The Myanmar military initiated a coup on February 1, 2021. This effort gave it control of the government, with leaders detaining hundreds of people. Elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was among them, and at least three protestors of this event were killed.
This southeast Asian country shares borders with India, China, Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand. With approximately 54 million people living there, the country gained its independence from Britain in 1948.
Armed forces ruled the country from 1962 until 2011. After the coup, they are in charge again while declaring a 12-month state of emergency.
The Coup Happened After an Electoral Landslide
Myanmar’s armed forces were backing the opposition party to Aung San Suu Kyi. As with the U.S. election, leaders claimed that widespread fraud tainted the result, which saw Kyi win by a landslide.
The coup took place when a new parliament session was about to open, mimicking the insurrection attempt in Washington on January 6.
Military leaders are currently holding Kyi under house arrest. Her charges included “possessing a legal walkie talkie.”
The commander-in-chief for the military, Min Aung Hlaing, has taken power over the country while the military remains in charge.
The Myanmar Coup Has Received International Condemnation
Myanmar had experienced the largest protests in the country since 2007, when thousands of monks confronted the military government at the time.
During this coup effort, the protestors are now bank officers, students, government employees, lawyers, and teachers.
The military is imposing gathering limits and curfews to prevent a continued uprising. Security forces have fired live ammunition at crowds since the successful coup.
Myanmar’s neighbors are calling the coup an “internal” matter. Officials in the United States and the United Kingdom have initiated sanctions against military officials. The UN Security Council has not acted since China blocked a statement that would condemn the actions.