Conclusion: "Through the years, the USDA has served the interests of Burma?s military regime. In essence, the mass organization has been used as a tool by military elites to shore up their interests and suppress dissent, ultimately preventing a mass revolution and subsequent regime change. The regime has trained, funded and supported the organization; in return, USDA has attacked the political opposition, engineered mass rallies, reportedly recruited nearly half of Burma?s population, and committed electoral fraud in 2008 and 2010. As the political climate changed, the USDA changed with it, altering both their mandate and their activities. The regime originally needed a body of popular support to superficially combat public discontent. However, as the NLD and other political organizations began to exercise more of their political rights and gained vast public support, they became an increasingly powerful threat to the regime?s hold on power. The USDA thus evolved into a paramilitary organization, ready to attack political, religious, or social opponents of the regime, the deadliest of attacks being the Depayin Massacre and during the Saffron Revolution. While these attacks ensured that the public grew a stronger distrust and hatred for the regime, they also directly contributed to the USDA?s reputation as a nefarious militia lacking moral or religious concerns. For the USDA, this reputation was a double-?‐edged sword; while it may have lost the support of members who resent the USDA?s violent behaviour, the violent reputation ensures the USDA can effectively intimidate and harass the opposition. The composition of the USDA?s panel of patrons and Central Executive Committee illustrates how USDA?s leadership is undeniably intertwined with the current regime and dedicated to preserving its power. This legacy was passed on to the USDP in 2010, as the mass organization positioned itself to serve as the new civilian face of the military regime. The USDP has committed a host of election-?‐related human rights violations in an attempt to secure votes in the 2010 elections. The Union Election Commission has turned a blind eye to these violations and itself lacks impartiality and Burma: A Violent Past to a Brutal Future 53 independence.224 Due to the USDP?s successful, but largely unlawful, campaign methods, the USDP will likely amass the majority of electoral seats in the 2010 elections. The USDP?s pre-?‐election activities are not the actions of a political party committed to bringing democratic change to Burma. Nor are they the actions of a party that will seek to prioritize people?s welfare over military might, curb human rights violations and hold perpetrators accountable, or open up space for greater political freedom. The USDP must be recognized for what it is – a political manifestation of the regime?s paramilitary organization responsible for brutal attacks on the people of Burma, including the Depayin Massacre and Saffron Revolution, as well as a military-?‐backed party possessing all the political and financial capital necessary to win an election. Year after year, the USDA and the USDP has demonstrated that theirallegiances, and thus, theirinterests lie with the military regime, not the people. The SPDC?s history is undeniably intertwined with that of the USDA and the USDP; and in turn, the future of the USDP will be the future of the regime. A USDP-?‐led government composed of current and former military generals will not be a step toward democracy, but rather a continuation of military rule, impunity and political repression."