Many people know that there is class discrimination in the Myanmar Army. In fact, in the army, there is discrimination between officers and other ranks, as well as between officers, senior and junior discrimination, and Military school-based discrimination.
The moments when you are not allowed to reveal how much you know and do what your superiors tell you to do wrong are moments that every soldier and officer at the bottom has experienced. Most Military superiors only like followers who support them right or wrong. If you can support what they say with a yes, you can get a good promotion in Myanmar Military.
The idea that if you are in a high position, everything you do is right and everything is beautiful is ingrained in the military. There are many incidents that I have experienced personally regarding such discrimination. Before participated in CDM, I was served in the army camp which was situated in the central region. In my military camp most of lower ranks soldiers was passed the Matriculation exam. But the higher officials only look based on the ranks and do not count their education. That’s why superiors often treat lower-ranking soldiers as if they were different and discriminated against them based on their status. In here I would like to tell you about an incident that I personally experienced.
I used to go with my friend when I invited superior for his wedding. When we went to invite a colonel-ranked department head there, the colonel holds the wedding invitation card and said “What kind of paper did you print the invitation on? It’s rough. Even if you invited high rank.” At that time, one of the department heads next to him said, “Yes… these guys are always the same and have no level.”
I don’t know how my friend felt, but I had to come back very angry. Lower-level soldiers don’t get paid as much as higher officers. With his own money he have he try the best for his wedding and respectfully invite superiors. In addition to not recognizing this, they even made discriminatory statements. Even if the invitation card is not convenient at all, he should say it at least when we go back.
Now, it’s just speaking without respect in the sense that I can say whatever I want because I’m a superior. Such suppression and discrimination are experienced not only by the soldiers at the bottom, but also by the women who love them and married them. As officers’ wives, there are cases where lower-rank soldiers’ wives, whether older or younger than them, are asked to take care of children and wash clothes at their homes.
In addition to this, when lower-rank wives did something wrong, the officers’ wives would shout and yell at them in the crowd. That’s why lower military officers in the army should start thinking about for the sake of myself, my wife, my children, who have no fault, I should quickly get out of this life of inferiority complex.
Yours respectfully,
Chan Min