The King Who Never Dies

Awards to Ne Win Ne Win, the mastermind behind Burma’s decline as a modern nation, has emerged from the shadows for the first time this century. In 1949 received Maha Thiri Thudhama from the state In 1955 received Yugoslav Banner (First Class) from Yugoslavian President Marshal Tito In 1956 won the Legion of Merit from the American government In 1960 received The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant from the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej In 1960 refused Ramon Magsaysay award given by the Philippines In 1960 received Agga Maha Thiri Thudhamma from the state Is he STILL alive?" was the reaction of many Burmese in Rangoon when the news broke that former dictator Ne Win and family members were at the Hotel Sedona making merit for his 90th birthday. Ne Win attended the ceremony accompanied by his favorite daughter, Sandar Win, her husband Aye Zaw Win and some of his old friends. Like almost everyone else in Burma, Ne Win believes in astrology and follows all his chief astrologer’s instructions. He practices yadaya rituals, which are believed to protect practitioners from danger or enable them to attain good fortune. He once asked his pilot to circle nine times over his place of his birth while he was seated in the plane on a wooden horse. Some people ascribe his long life to such practices. Ninety-nine monks were invited to receive alms and donations at the ceremony. Not surprisingly, Ne Win’s favorite number is 9. Ironically, his re-appearance coincided with a rumor that the dictator had finally died-a rumor that has circulated frequently before. In fact, he has not only managed to outlive many of his subordinates, but he also has the dubious distinction of being Asia’s oldest living dictator. He is a wanted man, a criminal who has never been brought to court, though he has lived in his secluded compound for years. Many believe that he is still influential in Burmese politics, even though he officially retired from the Burmese Socialist Program Party (BSPP), which he founded, in 1988. "He can still shake up the policies but these days his role is personal rather than institutional," commented Tin Maung Than, a Burmese academic and writer now in exile. "No doubt he is a master player." Yet the question remains as to whether the old man still pulls the strings. Singapore’s senior minister Lee Kwan Yew met him several times in Singapore and wrote in his book, "[I asked] Did he not worry when his old generals asked for his advice? No, he replied; when they did this, he told them never to talk about their work because he had retired from the troubles of this world. However, diplomats told me he commanded respect and authority within the military and could still wield influence." Not surprisingly, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi tried to use her personal contacts to arrange a meeting with Ne Win after she was freed from house arrest in 1995, but such a meeting never took place. Born in 1911, Ne Win’s first job was as a postal clerk in Rangoon. He was a member of the "Dobama Asi-ayone"—the "We Are Burman" Association. A key turning point in his life came when he was selected to join the "Thirty Comrades", an elite group trained by the Japanese during the Second World War to liberate Burma from the British. After independence, Ne Win served as Commander-in-Chief of the army. In 1962, he staged a coup which ended parliamentary rule. He introduced a one-party system, and set up the BSPP. Ne Win finally stepped down in July 1988 amid nation-wide protests calling to end the 26-year-old regime. His "Burmese Way to Socialism" policies had driven the country into poverty. Burma became one of the world’s poorest countries during the years of Ne Win’s iron-fisted rule, and to this day he and his cronies are the wealthiest men in the country. His life of luxury, which included annual trips to Western countries for medical check-ups, prompted demonstrators in 1988 to liken him to former Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who died in exile after fleeing the country amid charges of looting the national treasury. However, unlike Marcos, Ne Win did not flee. In other words, he did not give in to public opinion. Tin Maung Than believes that Ne Win has a double nature. "U Ne Win was a xenophobic hard-liner but suddenly became a proponent of multi-party politics in 1988." It is true that during an emergency party congress in 1988, Ne Win, the chairman of BSPP, proposed a multi-party system. Despite this, the army loyal to Gen Ne Win brutally crushed the pro-democracy movement in late 1988 and staged a coup. Analysts believe that Ne Win was directly involved in the coup. Though the "Old Man" returned to his secluded compound, he has maintained power and influence over the current military leaders.