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.

Roelf Meyer denies he thought Ngapali holiday resort was for repatriated refugees

Former arms dealer Roelf Meyer, a member of the international advisory committee on how to whitewash genocide, has been forced to deny claims he was duped by the government of Burma into believing that Ngapali holiday resorts were repatriation camps for Rohingya.

There had been bewilderment at Roelf Meyers assertions, after just two days in Rakhine State, constantly escorted by government and military officials, that it was safe for Refugees to return to what Rohingya activists have described as concentration camps.

Following news that the advisory board had inexplicably visited Ngapali beach, speculation has grown on social media that the board has been duped by Aung San Suu Kyi. Some even made comparison with the fake show camps set up for the benefit of international visitors after Cyclone Nargis.

“In fact I was quite open in my criticisms of shortfalls in the repatriation camps,” said Roelf Meyer.  “For example they were serving ham at the breakfast buffet and pork curry on the dinner menu, which is obviously insensitive for a Muslim population as well as a waste of resources. People were swimming in the clothes washing facilities, and the only place to hang clothes to dry was sun loungers, another unnecessary expense in a refugee camp. Another problem is that many rooms don’t have connecting doors, which will be difficult for large Muslim families who can’t all be expected to squeeze into one double or twin bedroom.”

Aung San Suu Kyi ‘exceeding her mandate’ says military spokesman

A military spokesperson has accused State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi of exceeding her mandate, at the end of a week dominated by the controversy over the resignation of Bill Richardson from the Advisory Board to the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State.

“It’s not the State Counsellors job to keep journalists and political prisoners in jail, deny human rights violations are happening, and lie to the international community, it’s ours” said the military spokesperson, speaking exclusively to Burma Tha Din. “She is not meant start committing her own human rights violations, that’s not part of the work of the civilian government, it’s outside her mandate.”

The spokesperson went on to tell Burma Tha Din that Min Aung Hlaing is reportedly ‘furious’.