Myanmar coup: Why people protest and kill army of peaceful protesters

Myanmar coup: Why people protest and kill army of peaceful protesters

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According to the United Nations Office for Human Rights, at least 138 people, including children, have died since the coup. And more than 2,100 – including journalists, protesters, activists, government officials, union members, writers, students and civilians – were detained, often in checkpoints, according to the advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Although activists both put the figures higher.

Here’s what you need to know about the situation.

Why did the army in Myanmar take over?

The military justified its takeover by claiming that voter fraud was widespread during the November 2020 general election, which in turn brought Suu Kyi’s party an overwhelming victory.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) acted disastrously in the poll, allaying hopes among some of its military backers that it would take power democratically – or at least elect the next president. The military then claims that, without providing evidence, there were more than 10.5 million cases of ‘potential fraud, such as non-existent voters’, and called on the Electoral Commission to disclose the final ballot data.

The commission rejected allegations of voter fraud.

It was only the second democratic vote since the previous junta began a series of reforms in 2011, after half a century of brutal military rule that had put Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, into poverty and isolation.

Analysts say the takeover was less about election irregularities and more about the military wanting to stay in control of the country, which will bring another five years of reform under a second term from the NLD and Suu Kyi.

Why is Myanmar protesting?

The previous decade of reforms, which brought about political and economic liberalization and a transition to a hybrid democracy, would be undone, and millions of people of all ages and social backgrounds took to the streets daily across the country.
Protesters are demanding that the military return power to civilian control and are being held fully accountable, calling for the release of Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders. Myanmar’s many ethnic minority groups, who have long fought for greater autonomy for their countries, also demand that the military-written constitution of 2008 be abolished and that a federal democracy be established.
Streets of blood in the city of Myanmar as UN fears 'crimes against humanity'

The demonstrations are especially dominated by young people who grew up with a level of democracy and political and economic freedoms that their parents or grandparents did not have, and who are not willing to give up. .

Meanwhile, a civil disobedience movement has seen thousands of white and blue-collar workers, from medics, bankers and lawyers to teachers, engineers and factory workers, leave their jobs as a form of resistance to state capture.

The strikes disrupted health care, banking, rail and administration services, among others. Local media Frontier Myanmar reported that striking truck drivers, customs and banking agents, and port workers had halted international trade through Yangon’s ports.

How does the army react?

Over the past week, the military has intensified its response to the protests. Footage and images on social media show how crumpled corpses lie in splashes of blood on the street and young protesters dressed in thin plastic helmets hiding to cover police bullets behind temporary shields.

Amnesty International said the military was increasingly using deadly tactics and weapons commonly seen on the battlefield against peaceful protesters and bystanders. Amnesty said hard-line troops – which have been documented to have committed human rights abuses in conflict areas – were deployed to the streets. UN special envoy for human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said the army’s “cruel response” to peaceful protests was likely to reach the legal threshold for crimes against humanity.

Under the guise of a nightly internet outage, security forces go door to door in raids and pull people out of their homes. Many of those who are randomly detained are kept out of contact with family and friends, their condition or where they do not know.

Military trucks are seen near a burning barrier, erected by protesters who were then set on fire by soldiers, during a suppression of protests against the military coup in Yangon on March 10.

At least four of the deaths in recent days are individuals arrested and detained by the junta, including two officials from the ousted NLD party. According to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, all four died in custody. According to family and activist groups, the two NLD officials were tortured.

The military also sought to suppress independent media, suspending the licenses of five stores and arresting journalists. The Associated Press has demanded the release of its journalist, Thein Zaw. He was detained and charged “for merely doing his job” while discussing violent anti-coup protests for the US news agency.

Despite the danger, thousands of young protesters continued to defy the army and take to the streets every day, and local reporters and civilian journalists continue to endanger their lives by bringing the actions to life and documenting them.

The junta said they were using self-control against “rioting protesters”. In a speech published in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing said that the police force “controls the situation through the use of minimum force and the least harmful means.”

“The MPF is doing its job in line with democracy practices and the measures it is taking are even more lenient than those in other countries,” he said.

What happened to Aung San Suu Kyi?

Suu Kyi was once celebrated as an international democracy icon. She was a former political prisoner and spent 15 years under house arrest as part of a decade-long struggle against military rule.

Her release in 2010 and the election victory five years later were praised by Western governments as an important moment in the country’s transition to democratic government after 50 years of military regimes.

Suu Kyi was hit with four charges that could lead to years in prison, and she remains under house arrest after being detained by the military in the hours before the coup. These charges, called ‘trumps’, include one under the country’s import and export law, the second in connection with a national disaster law, and a third under the penal code which prohibits from the colonial era from publishing information that ‘may cause fear or concern’, “and the fourth under a telecommunications law that stipulates equipment licenses, her lawyer said.
She was shot dead, her body was exhumed and her grave was filled with cement. But her battle is not over
The military also accuses the deposed leader of bribery and corruption. Military spokesman Brig. Genl. Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that Suu Kyi accepted illegal payments worth $ 600,000, as well as gold, while in government. Her lawyer called the allegations a “complete fabrication”.

Suu Kyi has not been seen by the public or her lawyers since she was detained. Deposed President Win Myint has also been detained since the coup and is facing similar charges.

Officials with the ruling NLD have been arrested or hidden since the coup. A group of former NLD legislators formed a kind of parallel civilian parliament – called the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) – and campaigned for international recognition as the legitimate government.

The group’s acting leader, Mahn Win Khaing Than, has vowed to pursue a ‘revolution’ to overthrow the ruling junta.

What is the UN doing?

Protesters, activists and civilians have pleaded for the international community to intervene and protect the Burmese from the attacks of the military.

Several governments around the world have condemned the coup, while the US and UK have imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders. The European Union has also said it will impose targeted sanctions that could be extended to include military enterprises.
Last week, all 15 members of the UN Security Council unanimously supported the strongest statement since the coup, saying it “strongly condemns the violence against peaceful protesters” and called on the military to exercise “extreme self-control”. to practice.
UN diplomats told CNN that China, Russia and Vietnam had objected to stricter language calling the events “a coup” and being forced in one draft to remove the language that would threaten further action, possibly sanctions.

China did not directly condemn the military takeover, but commenting on the agreement with the Security Council, UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said: “It is important that the members of the Security Council speak with one voice. be for the relief of the situation in Myanmar. ‘

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Ye Swe Oo, who was shot dead on March 13 during a security crackdown on protesters protesting against the military coup in Mandalay on March 14.

Following the burning of Chinese-owned factories in Yangon this week, China has adopted a more aggressive tone. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar said: “China urges Myanmar to take further effective measures to stop all acts of violence, punish the perpetrators according to the law and to secure the life and property of Chinese enterprises and staff in Myanmar to ensure, “according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

Many people in Myanmar become frustrated with mere words of condemnation and demand more sensible action.

Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, told CNN that the UN Security Council’s message “does not meet the expectations of the people.” And one can see how protesters hold ‘R2P’ in reference to a global political commitment of the UN called Responsibility to Protect, which wants to ensure that the international community never again faces atrocities such as genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against the humanity does not stop. .

A group of 137 non-governmental organizations from 31 countries has called on the UN Security Council to urgently impose a global arms embargo on Myanmar.

Andrews, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, called on member states to “deny recognition of the military junta as the legitimate government.” He also called for an end to the supply of weapons and ammunition to the junta, saying multilateral sanctions should be ‘imposed’ on senior leaders, military-owned and controlled enterprises and the state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.

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