Myanmar’s military makes its annual parade of strength despite unprecedented battlefield losses

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Thousands of Myanmar military personnel have held their annual parade of strength even after a recent series of unprecedented battlefield defeats. The head of Myanmar’s ruling military council alleged in a speech that the nation’s youth are being tricked by propaganda into supporting the resistance against army rule. He also accused the ethnic armed groups that are part of the resistance effort of engaging in drug trafficking, natural resources smuggling and illegal gambling enterprises. Many Western nations have applied sanctions against Myanmar’s ruling generals because of their 2021 seizure of power and brutal suppression of opposition.