Irrawaddy-May 29
Over the weekend, Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was again in Kengtung, where he served as chief of Triangle Region Command in 2000s. He has visited the eastern Shan State town a number of times since his 2021 coup. The reason behind almost every visit is the same – to perform yadaya, the Burmese form of voodoo. On his latest trip, the junta boss had a bejeweled crown – one of the Myanmar monarchy’s five items of regalia – enshrined at Lawkatharaphu Pagoda on Saturday. He was accompanied by Vasipake Sayadaw, one of his favorite Buddhist monks for yadaya, and famous for his vows of silence. The ties between the two date back to the 2000s when Min Aung Hlaing headed the regional command. The monk is widely believed to be the coup leader’s astrological adviser and has been accused of advising his powerful follower to order security forces to shoot anti-coup protesters in the head as a form of yadaya. Most anti-regime protesters killed in the early days of the junta crackdown had bullet wounds to the head. Min Aung Hlaing also previously consecrated pagodas at Buddha Park on the outskirts of Kengtung, a religious site rising under the guidance of Vasipake Sayadaw since 2015. Their latest ceremony together took place as Min Aung Hlaing pushes for an election in December. To many in Myanmar, the donation of the bejeweled crown was seen an act of yadaya – Burmese magic rituals aimed at averting misfortune and bringing good luck. In this case, Myanmar people understand that enshrining a near replica of the coronation crown of Burmese kings was meant to boost his chances of becoming president. Min Aung Hlaing’s hopes rested on the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party winning at least 26 percent of seats in the 2020 election, which, when added to the 25 percent of seats reserved for military appointees, would have been enough to secure the presidency. His dream, however, was shattered when the National League for Democracy won a landslide in the poll. To keep it alive, he staged a coup, toppling the civilian government and plunging the country into chaos. In the eyes of Myanmar’s public, the latest ritual was nothing more than yadaya in preparation for December’s vote. Read more at:
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/yadaya-how-myanmars-junta-boss-hopes-to-hex-his-way-to-presidency.html
