A few days ago coup leader Min Aung Hlaing exposed the development of his ambitious project: building the largest Buddha marble statue in the world. At 19 meters of height, the statue is set to be erected in Naypyidaw. According to State media, it will serve as place of prayer for peace and stability.
The complex surrounding the statue looks absolutely ridiculous. It reminds me of Romanian dictator Ceaușescu, whose People’s Palace still remains as a symbol of his delusions of grandeur.
At a meeting in Naypyidaw, general Min Aung Hlaing expressed his desire to turn the mostly empty capital into a futuristic city with electric buses and an underground metro (!!!)
Min Aung Hlaing hopes to fool the Kamma and counterbalance his horrific crimes by donating money to the Sangha and building statues and pagodas. It’s like taking a shortcut to gain merits and boost his Kamma.
Similarly to Ceaușescu and the Kim Jong dinasty in North Korea, Min Aung Hlaing is starting his expensive project in the midst of a humanitarian and economic crisis. According to the UN, over 230.000 civilians have been displaced by conflict this year, and 3 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian help, with many more to follow in the next months if the situation will not improve.
Self-delusion is a common trait of tyrants, and it’s often what leads them to fall miserably. With these symbols of power, dictators want to project an image of success and prosperity, but when people lack even the most basic means for survival, fooling them to believe this propaganda is not easy.
Ceaușescu did not live long enough to see his People’s Palace (the 2nd largest administrative building in the world). His regime collapsed after he ordered the military to kill anti-government protestors. The army defected, captured and executed him and his wife.
The Burmese regime’s propaganda could be failing as well. When the military turned against its own people, the bubble, for many, has burst.
The biggest statue won’t save the smallest man.
The regime will fall
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