Coup d'etat in Myanmar - Dan week 18

 On the morning of February 1st, 2021, the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) performed a coup d’etat on the Myanmar government and its democratically elected officials. Myanmar has a population of around 54 million, and it is in southeast Asia, bordering China, Laos, Bangladesh, India, and Thailand. A coup d’etat (or just “coup” for short) is when a government is forcefully removed and its powers are taken away, most often by the nation’s military. It is both unconstitutional and illegal, and almost always carries a negative connotation.

Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander in Chief of the Tatmadaw, assumed power on February 1st after the detainments of President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, the Democracy’s Central Executive Committee official spokesman Han Tha Myint, and countless other elected officials. The military began taking and arresting officials at around 3 AM, and soon took over the country’s largest broadcast channel cutting off the internet for several hours.

Min Aung Hlaing and the military allege that the democratic elections held on November 20, 2020, were rigged and fraudulent.  Win Myint and the National League for Democracy (NLD; Myint’s party) won the election by obtaining 396 out of 476 seats in parliament. Min Aung Hlaing's claims that the election was fraudulent are completely baseless, as no proof or evidence has been revealed. Furthermore, the NLD  has been in power since 2015.

In total, 133 government officials were arrested by the Myanmar military. Since the coup, multiple nations have expressed outrage over the actions of Min Aung Hlain and the Tatmadaw.  Many believe that their actions were baseless and unconstitutional, and the UK, France, America, and Australia have already imposed sanctions on Min Aung Hlain.