armed protest movement. The field reporters also faced hostility and harassment from the armed forces personals.

The infamous incident about under-reporting took place in Yangon city on 27 March when American Center building was shot by unknown gunmen from a speeding car which popular NLD lobbyist happily jump on to accuse Junta soldiers. But when the damaged area of the building was quietly repaired by U.S embassy and the attacker was apprehended before identifying as NLD party supporter who were acting to provoke American retaliation on the junta. This incident was kept to eerie silence by media outlets, pro-Democracy activists and American diplomats themselves. The images of innocent unarmed pro-Democracy protesters should not be tainted by the work of a rookie gunman from protesting mob and no international media reported about the follow up of this incident or who committed the hostile act against American interest in Myanmar. The different pictures of the peaceful protesters captured by Junta’s armed forces are very different from mainstream media reports since police officers are surprised by sheer numbers of underaged protesters captured and tested positive with usage of methamphetamine and other psychotropic drugs. The announcement by Junta about the number of peoples released after few days of detention reflects the reality of the NLD usage of children as human shield since most of the released detainees were underaged drug addicts.

The murder of an off-duty police officer by black clad meth-head Myanmar militants in Mandalay happened on 3rd April morning at the waning day of armed uprising called by NLD party which is not isolated incident. There are number of such incidents in the same city such as abducting plain cloth police officer before torture, rob and burning alive by 200 rioters on 29 March. There are hundreds of cities in Myanmar and incidents like that are under-reported to international eyes. The textbook example of such an incident took place in the Mandalay city on early morning of 28 March, the day after the NLD’s call for armed uprising when a 42 year old local resident Aye Ko came out of the street to help fire trucks removing road barricades or fortress for extinguishing the arson fire on their street’s Civil Administration office building. The building which used as local election office that used to house ballots for the previous controversial election which is being audited by Junta, is considered legitimate target for Civil Disobedience Movement on denying the Junta to rule their city and arsonized by local Defense Force or Block watch Volunteer or meth-headed militants. This particular building happened to be situated near Aye Ko employer’s house and he chose to go out and helped fire trucks. So after the departure of fire engines and police who was providing security to fire crew from the neighborhood, this poor and unfortunate citizen who helped Junta’s fire truck on extinguishing fire was accused by peaceful pro-democracy protesters as Dalan or collaborator of the Junta regime before beaten and burnt alive. This murder was blamed on Junta’s forces with tearful story headline saying “soldiers brutally shot a volunteer before burning alive injured man while he was shouting Help me Mother” which was counted in along with previously reported two police officers, among the body count of Junta’s victims which pro-NLD party watchdogs and media are tallying.

The access to public roads were restored at the beginning of April as soldiers held residents of the blocked roads responsible for and asked to remove the barriers, many occasions with forced labour on gunpoint. Myanmar’s traditional New year and ten days long weekend holidays were celebrated on mid-April with empty streets since NLD supporters’ threatened anyone who celebrated under the governance of Junta would be considered as Dalan or the collaborators of the military regime. The fear of silent majority towards protesters as well as armed forces result another sorrowful New Year Day after last year’s Covid-19 lockdown.

The executive government branch of NLD party cyber-parliament CRPH called NUG, National Unity Government was formed on the eve of Myanmar New Year 16th April 2021 which could not organize mainstream political forces including Rohingya activists on their side. The gradual restoration of partial stability return with people braved out of the street to buy provisions at the end of April. The beginning of May 2021 saw no large protest movement but surge on the explosions of IEDs and arson attacks on schools, hospitals and public area around the country to deny resumption of normal business activities when generation-Z meth-head teenagers went underground and graduated bomb making technics from google. Even a famous MMA mixed martial art fighter Pho Thaw, leader of an underground armed group, got severely injured while assembling Bomb/ IED in his gym which reveal the extent of sinister plots by so-called Civil Disobedience Movement and their willingness to commit atrocities for achieving objective. The mass killing of civilians by explosion of bombs/IEDS, like in Iraq or Afghanistan would be seen in Myanmar’s streets in very near future when the field training phase of meth-head militant child soldiers is over.

Also on 5th May 2021 the NLD led cyber based parallel government of NUG (National Unity Government) set up a new armed forces by uniting different regional child soldier functions, called PDF (People Defense Forces) in addition to hundreds of armed rebel armies in the country’s 73 year long civil war. The Cyber government of NUG and its parliament CRPH openly stated that their goal is not to wait another election in next 9 months (balance of 12 months period initially promised by Junta on February) but to make Myanmar into chaotic failed- state in order to deny authority of the Junta by utter destruction of the country with armed revolution and urban warfare.

