Min Aung Hlaing: Aung San Suu Kyi’s ‘dictatorial tendencies’ why we tried to stop her becoming President

Burma Tha Din understands that Min Aung Hlaing has been telling visiting diplomats that article 59 (F) was inserted into the constitution precisely because they were afraid of what he called the ‘dictatorial tendencies’ of Aung San Suu Kyi.

“We have wanted reform and democracy for decades,” Min Aung Hlaing told one diplomat, “but we knew we couldn’t allow Aung San Suu Kyi to take over and return Burma to authoritarian rule with political prisoners and no freedom of expression. It is the greatest irony that we were accused of being a dictatorship when in fact we were trying to prevent one.”

Speaking off the record, a Yangon based diplomat told Burma Tha Din, “Min Aung Hlaing appears increasingly concerned by Aung San Suu Kyi’s lack of respect for human rights and her attitude towards western countries and the United Nations. He says the whole point of the reform process was to get sanctions lifted and improve international relations. To reduce dependency on China, not increase it."

Min Aung Hlaing allegedly told one diplomat, “The point of arranging the current political system was to have a NLD government, but without Aung San Suu Kyi messing everything up. We want to see and improvement in international relations to bring in more aid and investment, but Aung San Suu Kyi is now scaring off donors and investors.”

Min Aung Hlaing apparently concedes that he is not being entirely altruistic, under President Thein Sein, increased loans, trade, and investment enabled the military budget to increase by almost half a billion dollars.

“We kept Aung San Suu Kyi locked up for decades because we knew how dangerous it would be if she was given power, it’s not like we didn’t try to warn everybody,” Min Aung Hlaing reportedly told diplomats.