The tremendous progress Myanmar has made to establish democracy in the past decade was wiped out on the dawn of February 1st, 2021 when the military staged a “coup”, commonly known as a “junta”. Myanmar, formally known as Burma is a country a decade out of harsh military rule. Elections, democracy, a thriving economy, Myanmar was growing, until it was hurled into an Orwellian nightmare. A “coup” refers to the illegal removal or seizure of government, by an opposing faction. Similarly, a “junta” refers to a military group exerting force and control over another country to achieve political ends. In Myanmar, the military detained members of the democratic party, as the National League for Democracy (NLD), seized control of infrastructure, blocked internet access, restricted freedom, leaving the country into the hands of the military once again. Myanmar has been politically unstable since it gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948. During the time period of 1962 to 1988, Myanmar was under the Burma Socialist Programme Party’s one system, totalitarian rule. This party was led by General Ne Win. General Ne Win was the commander of Myanmar’s armed forces - the Tatmadaw, he believed that the people did not have the strength to hold the country together and implemented a one party system. Under General Ne Win’s rule, Myanmar fell even deeper into economic recession with unsustainable government debt which was exacerbated by putting the country into economic isolation. The meager amounts of money the country had left was used to aid and expand the military, while citizens suffered in poverty. In 1988, Myanmar’s economy declined drastically. Corruption was widespread, black markets, and underground crime groups were everywhere. Dissatisfied and vexed with seeing Myanmar constantly on the brink of collapse, students across Myanmar rallied together to protest against the military rule. The series of protests in 1988 were known as “The August 1988 uprising”, dubbed the “8888 Uprising”. What started out as a small-scale protest turned into mass demonstrations that brought hundreds and thousands of monks, students, children, and teachers together, marching on the streets and demanding democratic elections. As a result of the overwhelming cries for democracy
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and for his removal, General Ne Win ultimately stepped down, promising that multi-party elections will happen. However, on September 18th, the State Order and Restoration Council orchestrated a coup, leading to a day of bloodshed. Sources report that thousands of people lost their lives due to the coup, but Myanmar puts that number at 350. General Ne Win’s promise for the nation was never truly fulfilled. Aung San Suu Kyi also became Myanmar’s national icon during this time. Not only was she Myanmar’s icon, but a worldwide figure in the struggle for democracy and Human Rights, taking home the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She is the daughter of Myanmar’s Aung San, who led Myanmar’s release from British colonial rule. What made Aung San Suu Kyi stand out was how she pushed for democracy without resorting to violence and conflict. Her background and speeches resonated with the Myanmar public. With a firm belief towards establishing a democratic nation in Myanmar, she formed the National League for Democracy. In 1990, the National League of Democracy was founded by Suu Kyi, but the junta refused to accept Aung San Suu Kyi’s party. As a result, she was put under house arrest multiple times as attempts by the government to silence her. Aung San Kyi was placed in house arrest for 15 years over a 21 year period. However, being under house arrest did not suppress her desire to see a democratic Myanmar. The military’s attempts to silence her only made the blood of Myanmar’s youth boil even more. The people were tired of being under military control again. The lack of economic growth and rising gas prices only fueled the fire. However, marred with scars from the 1988 Uprising, the Myanmar people were scared to take action. Following Aung San Suu Kyi’s idea of nonviolent resistance, youth and monks protested peacefully. However, things turned ugly once the military captured 3 peaceful monks. In retaliation, young monks captured 3 more government officials and held them hostage, demanding an apology. Crackdowns followed suit with military officials
