Myanmar Coup

 Mass protests have been taking place across Myanmar since the military seized control on 1 February.

Pleading The UN & US For Help

Elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party are among hundreds of people detained.

At least 21 protesters have been killed so far.

 

Where is Myanmar?

 

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in South East Asia. It neighbors Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China, and India.

It has a population of about 54 million, most of whom are Burmese speakers, although other languages are also spoken. The biggest city is Yangon (Rangoon), but the capital is Nay Pyi Taw.

The main religion is Buddhism. There are many ethnic groups in the country, including Rohingya Muslims.

The country gained independence from Britain in 1948. It was ruled by the armed forces from 1962 until 2011 when a new government began ushering in a return to civilian rule.

 

Why is Myanmar also known as Burma?

 

The ruling military changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. The two words mean the same thing but Myanmar is the more formal version.

Some countries, including the UK, initially refused to use the name as a way of denying the regime's legitimacy.

But use of "Myanmar" has become increasingly common, and in 2016 Ms. Suu Kyi said it did not matter which name was used

 

What has happened now, and why?

 

The military is now back in charge and has declared a year-long state of emergency.

It seized control on 1 February following a general election which Ms. Suu Kyi's NLD party won by a landslide.

media caption Myanmar coup: How did we get here?

The armed forces had backed the opposition, who were demanding a rerun of the vote, claiming widespread fraud.

The election commission said there was no evidence to support these claims.

The coup took place as a new session of parliament was set to open.

Ms Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest and has been charged with possessing illegal walkie-talkies, violating Covid-19 restrictions during last year's election campaign and publishing information that may "cause fear or alarm".

Many other NLD officials have also been detained.

 

Who is in charge now?

Military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing has taken power.

He has long wielded significant political influence, successfully maintaining the power of the Tatmadaw - Myanmar's military - even as the country moved towards democracy.

He has received international condemnation and sanctions for his alleged role in the military's attacks on ethnic minorities.

In his first public comments after the coup, Gen Hlaing sought to justify the takeover. He said the military was on the side of the people and would form a "true and disciplined democracy".

The military says it will hold a "free and fair" election once the state of emergency is over.

 

Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?

Aung San Suu Kyi became world-famous in the 1990s for campaigning to restore democracy.

She spent nearly 15 years in detention between 1989 and 2010, after organizing rallies calling for democratic reform and free elections.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest.

In 2015, she led the NLD to victory in Myanmar's first openly contested election in 25 years.

Myanmar's democracy icon who fell from grace.

what is the reason for the military coup?

The Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is the supreme law of Myanmar. Myanmar's first constitution adopted by the constituent assembly was enacted for the Union of Burma in 1947. After the 1962 Burmese coup d'état, a second constitution was enacted in 1974. The country has been ruled by military juntas for most of its history. The 2008 Constitution, the country's third and current constitution, was published in September 2008 after a referendum. The Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) retain significant control of the government under the 2008 constitution. 25% of seats in the Parliament of Myanmar are reserved for serving military officers. The ministries of home, border affairs, and defense have to be headed by a serving military officer. The military also appoints one of the country's two vice presidents. Hence, the country's civilian leaders have little influence over the security establishment.

According to The Constitution, 25% of seats in the Parliament of Myanmar are reserved for serving military officers which divided the power between the govt and the military.

Which means the military can intervene in any political matter.

That roadmap, which the junta has also published in State-run media in Myanmar includes reconstituting the electoral commission, which rejected the military's allegations of fraud in a November election where Suu Kyi's party won 82 percent of the vote. She said that has already been done.

Acquisitions Led By The junta To Overthrow The Democratically elected Govt Of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The military junta accused the Democratically elected Govt Of Aung San Suu Kyi to have taken bribes (about 11 kgs of gold) and was found in possession of 4 walkie-talkies in her residence. Which led to her house arrest along with her ministers. 

The Affects of the Coup.

AA silent on coup

Under pressure from the military, Aung San Suu Kyi’s government placed the AA on the list of terrorist groups last year amid fighting that has displaced 200,000 mostly ethnic Rakhine people.

The AA(Arakan Army), which agreed on a temporary ceasefire in November, did not respond to a request by Reuters news agency for comment on the military’s decision.

The Arakan Army

Some of Myanmar’s more than two dozen ethnic armed groups have criticized the coup and even shown support for anti-coup protesters, but have not significantly stepped up military action or abandoned ceasefire deals

The AA’s ranks are largely drawn from the ethnic Rakhine and Buddhist majority in what was an independent kingdom until the 18th century.

During Myanmar’s decades of military rule, Rakhine became the second-poorest state in the country and continues to suffer even as enormous Chinese and Indian projects are approved in the area.

At least one dead in Myaing, Mgway region