Chapter VI The Post-Democratization Era: Continued Military Control Legislative control of what is considered Burma’s indigenous population is the way the Tatmadaw constructs an imagined community in order to create a false sense of unity in the military institution. This is furthered by the military’s role in creating a collective conscience through the use of strategic constraints on the dissemination of information within the country. Foremost, it is important to note that the military played an essential role in framing Aung San Suu Kyi as a national heroine, as well as the NLD as saviors of democracy. In doing this, the Tatmadaw laid the groundwork for further entrenchment of its tyrannical reign. No information in Burma—even under the most recent constitution— is disseminated without the knowledge of military officials. Some Burma watchers have drawn attention to the fact that the Tatmadaw and the so-called “transition regime” of Thein Sein, gravely miscalculated the results of the 2015 general elections, assuming that the USDP had gained enough civilian support to withstand relatively free elections against the NLD and well-known democratic figureheads. While this seemed to be true, it must also be remembered that the results of that election were allowed to stand by the military. Had it wanted to prevent the NLD and Suu Kyi from gaining (largely figurative) power, it had the means to do so.