Within recent years, Myanmar has seen an increasing interest in magic and the occult. From historical times, Buddhists have believed that one can be granted supernatural powers by practicing extreme piety. Burmese weizza, or wizards, who claim to "apparently fly, turn base metals into gold and attain immortality" as well as "to perk up [individual's] profits, make them more attractive, banish evil spirits and remove tumours" have received many more followers, especially within the last decade. Under politician Ne Win, chairman of the Burma Socialist Programme Party, weizza were marginalized as he feared and envied them and their supporters, worried "that they might overthrow him by, for instance, [by] raising an army of ghosts". His fear was so extreme, that he even "banned their magazines and books, and had portrayals of weizza scrubbed from films and other media". As political power was ceded to civilians after Myanmar's military regime was dissolved in 1988, weizza gained more prominence within society. With the abolition of media censorship within the nation in 2012, weizza have been able to reach a larger audience by using social media, broadcasting their healing demonstrations through Facebook and Youtube, acquiring many more clients, as well as students who wish to learn from them. Being that Myanmar's healthcare system is "rickety", many still turn to weizza to be healed of their ailments, often remarking that the ceremonies performed have cured them and have been successful.
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