Thread by @MsHarrietSays

Here's Part 2 of "Behind the Façade of MAH's Army".
The origin & extremism of Myanmar Army explained why subsequent dictators Saw Maung & Than Shwe wanted a title grander than General Nay Win so they inflated the number of battalions from 300 to 500.. 1/
burmese.dvb.no/archives/461391

… without actually expanding the strength & created the title “Senior General”. However, there are not enough ground troops or foot soldiers in the battalions as very few willingly join the TMD. The only way they recruit the soldiers are through inhumane & incorrect ... 2/

… recruitment techniques like having a quota of new recruits for every sergeant in exchange for a few lakhs and a promotion. 3/

According to the army’s organisation, each battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel (Du Ti Ya Bo Hmu Gyi) or (Du Bo Hmu Gyi) with a major (Bo Hmu) as second in command, with a total strength of 27 officers and supposedly 723 other ranks. 4/

However, Tatmadaw only had around 300 strength of other ranks only until 1980s but now, each battalion is only 150 strong. The number 150 reduce to 120 when fighting at frontline. Some flee or join troop movement or take medical leave which will leave about 100 only in battles.5/

The commissioned officers are still in full number 27 because NaWaTa regime launched BoTaHtaung (1000 Lieutenants) Project to produce about 3000 officers from military training schools near BaHtoo and HmawBe – a jump from the usual 400-500 officers graduated from DSA. 6/

The other ranks are also sent to military schools. When they become captains or majors, they would change their uniform to civilians & work as service personnel at the government offices to make sure the military and ex-military men are embedded in the administration systems. 7/

There are only about 15 foot soldiers in a platoon. Previously, causality ratio of officers to foot soldiers during battles was 1:10. Now in their battles with the KIA & KNU that the ratio has changed to almost 1:2 or 1:1 with increasing casualties of battalion commanders. 8/

This just proved that there are fewer experienced and seasoned sergeants and sergeant majors than before and the morale of the troops is at all-time low. The April fighting in Min Dat Township in Chin State between the Tatmadaw’s troops and the civilians defending themselves.. 9/

with just Tumi guns saw 20 soldiers’ causalities and even the head of 3 battalions was trapped inside the city along with 29 other soldiers. This is a clear indicator of a blow in the combat effectiveness and diminishing fighting spirit of the soldiers in Myanmar army. 10/

The troops that are occupying in schools/hospitals in the cities may appear fully uniformed but it can be seen from media reports that the soldiers in the jungles are in sports short pants and slippers and even suffering from malnutrition when they were taken as POW. 11/

Without a doubt, these soldiers in the so-called “standard army” are experiencing psychological trauma from being enslaved as such; this also explains why they are looting and savaging the civilians’ property in the cities. The real problem here is that ... 12/

the intl' community, especially ASEAN countries, want to believe MAH’s promise to hold “free and fair elections in one year” without realizing these extreme characteristics and deteriorating strength of Myanmar army which definitely make them incapable to govern a country.13/

Here are the next paragraphs to save the thread's length again. This is about how previous and current dictatorships have destroyed Myanmar's economy and how the international community should be mindful about the "military feudalism" that exploits all ethnics esp. minorities.14/

The current atmosphere is one where all population including the Bamar majority, ethnic minorities and the EAOs are standing up against the common enemy with the kind of solidarity never seen before in history. 15/

If the democracy in Myanmar fails, it will be just another authoritarian regime for the ASEAN map but it will be a serious blow to the global democracy and the western countries that uphold this ideology. END/
(Note: the article was published on 2 May).
#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

P.S. Here is Part 1 of the translation if you would like to read it. Thank you.

https://twitter.com/MsHarrietSays/status/1403742119051759622?s=20