important devices for preserving Tatmadaw power—were suffering financially, further pushing the Tatmadaw to change the way institutions operated as well as its image in order to sustain economic longevity (Felbab-Brown, 2017). Military figureheads and top tier government officials “increasingly came to believe that its power interests could be better served by stable, parliament-approved budgets in the context of a growing and liberalized economy (p. 12). With political and economic repression as the status quo for more than five decades, it became increasingly onerous domestically and more visible to the international community. The military used Burma’s parliamentary process to gain legitimacy domestically and internationally while at the same time locking in its political prowess and economic stronghold. Despite the facade of democracy, any instance in which political forces threatened the Tatmadaw’s monopoly of control, it established laws to ensure its perpetuity in the hands of presiding top echelon military generals or designated successors (Felbab-Brown, 2017; Skidmore, 2003). Key Sources of Economic Impact In order to fully understand the Tatmadaw’s involvement in the Burmese economy it is essential to examine the key sources of economic impact in the country. The Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL, MEHL or UMEH) is a conglomerate that is woven into the country’s political architecture. Among others, it controls the jade and gemstone mining sector and the timber industry, each of which provides further sources of revenue to the military-state. I discuss each of these sectors below. 45