Irrawaddy-May 15
As Cyclone Mocha was about to hit land in coastal areas of Rakhine State in western Myanmar on Saturday, junta boss Min Aung Hlaing was performing magic rituals, known as yadaya in Burmese. The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System had predicted that the maximum sustained winds could reach 257 km per hour when the cyclone made landfall near Rakhine State’s capital. Min Aung Hlaing however showed no signs of concern over the disaster, which affected millions of people. As Myanmar is a Buddhist majority country, it is typical of monarchs to build pagodas in the traditional belief that doing so will help them gain divine blessings. Generals who view themselves as kings are also obsessed with building and consecrating pagodas. Saturday’s consecration was the fourth by Min Aung Hlaing over the past four months. In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, which killed over 100,000 people and caused massive destruction, former military dictator Than Shwe held a national referendum to ratify the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, which was designed to ensure the military’s grip on power for a long time, while turning a blind eye to the sheer misery of the Myanmar people.
Exactly 15 years later, Than Shwe’s successor Min Aung Hlaing is doing the same. He was busy trying to protect his interests and did not bother to take care of Myanmar people while a cyclone as powerful as Nargis was heading to Myanmar. The tyrant, who has killed thousands of his opponents, wrote on the plaque of the newly built pagoda in Kengtung: “May Myanmar Be Peaceful.” Read more at:
