The military coup in Myanmar happened in February 2021 and interrupted the little democratic experiment that this Asian country has experienced in the 21st century. The new government, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, overthrew the NLD government and arrested the leader of the government, Aung San Suu Kyi. The local and international repercussion of this coup was not positive.
Access also :Pol Pot, the dictator who ruled a neighboring country of Myanmar
Do you know where Myanmar is?
Myanmar was in the spotlight in the international news in early 2021, due to a military coup that took place there, but do you know where that country is? We'll see that now!
Myanmar is a country Asian located in the southwest of that continent, bordering China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos. It is not a very big country and has 676,578 km 2 (an area similar to that of the states of Minas Gerais and Santa Catarina together), but it has a significant population, having about 55 million inhabitants (a population close to that of the states of São Paulo and Pará together).
Currently known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, once known as Burma . This name was directly associated with that of the main ethnic group present in that country:the Burmese. Myanmar is a country multiethnic , therefore it has different ethnicities in its population. Burmese, however, make up about 70% of the Myanmar population.
People from Myanmar are known as Burmese, but can also be called Burmese. It is a country where the majority of the population still lives outside the big cities (about 70% of the population lives in rural areas). The largest city in the country is Yangon, with 5 million inhabitants, and was once the country's capital. The current capital is called Naypidaw, with 1.1 million inhabitants.
The official language of this country is Burmese, but the Myanmar government recognizes other regional languages such as Shan (Shan) and Karen (or Karenic) language.
P>Understanding Myanmar Policy
Until the beginning of 2021, Myanmar was considered a parliamentary republic with a political system partially democratic in operation. This system was considered an advance for the country, because, considering Myanmar's history, there is a tradition of authoritarianism, so much so that, from 1962 to 2011, Myanmar was under military regimes.
As of 2011 , some reforms began to be carried out in Myanmar, and the country experienced a political opening . This political opening was carried out by the Union, Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a political party that is directly allied with the Myanmar military.
The military then partially moved away from politics and handed over power, in part, to civilians. Even when removed, they still held 25% of the seats in the Myanmar parliament and had access to strategic ministries in the country. Finally, the current Constitution (from 2008) was drafted by the military itself.
General elections were held in Myanmar in 2015 . The two major parties in this dispute were the USDP and the National League for Democracy (NLD). The NLD is a historic party in Myanmar and has been fighting for democratic opening since the 1980s. The great exponent of this party is its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, political prisoner from 1989 to 2010.
In 2015, the NLD achieved favorable results in the general elections, winning most of the seats in Parliament and the presidency of the country. Aung San Suu Kyi took over as Councilor of State , becoming the de facto ruler of the country. This post was created especially for her to have a position in the government as she could not be president of the country (because she had children with a foreign man and this prevented her from being president of Myanmar).
The government of the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi maintained a stable relationship with the military, not messing with the privileges of this class and colluding with the crimes they committed. Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticized internationally for allowing the military to carry out the genocide of the Rohingya, an ethnic minority in the country, starting in 2017.
Login also :Brazil has also been the victim of a military coup
Military coup
At the beginning of 2021, the political situation in the country changed radically due to a coup military held on February 1st . The military took control of the country's capital, Naypydaw, controlling the city's access roads and occupying the capital's streets and strategic buildings.
Ministers, intellectuals, artists and government activists were trapped , as well as Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's current president, U Win Myint. Myanmar's media were temporarily shut down, airspace was closed and a state of emergency was established for a period of one year.
Why did the military carry out a coup?
A military junta took charge of the country, and General Min Aung Hlaing became the ruler. The motivation that made the military rise up against the government and carry out a coup was the result of the November 2020 general election. These elections were vexing for the military and the USDP, as the NLD won 83% of the contested positions.
This demonstrates that the NLD has massive popular support and this has caused great discomfort in the Myanmar Armed Forces. International observers believe that the country's military began to fear loss of influence in local politics and intervened to somehow keep the Myanmar government under their control.
After the elections, the military and members of the USDP even tried to undermine the credibility of the election, alleging that it had been rigged, but the allegations were not substantiated and therefore unconvincing. the Myanmar population. Furthermore, international observers also did not give these allegations much credence, as there was no evidence of fraud.
Login also :Chilean military dictatorship, one of the most violent in South America
Post-scam
The military government has promised to remain in power in Myanmar for one year. After that, a new election would be organized to elect new representatives to the country. During this period, the country will remain under a state of emergency , a way that allows the military to govern the country in an authoritarian manner.
The military coup in Myanmar not well received by the population of the country, who spent days carrying out protests. The Myanmar population is demanding that the NLD government be re-established and that Aung San Suu Kyi and the other political prisoners be released. The military reacted to the popular protests with violence.
Police repression and other actions, such as blocking the internet, have been used to stop popular protests. Internationally, the action of the military also did not have a good repercussion and some governments condemned the coup carried out. The United States has even announced that sanctions will be applied against the economy and against the military involved in the coup.
Image credits
[1] 360b and Shutterstock
[2] Adirach Toumlamoon and Shutterstock