By Niru Kalyanaraman and Shehzeen Alam
The Burmese military staged their second coup d'etat on February 1st 2021. This has resulted in tens of thousands of enraged Burmese citizens taking to the streets. The first time the military staged a coup in 1962, thousands of Burmese lives were lost at the hands of the Tatmadaw (the army), and Myanmar faced its most significant economic depression.
"Myanmar is a bird learning to fly, but now the military has broken our wings."
Shin Thant, a Burmese student in UWC, talked about the frustration and hardships that Burmese people are facing due to the Myanmar military. He stated: "The military are harming and suppressing the voices of the Burmese citizens. Many health care workers, firefighters, teachers etc., stopped going to work to practice the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) to stop the military dictatorship." However, we must look to the past to fully understand Myanmar's current situation.
What is Myanmar’s history with the military?
In January 1948, Myanmar gained full independence from British rule under the Burma Independence Act, followed by three elections held between 1950-1960. However, when non-Burmese ethnic groups pushed for autonomy, the military leadership staged a coup d'etat in 1962 and overthrew the democratically elected government.
In early 1990, the government finally held free and fair elections for the first time in 30 years. The party of Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League of Democracy (NLD), won 80% of the seats. However, once the election results were finalised, the military refused to cede power. The restoration of democracy occurred on March 30th 2011, with the NLD assuming power after the democratic elections and military regime dissolution.
What is happening right now in Myanmar?
In the 2020 elections, NLD won again by a landslide gaining majorities in both houses. However, the army alleged fraud (which was declared on November 8th 2020) and threatened to "take action", due to a few incidents of fraudulent voting. On the morning of February 1st 2021, the day parliament was set to convene, the military detained state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other party members. The military declared a state of emergency, overtaking power for the next year.
Shin Thant, a Grade 9 student at UWCSEA Dover, says that the NLD "inspires and gives strength to the majority of Burmese citizens." Ever since February 1st, the military rule has been revoking the rights of Burmese citizens by "shutting off the internet and making laws which enable the police to open fire on the citizens of Myanmar when protesting."
What does this mean for the people of Myanmar?
As of now, power has been handed to the military commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing. He has garnered significant political influence over time as he successfully maintained the control of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military) despite the nation's shift to democracy. The power which the army currently holds has caused prominent discontent amongst Burmese people. This discontent can be seen in the protests, which are the largest since the 'Saffron revolution' of 2007, driven by Monk discontent towards the military.
As of now, the military has imposed significant restrictions in certain areas, including curfews and limits to gatherings. In addition to this, the military further suppressed freedom by seizing the country's infrastructure, suspending television broadcasts, telephone and internet access in major cities. In addition to this, domestic and international flights were cancelled by the military. Overall, the coup has severely restricted the freedom of people in all aspects. Elements of brutality are also seen by the frequent gassing and violence rampant on the streets of Yangon.
Calls for foreign intervention
As of now, international speculation is rife amongst many nations. The UK, EU and Australia are significant factors for the condemnation of the military takeover. Although there is no direct foreign intervention, debates are constant in the UN, leading to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stating that it was a "serious blow to democratic reforms". Coupled with this, American President Joe Biden has threatened to intervene by reinstating sanctions. However, Myanmar's long term ally China blocked a Security Council statement condemning the coup. There is much ambiguity about China's role in this conflict, with China attempting to dismiss it by stating that it is an 'internal matter'.
What could this mean in the future?
Experts appear unsure of the reason for the current military uprising, which seems futile in containing the rampant discontent. There is a consensus that the current system is incredibly beneficial to the army, allowing them to consolidate their autonomy over their political interest. After the alleged fraud, which was declared on November 8th and a forceful one-year emergency (though the interregnum is expected to last longer) and raging protests, it's hard to say what the future holds for Myanmar. Min Aung Hlaing has promised that elections will be held after the emergency, but there is still uncertainty in the future of Myanmar due to the spontaneous escalation of the protests. Myanmar's lack of international support jeopardises the future of democracy that hangs loosely by a thread.
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