This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000404 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2014 
TAGS: PREL PGOV BM NLD
SUBJECT: SPDC CELEBRATES ARMED FORCES DAY, NLD HAILS 
RESISTANCE DAY 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 206 
 
     ¶B. RANGOON 16 
     ¶C. 03 RANGOON 398 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  On March 27, the SPDC celebrated the 59th 
Anniversary of Armed Forces Day with a traditional military 
parade, sundry speeches lauding the accomplishments of the 
modern Burmese Army, and an official state dinner complete 
with a now-standard depiction of Senior General Than Shwe as 
a heroic Burmese king.  There were no reports of security 
incidents and the day passed quietly.  Meanwhile, the 
political opposition, absent Aung San Suu Kyi and others who 
remain under house arrest, held parallel commemorative events 
attended by several hundred supporters who honored Burma's 
resistance fighters and founders of the independence 
movement.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The SPDC celebrated on March 27 what is perhaps its 
most significant holiday of the year, Armed Forces Day.  The 
day was originally known as "Resistance Day" and commemorated 
Aung San's decision to throw Burmese Army support behind 
international forces allied against the Japanese.  Ne Win 
changed the name in 1962 to "Revolutionary Day," but the 
holiday has been referred to as Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) Day 
since implementation of the 1974 constitution.  The SPDC 
makes only passing reference to the historical origins of the 
holiday and now uses the occasion to glorify the exploits of 
the Burmese Army and to re-emphasize the necessity of 
military control as a means of ensuring national unity. 
 
¶3. (U) This year's military parade was standard fare: 
thousands of well-drilled troops on display for regime 
leaders and invited guests, including foreign military 
attaches.  Senior General Than Shwe made brief remarks and, 
in a thinly veiled threat directed at the democratic 
opposition and their supporters, called on his "comrades" to 
"repulse courageously whatever dangers that threaten the 
nation."   He made no reference to the SPDC's road map, but 
gave the regime's generic defense of its 1988 coup, stating 
that "the Tatmadaw was compelled to assume the 
responsibilities of the State as the people were faced with a 
generally deteriorating and extremely critical situation." 
Unlike last year's celebrations, marked by several bombings, 
the day passed quietly and reportedly without incident (ref 
C). 
 
¶4. (C) The SPDC's Big Three (Than Shwe, Maung Aye, and Khin 
Nyunt) appeared to be in good shape and high spirits at an 
official dinner held at the military's HQ complex in northern 
Rangoon.  Than Shwe chatted extensively with a visiting 
Japanese veteran, Shigemoto Okuda, who had trained Aung San, 
Ne Win, and the other "Thirty Comrades" early in WWII.  When 
the DCM commented to Than Shwe on cooperation experienced 
during a recently concluded WWII remains recovery operation, 
the Senior General did not wait for the translator to 
interpret, but replied, "Yes, I am glad to hear that."  Maung 
Aye, absent during the military parade earlier in the day and 
rumored by some to be ill, seemed relaxed, had a firm 
handshake, walked briskly, and otherwise looked hale. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Besides some members of the diplomatic and defense 
attach corps, the official dinner included several hundred 
senior members of the military, government, and the Union 
Solidarity and Development Association (USDA).  After a 
hurried dinner, the guests were "treated" to the SPDC's 
standard after-dinner cultural fare, including the 
now-obligatory video transformation of an image of an early 
heroic Burmese king into the smiling visage of Senior General 
Than Shwe. 
 
¶6. (C) As on recent holidays (refs A and B), the democratic 
opposition held several parallel commemorative events.  The 
NLD honored 63 surviving war veterans who had served under 
General Aung San during WWII and the subsequent independence 
movement, and issued a five-page statement that called for 
national reconciliation and a transition to democracy. 
Several hundred party members, supporters, and U.S. Embassy 
officers attended the event, which was held at unofficial 
party headquarters (the modest Rangoon house of CEC member 
Than Tun).  Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD's other top leaders, 
in attendance at a similar event last year, remain under 
house arrest. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Later in the day, the Veteran Politicians hosted a 
dinner to celebrate Burma's resistance movement.  Several 
hundred veterans, NLD and other opposition party members and 
leaders, and representatives of the democratic ethnic groups 
(UNLD, UNA) attended the subdued affair.  As during the NLD 
event earlier in the day, U.S. Embassy officers were the only 
members of the diplomatic community in attendance.  Military 
intelligence (MI) agents were on the scene and organizers 
reported no unusual harassment or intimidation, although MI 
officers had earlier in the week warned the NLD not to hold 
Resistance (Armed Forces) Day events as they would 
"jeopardize talks between the SPDC and the NLD." 
 
¶8. (C) Comment:  We asked several of the elderly veterans who 
attended political opposition events, decked out in their 
medals honoring bravery and military service, if they had 
attended any of the SPDC's official functions.  They chuckled 
and said that in order for veterans and other national heroes 
to attend the Armed Forces Day parade, they must submit 
applications weeks ahead of time requesting invitations.  In 
the words of one NLD leader, "The Tatmadaw has attempted to 
hijack our holiday; however, as we celebrate "Resistance Day" 
we honor not only our past, but our present as well." 
Martinez