SULLIVAN: Mary Callahan, a Myanmar scholar at the University of Washington who is in the former capital, Yangon, isn't so sure. I think it's them holding onto power indefinitely. MATHIESON: The endgame, I think, is quite disturbing. SULLIVAN: David Mathieson is a Yangon-based analyst reached in Thailand. SULLIVAN: That's assuming the military cares.ĭAVID MATHIESON: I think they probably calculated that they've got friends in the world that will be disappointed in them but will ultimately put their own self-interests to the fore and let them get away with it. THUZAR: The global political and economic climate will just be very unfavorable for a military junta seeking to justify its actions, I think. But today, she insists, things are different than they were 30 years ago. SULLIVAN: What happened then, she says, was that Aung San Suu Kyi's party won convincingly, a victory the military then refused to recognize. The promise was to convene elections and hand over power to the party that won the elections. She has a long memory and recalls a similar promise made by the military after a student-led uprising decades ago. Moe Thuzar of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore isn't buying. MICHAEL SULLIVAN, BYLINE: The military says its state of emergency will only last a year. After a coup deposed the government of former democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, the military claims massive election fraud that saw Suu Kyi's party win overwhelmingly in November's general election. More than 10 people are killed in police firing after security personnel tried to disperse the protesting crowd.The country of Myanmar is under military control again. Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations is fired for expressing concern at the international stage over the military coup. Supporters of Myanmar military clash with protesters in Yangon, the largest city in the country. February 25įacebook bans Myanmar military's official handles from its platform. Two more protesters are killed in police action, resulting in more widespread strikes the next day. The woman, who suffered a bullet injury in the head, succumbs to death at a hospital, sparking anger among protesters. The military then orders the arrest of activists and prominent personalities supporting the protests. The military reinstates a law that allows security personnel to detain people and search private properties without a court order. A woman protester suffered a bullet injury in the head and is kept on life support. The use of force doesn't deter the protesters, who keep on pouring the streets in large numbers. Myanmar police use violent means such as rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters. The military restores the internet but keeps social media platforms blocked. The protests against the military coup spread across the country, with more and more people coming out on the streets. The military blocks internet connectivity in the country, fearing online mobilisation of protesters, who were already using social media to spread messages and information. The protesters are joined by teachers and some government officials, who vowed not to return to work until the government of Suu Kyi is restored. It was also one of the first arrests of peaceful protesters. Some protesters were also arrested for raising their voices against the coup. The country witnessed its first public display of anger against the military coup as a group of demonstrators took to the streets raising pro-democracy slogans. For instance, the military accused President Myint of violating COVID-19 protocols and Suu Kyi of keeping hand-held radios without permission. The military filed charges against Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint for petty reasons.
#What is happening in myanmar series
The military junta launched a series of raids at NLD offices and residences of top political leaders. Myanmar military levelled unfounded allegations of ''election-fraud'' and used the reason as an excuse for the coup. The coup occurred a day before the newly-elected members of parliament were scheduled to take the oath. The military launched the coup in Myanmar, arresting top political leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Here's a timeline of events that took place in the country since the coup. It's been a month since the military junta took over the government and arrested political leaders of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Myanmar is witnessing widespread protests over the recent military coup that saw the ousting of the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.