Myanmar, formally known as Burma, is a Southeast Asian nation. The Independence of Myanmar took place in 1948 from the tentacles of colonial-era Britain. Democracy prevailed there for the period of the first fourteen years of independence. The period from 1948 to 1962 was democratically smooth and ideal. The military of Myanmar took over through a coup in 1962 and continued to rule till 2011. Things somehow started to change in 2010.
Finally, in 2015 democratically elected government took over the affairs of Myanmar. Since then everything was going smooth and flowing with the wind till the military coup took place on 1st February 2021. Since then, protests are ubiquitous in Myanmar. The socio-economic and political environment is at its nadir. The United Nations, along with the international leaders and media have condemned this act of the Myanmar army.
What led to the coup?
The political environment of Myanmar was at its pinnacle with the completion of 5-year tenure of the first democratically elected government since 1962. Aung San Sui Kyi, the Nobel Prize winner, who is the daughter of the former general of Myanmar’s army, was elected prime minister of Myanmar in 2015. She continued to rule the nation till 2020 and completed her tenure.
New elections were conducted in Myanmar in November 2020. Again National League for Democracy (NLD) won the elections and Aung San Sui Kyi was elected as prime minister again with Win Myint as President. The military-backed USDP, the main opposition party, was defeated badly by NLD in November 2020 elections. The military responded with a coup just before the first session of the newly elected Myanmar parliament on 1st February 2021. The public responded strongly with protests all across Myanmar.
In a recent protest in Yangon, police carried out gun fires directly at the protestors. This deteriorated the turmoil further. Until now, 1200 citizens have been missing and are being detained by the military and the police. A senior party official of NLD died in police custody recently. This infuriated the public even more. Prime minister Aung San Sui Kyi and President Win Myint are already in detention of the police. As a result, the protests in the Capital city along with other major cities are getting an added fillip.
What we might expect in the future?
If the situation continues like this we must expect a civil war in Myanmar soon. The ills of democracy can only be cured with more democracy. The biggest dent in Aung San Sui Kyi’s political career has been her handling of the situation of Rohingya Muslims. There is no doubt that the Rohingya crisis has been a watershed mark in the ethnic history of Myanmar.
Myanmar is an ethnically diverse nation. There are more than 21 ethnic tribes in Myanmar. More than 10 Ethnic armies are backing the democratically elected government of Aung San Sui Kyi. Many citizens are seeking to flee the nations and move to neighboring countries like India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. It must be kept in mind that this could create a refugee crisis as well in the Southeast Asian region.
The response of Regional powers
The major powers and other South East Asian nations have responded strongly to the military coup in Myanmar. World leaders like Joe Bidden and Borris Johnson have condemned the act of Myanmar’s military and also have tweeted in favor of NLD and Aung San Sui Kyi. China, who always was against foreign intervention in Myanmar, has also condemned this act and has asked the world powers to act fast and intervene in the matter which could flare up further and cause a political crisis in the Asian regions.
Myanmar is located on the face of the Strait of Malacca, from where billions of dollars worth of trade pass every year. China is the major stakeholder in that trade. That is why it wants an immediate resolution of the crisis. Other regional nations like Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia have termed it as the ‘internal matter’ of Myanmar. The UN Security Council has plans to re-impose the sanctions on Myanmar. The UN special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener is trying to mediate, but to no avail.
Epilogue
The political crisis in Myanmar, following the military coup, has wreak havoc, not only in Myanmar but in the whole region as well. The situation must be controlled immediately otherwise it could lead to a civil war in the nations, the consequences of which will be felt wide enough. The superpowers like the US and China must look into the matter. The United Nations Security Council must also respond consequently.
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