population, perpetuated by the collective knowledge that informants can be present in nearly any social setting in Burma. Skidmore (2004) explains: Nothing creates more self-censorship and fear than the possibility of one’s actions and words being reported to the regime ... In effect, the Burmese population takes upon itself the task of the military ... the mere possibility of informers and “bugs” is a powerful force for self-censorship ... Individuals are regularly threatened and coerced to become informers if they work in hotels or other facets of the economy where they might encounter foreigners or political activists (pp. 76-77) In present day Burma, informants are still used by the military though the practice is less prolific than pre-democracy years. According to a report by the Myanmar Times, informants in present-day Burma report back to the police. Informants are likely to be present for protests and other political activities undertaken by members of the civilian populace, and are a vital source of information gathering for potential prosecution of political activists (Aung, 2015). While the political atmosphere in present-day Burma is much more open and lenient than in the pre-democracy era, the fact that military and police informers continue to pose as civilians in order to maintain surveillance on them provides evidence that the ideology driving the actions of the Tatmadaw and its affiliates has not actually shifted toward democracy but has remained centered around the perpetuity of the institution and longevity of individual power. A major result of the Tatmadaw’s use of the these control tactics is the active participation of civilians in their own oppression, primarily via self-surveillance and selfcensorship. An example of this is the central government’s “household list programme.” Initiated by the Tatmadaw-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Immigration and Population, village and ward officials nationwide are required to compile and register births and deaths and move people to and from household lists. As such, households are required to report any 87