Coup and protests in Burma: EASY explanation

Myanmar Coup Explained: Protests, Military, Min Aung Hlaing, and the Latest

(Behind the News, 2/17/21) What’s going on in Myanmar right now? We take a look at how & why the recent protests against the military coup started. 

• Burma is perhaps the world's most Buddhist country

On Monday the 1st of February while filming her morning routine this instructor accidentally captured the beginnings of a military coup. 

Shortly after the military announced a one year state of emergency and that power would be handed over to military general Ming Aung Hlaing.

Soldiers took to the streets, internet services were cut in large parts of the country, social media platforms were blocked, curfews were introduced, and gatherings of more than 5 people were banned.

So, why is all of this happening?

The military says the country’s elections held last November were rigged and that there had been a ‘terrible fraud’. Even though they haven’t actually been able to provide any solid evidence. Many aren’t buying it and say this is just a power grab by the military.

Inside the country there have been widespread protests. Unfortunately some of the clashes between protesters and the military have turned violent. Some of the reasoning behind the arrests of political figures has been questionable too.

Myanmar’s leader Aung Sun Suu Kyi has been accused of illegally importing communications equipment into the country, because 6 walkie talkies were found in her home. Many experts believe it’s just being used as an excuse to keep her locked away… and potentially even to stop her from running in future elections.

This isn’t the first time the military’s seized power. Myanmar (or as it was known back then: Burma) spent 124 years under British rule, had a brief period of about 14 years of independence, followed by another 49 years under military rule.

In the years after World War II the nation finally gained its independence as the Union of Burma. Unfortunately there was unrest & fighting between the many different ethnic groups that make up the country and in 1962 the military scrapped Burma’s constitution staged a coup and created a military junta. What followed was a one party state headed by the BSPP.

It wasn’t until 1988 that the BSPP had its power truly challenged during the 8888 Uprising. [Later, in 2007, came the infamous Saffron Revolution, when Buddhist monks rose up to lead the people in protests and demonstrations, a full-on revolution against the military dictatorship.]

Started by students, the 8888 movement spread to hundreds of thousands of protesters and Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as a leading voice. 

Within a few months, the protests were crushed, thousands were killed and the military once again took control of the government.

Aung Sun Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest, where she remained for 15 years. During that time she continued to push for democratic change with her political party, the NLD (National League for Democracy). She gained international attention, earning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

It wasn’t until the late 2000s that the military announced it would start moving towards [the veneer] a more democratic government. However, the 2010 election was surrounded by accusations of fraud and interference.

It was boycotted by Aung Sun Suu Kyi’s NLD party; unsurprisingly, military rule was replaced by a very pro-military party, the USDP.

The military only agreed to share power because the new constitution guaranteed that they’d keep control over lots of key areas and 25% of the seats in parliament no matter what.

That’s a very big deal considering you can’t make any changes to the constitution without more than 75% support. It wasn’t until 2015 that Myanmar held its first genuinely open election since the 60s and the NLD won in a massive landslide.

However even with such a big share of votes the NLD still had to deal with a powerful military influence in parliament.

Leader Suu Kyi is still beloved in Burma.

For years, Aung Sun Suu Kyi has talked about removing the military from parliament and taking away their political power.

Winning by such a big margin in the recent election put her closer to that goal than ever before.

Experts say Min Aung Hlaing’s desire for power is also a way to protect himself from things he’s done in his role as military leader.

Rakhine (Arakan) is Burma's west coast.

He’s been called “one of most wanted men on the planet” for his role in the brutal crackdown on the Rohingya people, a Muslim minority group that mainly live in the northern region of Rakhine state on the west coast.

• [The Rohingya are said to be foreigners who moved in by siding with British forces, who lost and retreated, leaving them stranded, unprotected, and stateless. The Burmese, therefore, feel they are not citizens but rather a dispossessed population squatting in their country. Efforts to beat them into neighboring Muslim Bangladesh is not welcome by Bangladesh or the international community. These views are so prevalent in Burma that even once beloved Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has held and advocated them, leading to calls that her peace prize be withdrawn.]

World leaders and ambassadors have called for the violence to stop and for arrested political figures to be released.

With both protesters and military looking like they won’t be giving up any time soon, we’ll have to wait and see what happens next and whether Myanmar can get it’s long journey to democracy back on track.