In fact this is the nostalgic incident repeating the violent history of independent Myanmar or Burma since the Independence from British crown. The anatomy of the country reveals the longest ongoing civil war on earth which have been ranging on since 3 months after the independence on March 1948 at the beginning of Cold War era when Burma Communist Party which is formed by General Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi and founder of Myanmar Army, revolted against their fellow revolutionaries who became Government. Aung San Suu Kyi father’s communist party fought against the army he created, what a mass? The 73 years civil war in a country with over 100 different ethnic peoples who hate each other, had replica of present day Syria on some of its episodes when majority Bamar ethnic led central government controlled less than 5% of its 260,000 square Mile sovereign area (it is expended to 80% now).

The circumstances of Cold War politics, threat of on-going civil war and immature politicians pushed Myanmar military led by American aligned ethnic Chinese-Burmese General Ne Win to stage a bloodless coup on 1962 when South East Asia was on the brink of Communist take over and threat of communist China was imminent. The unfortunate country have been under constant military rule since 1962 and only had chance to enjoy political freedom that is allowed and safeguarded by the Army in the area it controlled. There is no secret that Myanmar’s 100 plus ethnic groups maintain 100 plus armed rebel functions operating along porous borderlands with combine strength of around a quarter million armed-men facing off against half a million Myanmar government armed forces. It go without saying that every body hate each other which is the reason why there are over 100 different armed rebel groups. The political liberty in a civil-war-torn country will reflect the good-will or whim of the armed forces which control the particular area they have contested and conquered.

It is unnoticed that the politics of Myanmar, as a country we are referring represent only the portion of the politics of the area controlled by largest armed forces, the Tatmadaw and not referring to the mosaic of the areas controlled by concoction of 100plus armed revolutionary forces. Although the largest, well armed and united armed forces conquered and consolidated most area of the country, there also are mosaic of un-consolidated territories under the various armed groups with multitude of political and business interests such as separatism, federalism and/or mostly drug trade. As a resource rich country, Myanmar’s seven decades long civil war depends on exploitation of natural resources, illegal trading with neighboring countries but narcotic production business is the largest source of income to fund the war since Myanmar is the largest producer of methamphetamine and psychotropic drugs in the world while recently giving away the crown to Afghanistan as a largest producer of Heroin. Those quarter million strong armed forces controls about 20% of the country and having own political entities in their area of control which are the subordinates of armed forces with no or less political freedom such as basic human rights or elected parliament for the residents, not much differ from the area the mainland part of majority Bamar people under the junta army. In a country where bitter and brutal civil war have been raging for 73 years, there seemed no Saints among soldiers and every Armed function have their own share of Skeletons in their closets.

Since the Cold War , Myanmar military and its Dictators served as proxy for United States and its allies against the expansion of next door neighbor Communist China or awakening of the sleeping Dragon. The Socialist dictatorship government of General Ne Win was one of the America’s friendly anti-communist Dictators in South-East-Asia along with the contemporary like General Suharto of Indonesia, Ferdinand Marcos of Philippine, Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir Mohammed of Malaysia, Field Marshall Thanom of Thailand and endless other.

The outright military rule period 1962-1975 (drafting new constitution) was followed by a Socialist Republic led by ex-military generals and veterans until 1988 when the military stood out of shadow and reminded the citizens of its controlled area who was the real boss behind the political engineering of the territory it conquered. The repeat of history was followed with another outright military rule period from 1988-2010 (drafting new constitution ) which again was followed by a Republic with Parliamentary Democracy ruled by ex-generals until recent 2020 election. We should not forget the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party leadership included many ex-military officers and herself is the daughter of a military general. The third round of the revolving historical door begins on 1 February 2021 with coup to stand out and show off who is the boss of the politics of this particular area in the country.

There is one and only real military coup in Myanmar since 1962 and the army, Tatmadaw is a undeniable boss of the area it conquered. There are two occasions when the army stood out of shadow on 1988 and 2021 to remind the ignorant people with short memories who have been enjoying protection of the army for 59 years that who is the real boss of the place they live. In fact, the Political metamorphosis of Myanmar in 2010-2020 period from Dictatorship to Democracy is not by the effort of Ms. Suu Kyi who was at the mercy of generals and under sporadic house arrests from 1989 until 2012 nor under pressure from international community nor armed intervention from outside party like in Iraq. It was a strategic move by the army itself and result of the Constructive Engagement Policy from Association of South East Asian Nations ASEAN, Japan, China and few other friendly nations.

The smart camouflage of Myanmar military to blend in with international political environment with many disguises proved that politics in a civil war torn country is under the mercy of an armed force which control the area. In the Asia’s poorest country with life expectancy of 57 years, there is no doubt that almost all politically active citizens of the country was born during 73 year long civil war and under 59 year military rule, with broken and polarize civil society. There is no political entity or institution with more than 40 years of continuous existence in Myanmar except 76 year old Myanmar Army the TatmaDaw, some of its belligerent ethnic revolutionary armies and centuries old assembly of Buddhist monks. While 80% of 260,000 square mile territory under the regime’s control today saw some modern luxury as electricity, running water, cellular phone coverage and paved roads, the 20% borderland area controlled by plethora of rebel forces which is not seen by the eyes of international media are teeming with refugees, displaced person’ camps, land mines, fortresses, trenches, opium poppies, scar of war and drug labs. All of those so-called pro democracy protest movement took place in 80% area of the country where Junta forces controlled and accessible to media outlets but not in the 20% area controlled by the rebel forces despite there is no political freedom there. If there were protest by local ethnic people for their freedom and democracy, brutal crackdown by the boss of the area, local rebel forces like in proper Myanmar is inevitable.

