Can Myanmar’s Protesters Win? They are up against a ruthless, entrenched military. But history tells us not to underestimate the power of the people. April 01, 2021 An anti-coup protester holds a smoke bomb behind makeshift barricade, as the protesters confront police in Yangon, Myanmar Sunday, March 28, 2021. Credit: AP Photo Advertisement Nobody – least of all the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military – could have imagined that the February coup in Myanmar would trigger such a flood of outrage, mass civil disobedience, and the forging of a multi-ethnic alliance across the nation. Most Myanmar experts from the region’s plethora of think tanks would have scoffed at the suggestion that even two months after the coup, Myanmar’s military would not have been able to crush the revolt.