Tin Shine Aung
Since gaining independence in 1948, the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, has remained deeply embedded in the country’s social, economic, and political landscape. However, its presence in international headlines is rarely linked to national defense or public service. Instead, it is notorious for bombings, torture, mass killings, forced displacement, burning of civilian areas, and genocide – brutal acts inflicted upon the very people it once vowed to protect. For decades, the Tatmadaw has ruled through fear, violence, and repression, not only positioning itself as an entity above its civilians but also as a guardian of the people or protector of Buddhism in Myanmar.
It is essential to trace its ideological and historical roots to understand why the Myanmar military has become so powerful and deeply entrenched. The military’s foundation, deeply influenced by authoritarian and strongly nationalist ideologies, has made it an unreliable institution incapable of democratic reform.
The Historical Roots of Authoritarianism in the Tatmadaw
The roots of the Tatmadaw’s ideology can be traced to Burma’s struggle against British colonial rule when a group of nationalists known as the “Thirty Comrades” sought military training from the Imperial Japanese Army before World War II. Some of these individuals, such as Aung San, Ne Win, and Setkya, received specialized oppressive political indoctrination for future senior positions in the Burmese government under Japanese occupation. Among them, Aung San, who later became known as the father of modern Burma, and Ne Win, the architect of dictatorship in Myanmar, served as military chiefs and played crucial roles in Burma’s politics. This group formed the Burma Independence Army (BIA) with Japanese backing, fighting alongside Japanese forces against British rule.
While the BIA’s original motive was to achieve independence, its DNA was unexpectedly modified through imperial Japanese military training, embedding autocratic ideology and extreme militarism at its core. After Japan occupied Burma, the BIA was reorganized as the Burmese Defense Army (BDA) and later rebranded as the Burma National Army (BNA) under the State of Burma, a puppet regime controlled by Japan. However, as the war progressed, Aung San, who graduated from British education, and some of his allies recognized the true nature of imperial Japanese authoritarianism and turned against their former backers. They secretly formed the “Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League” (AFPFL) to lead an uprising against Japan. With support from the British and ethnic armed groups, the BNA played a crucial role in expelling Japanese forces from Burma.
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