The face of 2021 people’s uprising led by National League for Democracy to recognize the controversial election it won, called Generation Z or the game-trotting, meth-headed militants teenagers who were born and raised in the cities faraway from battle ravaged borderlands in the last chapter of 73 year civil war and who have never witnessed the atrocities of the war and not even notice they are living in the war ravaged country. All of those teenagers build their lives around cyber games, social networking in the virtual cities of Minecraft and cheap methamphetamine to keep themselves awake for overnight gaming sections. Their political awareness, is limited to the idolizing image of dressed-up graceful Democracy goddess Aung San Suu Kyi being worshipped by the whole wide world. When politically matured older adult population distanced themselves from protest movements around the end of February, teenagers organized on cyberspace by NLD party lobbyists came out amassed with anger about internet shutdown, Facebook access ban, fueled with psychotropic drugs and believing their call for help to save democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi would be heeded internationally and came to their rescue with shiny armor within short period of time.

So politics of Myanmar, the poorest Asian country, as we saw today is made up of institutionalized and powerful armed forces, contesting with plethora of rebel forces for the territorial expansion and the activities, discontent, political opinion , dreams and desires for the peace by the people living in the area control by them. The popular vision about yearning for Democracy, Human Rights and political Puritanism by the innocent people against the marauding military was created by the mainstream media, politicians, reporters and scholars who just visited the areas control by the largest army of the land, Junta’s Tatmadaw and only saw the façade of meth-head teenagers who does not know about the country they are living or not even on the age of majority to have political opinion to vote in the previous controversial election. The kids’ vision does not represent the opinion of silent majority who well understood that they are living in the world’s longest civil war torn country and political or personal freedom is limited to the extent allowed by the guardians of the peace or the area they are living under the protection of, the Junta or its belligerents ethnic armed forces or drug warlords. Perhaps one or two more year period to new election promised by junta while Ms. Suu Kyi is in cocoon before the metamorphosis is not a bad option for them who have experienced 73 years bitter longest civil war of the world.

Myanmar is in the midst of civil war like United States in 1861-65 period or Lebanon in 1980s and an ideal Democracy or Human Rights as enjoyed by peaceful stable and prosperous countries seemed not practical in this lull battlefield. Since the Cold War era, international politics have been fueling Myanmar’s civil war to kept burning with United States and its allies supporting military dictator General Ne Win and anti-communist proxy forces of ethnic rebels, drug warlords against the next door neighbor Communist-China backed proxy ethnic armed forces. After the collapse of Soviet Union and ending of Cold War which did not spell out well for Myanmar as its giant neighbor China and its communist ethnic proxy rebels kept going strong. The change of international politics in recent coup or show of force as “who is the boss of this conquered land” in February 2021 with geopolitical factors like in Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war might see new phase with additional armed forces such as recent NLD created child army of PDF, new drug warlords and new proxies may come and go by serving the interests of domestic and international players like revolving door of the repeating violent past. But as long as the longest civil war raged on, the freedom and Democracy for the 50 plus million people in contested land would be the very far cry and another bloodbaths like 2017 Rohingya genocide is in the picture. Alternative for this looming Apocalypse might be the Constructive Engagement with rulers of the largest conquered land in a civil war torn country to honor their promises of re-election within promised one to two years period (minus 100 days) or recognizing the reality of their Guardianship role in the politics of the area they conquered and controlled.

Looking back to unfolding crisis in Myanmar or the area of the country under control by Junta from early February to May 2021 with knowledge about Myanmar’s contemporary history, and If sheer numbers are to be trusted, the body count 774 on first week of May of innocent souls murdered by cruel soldiers within 100 days after the coup might telling a different story. If fully armed battle hardened half a million soldiers of an army that have been fighting 73 years brutal civil war in most inhospitable tropical rain forest, holding clone Israeli Galil Automatic Assault Rifles faced off against millions of teenagers who spent most of their lives on cyberspace fueled by methamphetamine and holding crude homemade weapons or even without a weapon, battled in the city streets for 100 days with 774 lost of lives was true, the conclusion would be such that either Myanmar’s Methamphetamine Militant Mob a.k.a Generation-Z Democratic cyber warriors of NLD party might all be putting on Spiderman suits or the word “restraint” donning on the Kevlar helmets of Myanmar Junta forces. Your choice to pick!

M.B ( is a Burmese- Australian observer and political analyst)