MANDALAY, Myanmar — Authorities in Mandalay are making extensive preparations to host a grand Thingyan Water Festival this April, in what critics describe as a desperate attempt by the sham government to project an image of normalcy despite the ongoing national crisis.
After a somber year in 2025—marked by devastating earthquakes that silenced the city’s traditional celebrations—the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) has announced plans to construct over 40 major pavilions (mandats) around the historic palace moats.
The upcoming festivities are set to include government-sponsored stages, corporate-funded pavilions, and a designated “walking street” on 26th Street. Official statements emphasize a return to tradition, featuring cultural showcases of “Thanaka” (traditional sandalwood paste) and green tea, alongside coconut-leaf pavilions and traditional water pots.
“The military wants to celebrate their supposed recapture of territory by blending it with Thingyan,” one Mandalay resident told MPA. “For many of us, the true joy of Thingyan has been dead for over five years.”
The push for a high-profile celebration is seen by political analysts as a strategic move to signal that the second-largest city remains firmly under military control, even as resistance forces continue to gain ground in surrounding rural areas.
To ensure the festival proceeds without disruption, security forces are reportedly planning an extensive deployment across the city. However, the planned revelry has deeply divided the local population.
While some residents long for a return to social normalcy and the preservation of cultural heritage, many others view the lavish spending on festivities as an insult to those suffering from the conflict.
“There is a stark duality here,” another local resident noted. “One side wants to escape the misery and enjoy our traditions. But we cannot ignore the pain of those displaced by war or the reality of the political situation. Hosting such a festive event while the country is in tatters feels wrong to many.”
The sham government’s insistence on holding the festival comes amid its widest conscription drive to date and a series of heavy losses on various frontlines. Since the 2021 coup, public participation in state-sponsored Thingyan events has been a flashpoint for political protest, with many choosing to “silent strike” or celebrate privately rather than join military-sanctioned stages.
As the Mandalay moats are prepared for the influx of water and music, the atmosphere in the city remains heavy with the unspoken tension between the regime’s forced celebration and the somber reality of a nation at war.
