The Burmese military must be taking some lessons from the North Korean government, as they are now sponsoring a performance troupe extolling the virtues of the regime.

It's hard to know what is a healthy balance of being horrified and laughing out loud when reading articles like this. Perhaps the junta is getting a little concerned over bad publicity, and think that perhaps entertaining villagers with propaganda until all hours of them morning will eventually win them over. It's quite an insidious plan.

True to form though, they manage to leap over that line into reprehensible quite easily. Businessmen are being extorted for 'donations' to support the public performances.

As for what they are performing, audiences reporte that "the army troupe has presented many programs, including dramas and operas, in the open night shows, but most of the programs relate to the Burmese army and the struggle for Burmese independence from Britain and the establishment of the country."

"Another source said the troupe also presents a few comedies aimed at the democracy activists and western cultural influences in Burma." I can only imagine how these parodies go. An overly serious intellectual perhaps, wearing all the new western fashions, who is made to look foolish trying to extoll the virtues of voting and human rights to a traditional and pious Burman? I wish I could see what this military parody looks like.

Of course, everyone likes a good romance, too..."The army troupe has presented some romantic dramas, but all dramas are love affairs between army officers and young ethnic girls in the frontline areas."

Those familiar with the government's practice of allowing and encouraging military officers to kidnap, rape, and force young ethnic girls into marriage will find that particular point drains most of the humor out the situation. It also demonstrates a particular awareness by the government of this situation, and the need to create propaganda counteracting claims of ethnic cleansing and systematic rape for villagers who are nowhere near the frontlines where such events occur.