Chapter III Strategic Constitutional Maneuvers The Tatmadaw’s lock on constitutional power means that any reforms or actions attempted against the various sectors and industries discussed above, which would not directly benefit the military or the commanders, can easily be subverted or vetoed. As part of what Felbab-Brown (2017) called the Tatmadaw’s “golden parachute” (p. 5), a formal budget with extremely restricted transparency still surrounds the military and its officers. Legal power tactics have a history beginning with pre-independence Burma still under colonial rule. The Government of Burma Act, implemented in 1935, is best known as the official motion designating Burma as a colony of the Royal Empire rather than an annex of British India. In the context of power maneuvers, the Government of Burma Act allowed Burmese politicians for the first time to take part in managing the country. This laid the foundation for future governmental (mis-)management at the hands of the Tatmadaw and various dictatorial regimes. This foundation was further expanded under Japanese occupation in the early 1940s. A promise of independence was made by Japanese commanders, and indeed, by August 1943 Japan had declared Burma a fully sovereign nation. However, during this time the Tatmadaw was in its infancy and still under the direction of General Aung San. It quickly became apparent that the Japanese rulers had no intention of granting Burma actual independence and autonomy.