Regime Puts Out ‘Help Wanted’ Sign; Coup Leader Seeks Divine Blessing; and More

The continual donation of rice vermicelli—identified in Burmese as san kyarsan—by the junta’s House Affairs Ministry since October has solid a highlight on the superstitiousness of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing who, like his predecessor navy dictators, strongly believes in yadaya, or the Burmese type of voodoo.

It’s an open secret that Myanmar’s navy leaders consider deeply in numerous superstitions—astrology, occultism, numerology, black magic, yadaya. Min Aung Hlaing isn’t any exception.

The regime has been donating rice vermicelli to Buddhist monasteries throughout the nation each day, and junta-controlled newspapers faithfully report the donations.

The gifting of san kyarsan, whose identify could be actually translated as “having fun with good issues for lengthy”, is believed by yadaya adherents to make sure lengthy rule for the donor—on this case, Min Aung Hlaing.

In February 2020, 9 months forward of the final election in November that yr, Min Aung Hlaing positioned a hti (umbrella) atop the Htilominlo Pagoda, an historical pagoda in Bagan, searching for divine blessings. Htilominlo means “asking for the umbrella and kingship”. The hti is without doubt one of the 5 royal regalia of Burmese monarchs and represents sovereignty.

It’s the very Buddhist temple the place successive Myanmar kings paid homage and made donations within the perception that their choices would earn them favors from the guardian spirits and their reigns would final a very long time. It’s an open secret that Min Aung Hlaing desires to be the president of Myanmar.

Following the coup, he pressured farmers to develop lots of of 1000’s of sunflowers, citing the necessity for cooking oil. In Burmese, sunflower is nay kyar, and the transfer was carried out within the hope of “staying lengthy in your place of energy”.

For the reason that early days of the anti-regime protests final yr, some ladies have taken to sticking images of Min Aung Hlaing to htamein (ladies’s sarongs) and sanitary pads to spook the superstitious coup chief, enjoying on a traditional perception that deems it dangerous luck for males to stroll beneath ladies’s clothes.

Work expedited on new ballot

Because the world continues to mouth hole objections to the Myanmar navy regime’s plan to carry an election subsequent yr, the junta is forging forward, believing a vote will give it the legitimacy it seeks because the elected authorities of Myanmar, and obscure the reminiscence of final yr’s coup.

On Thursday, deputy junta chief Soe Win met the junta-appointed election physique together with the regime’s ministers and deputy ministers on the workplace of the junta’s governing physique, the State Administration Council, in Naypyitaw. He known as on them to make sure subsequent yr’s deliberate vote is a hit.

Soe Win additionally instructed the officers to compile voter lists with unerring accuracy. He repeated the regime’s allegation of voter record errors within the 2020 common election, which junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has cited as a justification for his coup.

Native electoral our bodies in lots of townships throughout Myanmar have begun holding conferences to attract up voter lists, choose venues for polling stations and procure voting supplies.

In a press release to mark two years for the reason that Nov. 8, 2020 election, the US State Division expressed critical doubts concerning the credibility of an election below the regime.

“We share [the pro-democracy movement’s] convictions that the regime’s deliberate sham ‘elections,’ which couldn’t probably be free and truthful within the present context, will solely gasoline extra violence, delay the disaster, and defer the nation’s transition to democracy and stability. We urge the worldwide group to disclaim the navy and its so-called ‘elections’ credibility and as a substitute meaningfully interact with pro-democracy leaders who uphold a imaginative and prescient for an inclusive and affluent Burma,” reads the assertion, utilizing one other identify for Myanmar.

The Nationwide League for Democracy, which received a majority within the 2020 election, additionally mentioned it could not acknowledge the regime’s deliberate ballot.

Financial ties with Russia proceed to deepen

Junta-appointed Minister for Funding and Overseas Financial Relations Dr. Kan Zaw signed a memorandum of understanding on selling commerce and funding cooperation with Fund RC-Investments of Russia in Naypyitaw on Tuesday, the identical day the person who has been facilitating international investments in Myanmar to finance the regime was sanctioned by the EU.

Dr. Kan Zaw and the Russian delegation mentioned promotion of bilateral commerce and funding, and cooperation in numerous sectors together with tourism, agriculture, mining, business, electrical energy, power, tradition and schooling, based on junta media.

The minister is amongst those that have helped junta chief Min Aung Hlaing discover methods to fund his regime, which is going through a monetary disaster on account of worldwide financial sanctions and a public boycot of funds of any sort to the regime for the reason that coup.

The 68-year-old former economics college rector served as planning and finance minister in U Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian authorities, and was auditor-general within the aftermath of the coup.