By detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and democratically elected officials, the Myanmar military has wiped away ten years and two successful elections of democratic progress. Why did the military decide to seize power now? Does the coup d’état present China with a golden opportunity to reassert its influence in Yangon at the expense of Japan’s carefully cultivated connections to Myanmar’s civilian and military leaders?
Myanmar’s military arrests the civilian government and democracy
People of Myanmar living in Thailand hold pictures of Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a protest in front of the Myanmar embassy, in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Sakchai Lalit/AP
In the early hours of February 1, the day Myanmar s newly elected parliamentarians were to take their seats, the armed forces arrested senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), including State Counselor and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar President Win Myint. The military declared a state of emergency, announcing it will govern the country for one year, after which it promises fresh elections. Understanding this political crisis requires unpacking the role of the military in Myanmar s beleaguered democratisation, the calculus of Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, and a geopolitical context dominated by China.
Britain and the European Union have requested that the UN Human Rights Council to hold a special session in response to the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar.
The Globe and Mail John Packer Published February 6, 2021
Turns out the “democratization” of the Union of Myanmar was a charade at best.
Having already written its constitution to suit itself in 2008, the Tatmadaw (as the Armed Forces are known) ripped it up on Feb. 1. In a swift, telegraphed and thus-far bloodless coup, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing declared himself “state leader,” installed a dozen cronies as ministers, and appointed a retired lieutenant-general as his puppet President. In doing so, the Tatmadaw issued a formal statement asserting that they were acting to preserve “democratic norms,” but arresting the entire civilian government, the sitting President, leading MPs and representatives of civil society sure is a funny way of showing it.
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As the Myanmar military under Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing rolled out the tanks and guns across the country earlier this week, the scribes and headline writers in the hallowed halls of China’s premier news agency, Xinhua, were at the ready.
“Major cabinet reshuffle announced in Myanmar,” Xinhua belched in its headline as the coup got underway. It was a headline based on its own interpretation of a press release from the Myanmar military which was picked up around the world.
“Under the cabinet reshuffle, new union ministers were appointed for 11 ministries while 24 deputy ministers were removed from their posts,” Xinhua quoted the military, or Tatmadaw, as saying, without questioning. The China Daily quickly followed its lead.