A leading member of Myanmar’s military junta has warned that “some big nations” are threatening the country’s culture and nationalist spirit, state-run media reported Monday.

“The big nations are making attempts overtly or covertly to shape the country as they wish using various tricks such as persuasion, pressure and penetration in economic and cultural aspects,” Lt. Gen. Thein Sein was quoted saying by the New Light of Myanmar and other newspapers. He did not identify which nations he was talking about.

Thein Sein, Secretary One of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, was speaking Sunday at the opening of the 14th Myanmar traditional cultural performing arts competition at the new administrative capital of Naypyidaw, 450 kilometers (250 miles) north of Yangon.

“In the process of globalization, some big nations misusing their superiority in wealth, technology and domination of the world media for political gains are making attempts to dominate the developing countries like Myanmar politically and culturally while instilling (them) with their ways of thinking, customs and social system or lifestyle,” he said.

Thein Sein appeared to be referring to Western nations, particularly the United States, with which the military government has very poor relations. Western governments are critical of the junta’s poor human rights record and its failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.

State media often accuses Western nations of conspiring with the opposition National League for Democracy of detained Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to foment trouble and take over the country. The NLD won a 1990 general election, but the military refused to cede power.

“External and internal destructive elements, lackeys of the aliens, are instilling wrong thoughts in youth that patriotism and nationalistic spirit are out of date these days,” Thein Sein warned.
“They are also instigating the youth to entertain the tendencies of confrontation and violence in their mind,” he added.