Despite Myanmar’s Economic Struggles, Junta Head General Hlaing Hosts Extravagant Army Parade

Myanmar’s head of the military government, General Min Aung Hlaing, has promised a gradual return to democracy in the country, but also stated that the junta will continue to fight against those opposing its rule. The general made the comments during Myanmar’s annual military parade, where he inspected thousands of troops in an open-top jeep. The democratically elected government led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted in a coup d’etat in 2021, leading to a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over a million. General Hlaing said the junta would deal with armed resistance groups in a decisive manner and called their actions “acts of terror”. He also invited other countries to join the military and help shape its “own form of democracy”. The parade was attended by attaches from China and Russia, who are backing the junta regime. Multiple rocket launchers and Chinese and Russian aircraft and helicopters were paraded during the event. General Hlaing blamed British imperialism, Japanese fascism, and Aung San Suu Kyi for Myanmar’s troubles, ignoring allegations of attacks carried out by the junta on dissidents.