Soldiers Still Watch Suu Kyi

Although the Burmese generals don’t want military personnel to show interest in domestic politics, detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s surprise snub of the UN special envoy last week has become a popular talking point among soldiers and officers in Burma, according to several military sources.
“We are interested to know why Suu Kyi did not meet Gambari,” said an officer based in Naypyidaw military region command who declined to be identified for security reasons.
“We were surprised that the officials were so impolite—shouting with a loudspeaker outside the gate of Aung San Suu Kyi’s residence,” he said, referring to an incident last week when two of Gambari’s aides, accompanied by Burmese officials, stood outside her house at Inya Lake in Rangoon and called in vain for her to come out and greet the UN envoy.
The officer told The Irrawaddy that most soldiers believe that the political situation in Burma cannot improve without Suu Kyi’s involvement and that even officers admire her as the daughter of independence hero Gen Aung San, who was the founding father of the Burmese armed forces.
The officer said that many Burmese soldiers pay attention to the news, either from state-run media or through foreign-based radio stations. However, senior generals don’t usually allow military personnel to listen to or watch Suu Kyi’s political speeches.
“During the 1990 election, we recorded Suu Kyi’s speeches and secretly listened to them,” said a retired army captain.
In the 1990 general election, polls showed that soldiers and their family members throughout Burma voted for her party, the National League for Democracy, despite its anti-military stance.
Nowadays, most soldiers are still suffering from economic hardships: the government has suspended rations and stipends to family members of soldiers and officers.
“Like many people, we also are facing hard times,” said the 24-year-old son of a warrant officer in the 77tth Light Infantry Division. “Military personnel and their families also want political and social changes,” he added.
Meanwhile, VCDs of a well-known comedy troupe, Thee Lay Thee & Say Young Sone A-Nyeint, are widely available in military barracks and among soldiers’ family members. The VCDs of the troupe’s political satire performances both inside Burma and in exile are very popular among troops.
A sergeant in his early 30s from Rangoon regional military command said that soldiers made copies of the comedy performances and distributed them among themselves, despite a ban on Thee Lay Thee & Say Young Sone A-Nyeint VCDs.
In November 2007, the comedians performed at Rangoon’s Kandawgyi Lake drawing a large audience, including military officials, intelligence officers and police, all of whom seemed to enjoy the show.
Jokes about the junta, Burma’s increasing economic hardships and UN envoy Gambari’s failed mission were generally well received by audiences, the officers said.