Figure 1. Protesters hold signs to express support for Myanmar democracy and call for the end of a military coup, during a rally in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Source: EPA-EFE.
The entire world has been watching in shock the recent political developments in Myanmar, also known as Burma, which as of 1 February is under military control. The military has declared a yearlong state of emergency and has overturned the democratic-elected government, after questioning the recent election results of 8 November which gave a massive victory to the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. This electoral win destroyed any hopes of the military generals that the opposition party they had supported would win the democratic elections.
The leader of NLD, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, was also detained overnight on 1 February and is under house arrest at her official residence in the capital Naypyidaw. Suu Kyi has become an important figure in the post-democratic Myanmar as during the 1990’s she campaigned to restore democracy in the country and even spent 15 years in detention for organizing protests in favour of free elections and democratic reforms. For her inexhaustible efforts to bring the state of Myanmar back to its democratic roots, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while still under house arrest. Thus, it was not a surprise when in 2015, she led the NLD to victory in the first open general election in 25 years. As it is apparent, she was, and continues to be, something more than just a president; she represents Myanmar’s people strive for a deliverance from authoritarian regimes that ruled the country from 1962 until 2011.
Figure 2. Myanmar police officers ride on a truck as engineers march during a protest against the military coup, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Source: EPA-EFE.
The military junta, immediately after seizing power, cut any connection to the internet and social media and took control of all news channels. The military-owned national channel, the only one allowed to broadcast at the moment, announced that the 64-year-old commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing was now the one heading the country. Myanmar’s military, or as it is officially known the Tatmadaw, had always had a firm grip in political power, becoming the most powerful institution in the country, which exactly where the root of Myanmar’s political instability lies. The 2008 constitution, an attempt from military generals to transition the country to a semi-democracy while still maintaining control, gave great power to the Tatmadaw assigning it a quarter of seats in Parliament, effective veto power over constitutional amendments, and control of three key ministries: defence, internal affairs and border. Thus in every sense, the military had control of the country, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, persecuting journalists and minorities. Democracy was a façade, a way to make Burmese believe that they had regained control over their country,
Figure 3. A demonstrator holds up a placard with the picture of China's President Xi Jinping as another flashes the three-finger salute during a protest against the military coup, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Source:EPA-EFE.
Democratic regimes are extremely unstable in the region of South East Asia which hosts a number of openly autocratic governments in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines, where any civilian attempt for a democratic government has faced severe opposition from military forces and established elites. The recent coup is just a verification of the integral role of authoritarian rule in the political scene of South East Asia and further confirms the suppressive aspect of the military in the political process of democratisation, hence the vulnerability in totalitarian tendencies. Since the implementation of the coup, hundreds of thousands of people have surged the streets of Myanmar major cities to protest against the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Demonstrations, which are said to be the largest the country has ever seen, express a Myanmar that has been open to the world for the last 10 years, a Myanmar that no longer conforms to or accepts a regression to an authoritarian regime, a Myanmar that has become aware of its power and freedom and it is ready to fight for it. The self-appointed government has warned that "democracy can be destroyed" without discipline, and that people who "harm the state's stability, public safety and the rule of law" could face legal action. On Tuesday, the military junta issued restrictions on public gatherings, allowing only groups of up until 5 people, while at the same time it declared a curfew from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. in most cities. The Privacy Law, preventing police officers from searching, arresting, and seizing property have been suspended under the current military rule. The protesters have also been treated violently by the police forces, which used water cannons and rubber bullets against them.
Figure 4. Demonstrators hold placards and flash three-fingers salute showing to the CCTV camera of the Chinese embassy during a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar. Source: EPA-EFE.
The international community has criticized the current situation and has urged for peace and democratic restoration. On Wednesday, the U.S. President, Joe Biden, announced the imposition of sanctions on military leaders, freezing all U.S. assets that benefit the Burmese government, while the European Union, (EU), Australia and the United Kingdom have also condemned the military takeover. However, China has blocked a UN Security Council statement that denounces the new government and instead urged sides to solve their differences.
Fear has also grown among the Rohingya population that in light of the recent developments feel that a repatriation to their home country will not guarantee their safety. The military is known to have attacked and enforce violence on Rohingyas and believes that their persecution does not consist of an illegal action. Adding to that, the former democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi admitted in front of the the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which will launch an official investigation of the crimes against the Rohingya, that the military had violated in many cases the international humanitarian law.
For now, it seems that Myanmar will have to experience the nightmare of a military coup again, but one should never undermine the power of public pressure.
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