The official newspaper of Leeds University
Military seizes power in Myanmar Coup
www.thegryphon.co.uk Twitter: @TheGryphonLeeds Instagram: @thegr yphon Issue 4 24/02/21
Carlos Martinez Rodriguez and Augusr Sesickait
Japan launches LGBT Equality Act Ahead of the 2021 Olympics, Japan introduces a long-awaited law aiming to protect and include LGBTQ+communties. Kerisa Carlin reports. (Page 6)
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Myanmar’s
military, he fought against the Japanese
After twenty years of being in and
military staged a coup d’état and deposed
On
the
1st
February,
and helped Myanmar transition into
out of house arrest, Suu Kyi ran in the
members of the National League for
2012 elections. The NLD won again as
Democracy (the ruling party), including
happening in 1947. Although Aung San
she was barred from being president
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The
was murdered by political rivals just
because of her prior marriage to her
military also declared a one-year state
before the elections, the movement he
foreign husband; she instead became
of emergency.
created had too much momentum to be
Counsellor of Myanmar. Although having
the
stopped. His party, led by his close friend
nationwide approval and being hailed by
a
U Nu, became the government, making
some as a poster-child for democracy,
Although November
the
NLD
General
had
won
Election
by
landslide, the opposition, backed by
Suu Kyi’s administration has been just
the army, claimed that the election
minister in Myanmar, staying in power
as controversial as the previous one.
was fraudulent, despite the election
until he was ousted by the military in
She has been criticised by other heads
commission
stating
there
was
The
This tactic is thought to be inspired by
continuous
abuses
of
human
and
induced
Rohingya Muslim minority, and even
political
instability
that
subsequent the
genocide
praising
1988. In response, the government created
handling of the situation. On the other
past fortnight, people have taken to the
the State Law and Order Restoration
hand, she has attempted to undermine
streets, leading to the biggest protests
Council (SLORC), which imprisoned many as
authoritarian
political rivals, renamed the country,
ways,
people with both rubber and real bullets
and called new elections. Amongst the
agenda to progressively vanish the army
and the government has imposed new
political prisoners was Aung San Suu
from parliament, which has increased
restrictions on public gatherings and
Kyi, but that did not prevent her party,
tensions between them and the NLD,
curfews in various big cities, where the
the National League for Democracy, from
protests are currently happening.
pledging
a
ten-year
winning in a landslide in 1990. SLORC
coup.
Myanmar was part of the British
denied the legitimacy of the election
Empire for the second half of the 19th
results and stayed in power, keeping Suu
of Myanmar’s democracy and will likely
century, and of the Japanese Empire
Kyi under house arrest. After eighteen
have
since 1942. The man that eventually
years of rule, SLORC (then renamed as
country’s economy. As Western countries
liberated
an
SPDC), buckled to international pressure
announce
the country’s identity
and redrafted Myanmar’s constitution to
withdraw capital, Myanmar will have to
integral part of
(Page 12)
the
culminated in deadly riots in 1987 and
such
military’s
of
in the United States. Throughout the
became
Societies and LGBT History Month Martha Sanders speaks to LUU Women’s Rugby Union and Leeds Inclusive Christians about their programming for the month.
for turning a blind eye to the persecution
rights, combined with economic anxiety,
the 2020 presidential election results
and
Molly Rampton discusses the negligence of LGBTQ+ rights in Iran and calls for our activism to be intersectional. (Page 9)
no
evidence to support these claims.
Myanmar
Human rights abuses in Iran
was General Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi’s father. With help from the British
negative
consequences
sanctions
and
on
the
investors
strengthen its already-close economic of the legislature.
ties with China even more.
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