Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 27 Scenes
MoeMaKa, March 28 2023
The Resistance Day & politics of Myanmar Military
March 27, 2023 is the 78th anniversary of the Anti-Fascist Resistance Day. However, decades later, the Anti-Fascist Resistance Day was changed to Armed Forces Day (Tatmadaw Day). So, the commemoratory day of Burma Defense Army – BDA’s Anti-Fascist Resistance Day was essentially transformed into Armed Forces Day, which glorifies and celebrates the history of Myanmar’s military. It was done during the military dictatorship disguised as the Socialist Party during the Masala government (regime ruled by the Burma Socialist Programme Party).
When we say fascism, it means a political system that combines military dictatorship and patriotism with a chauvinistic bent, and was established in Germany, Japan and Italy before World War II. During that time, the youth members of the We Burmans Association (Dobama Asiayone- DAA), who named themselves Thakhin (Master) and wanted independence for Myanmar, learned military training by connecting with the Japanese army, who were eager and about to conquer and colonize East Asia with the fascist system and to drive out the English colonialists. After that, they entered Myanmar with the Japanese army, and fascist Japan had ruled Myanmar for years. The Burmese BDA forces started attacking the fascist Japanese army on March 27, 1945, which was designated as Anti-Fascist Resistance Day in order to revolutionize the Japanese army under the fascist regime.
Therefore, every March 27 was celebrated as Anti-Fascist Resistance Day. However, during the Masala government led by Bo Ne Win, they changed the name of the Anti-Fascist Resistance Day to Tatmadaw Day and tried to hide history.
During the recent military coup governments, March 27 has become a day to praise and celebrate the customs of the military with wrong information and perspectives. The customs of national unity achieved during the anti-fascist period of 1945 have been hidden. They praised and glorified the civil war battles fought for decades with ethnic armed groups and the CPB (Communist Party of Burma) armed forces, which have different political ideologies, and propagated the political philosophy of militarism from the perspective that only the military is solely important. Before the revolution against fascism in 1945, the Communist Party of Burma, which had the leading political ideology at that time, formed an anti-fascist military coalition called the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) with political leaders from the Burma Defense Army. In the anti-fascist struggle, they revolutionized against fascists with a responsible structure in which military leaders and political commanders had equal decision-making rights.
Later on, March 27 was not only renamed as Tatmadaw Day, but also a day when medals were awarded to those who fought in the civil war, and the beginning of the custom of dividing Burmese and ethnic armed groups.
Before today’s 78th Anti-Fascist Resistance Day, Military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing invited retired generals, lieutenant generals, and major generals from the military and paid homage and his respects. When the military, which has already had a bad start, is facing widespread armed revolution, more hatred from the public than previously, and is committing more war crimes after the military coup, the current military leader is trying to get the support of the retired military leaders.
In more than 80 years after the establishment of the Burma Independence Army (BIA) in December 1941, it can be said that the name and reputation of the Myanmar military have not declined as much as they have now. It must be said that it is a day that hides customs and promotes militarism, a day that makes history misunderstood, and a day that tries to boost the declining public support and reputation with wrong ideas and methods.