The Tatmadaw is using economic development—supposedly for the benefit of the general public—as a pretext to expand its control in Rakhine State and other regions where stability is fragile. The clearance operations open the region to the military, dampen possible public resistance, and create physical conditions conducive to easier Tatmadaw and security mobilization should the need arise for large-scale military operations or a re-taking of governmental power by the military. The Tatmadaw must generate public support for itself in order to uphold its lessobvious control strategies. To do this, the military has taken advantage of and manipulated the public desire for a national identity. In a nation comprised of over 135 ethnic groups, uniformity has always been an elusive issue for those in positions of dominance. In the build up to and aftermath of the democratization process, the military garnered public support by moulding the collective consciousness surrounding the idea of a Burman-Burmese identity at the expense of the Rohingya Muslim population. The military actively participated in exacerbating the myth of the ‘threat of Muslim invasion’ in order to amass acceptance and approval from the civilian population for clearance operations in Rakhine. While brute force is more difficult for commanders to carry out without international scrutiny, when the military does follow through with violent acts they serve as a stark reminder that the Tatmadaw still wields unrelenting strength and power. As the result of actions taken by military-dominated government ministries, alternate forms of information are still extremely limited even in major metropolis regions such as Rangoon and Mandalay. In some areas access to any news source is nearly nonexistent or heavily controlled by the State. The propaganda produced by the 96