Abstract In an effort to achieve sustained longevity and economic prowess, the Burmese military (Tatmadaw) implemented a new system of governance that was more acceptable in the eyes of the international community and more in line with calls for democracy that have filled political discourse within the nation. In doing this, the Tatmadaw ignited a political and economic transition which took the nation from direct military rule to military control. After more than five decades of authoritarian governance, the Tatmadaw reestablished civilian rule only after it had fully established a political system that protected its primary economic and political interests (Bunte, 2017). It called this political system a “disciplined democracy,” allowing it to successfully craft an external image conducive to welcomed involvement in the global economy while at the same time guaranteeing its continued central position in economic and political life.