Myanmar’s military takes power in coup, detains Suu Kyi

[danieldemol]

'Myanmar’s military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi — a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.'

Read more here:
Myanmar's military takes power in coup, detains Suu Kyi

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Exciting times.

 

[Sunstone]

Lots of things have been happening in the world since the American Government started looking like it was too politically confused to do much about stopping such things. I've been wondering how long and how well Biden can pull things together at least enough to provide some credible intimidation.

I don't know, but it's possible Myanmar is evidence that has not yet happened.

 

[Stevicus]

'Myanmar’s military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi — a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.'

Read more here:
Myanmar's military takes power in coup, detains Suu Kyi

There was another article linked which explained the background behind the coup and possible motive.

EXPLAINER: Why did the military stage a coup in Myanmar? (apnews.com)

WHY NOW?

Monday was supposed to be the first day of a new session of Parliament following November elections that Suu Kyi’s party won in a landslide — and that the military-backed party did poorly in. The military has claimed widespread irregularities on voter lists could have led to fraud in that vote, though the election commission said there was no evidence to support those claims.

But the announcement on military-owned Myawaddy TV of the takeover cited the government’s failure to act on the allegations as part of the reason for the move. It also said the government’s failure to postpone the elections despite the coronavirus pandemic was behind it.

The military maintains its actions are legally justified, and the announcement cited an article in the constitution that allows the military to take over in times of emergency, though Suu Kyi’s party’s spokesman and many outsiders have said it’s effectively a coup.

Apparently, there was an election in November and allegations of fraud. That sounds familiar.

However it was also noted that it could have been internal military politics.

Some experts expressed puzzlement that the military would move to upset the status quo — in which the generals continue to hold tremendous power despite progress toward democracy in recent years.

But some noted the looming retirement of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has been commander of the armed forces since 2011 and who was put in charge on Monday.

“There’s internal military politics around that, which is very opaque,” said Kim Jolliffe, a researcher on Myanmar civilian and military relations. “This might be reflecting those dynamics and might be somewhat of a coup internally and his way of maintaining power within the military.”

 

[Martin]

Apparently, there was an election in November and allegations of fraud. That sounds familiar.

Yes, I was struck by the familiarity too. It seems like the US has lost the moral high-ground in this situation.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

and how exactly does something like that happen.. is it because the military got too powerful or something

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Lots of things have been happening in the world since the American Government started looking like it was too politically confused to do much about stopping such things. I've been wondering how long and how well Biden can pull things together at least enough to provide some credible intimidation.

I don't know, but it's possible Myanmar is evidence that has not yet happened.

If the government of a country where it's happening can't do it, probably no one can ?

 

[Stevicus]

I thought this article was interesting, concerning the name of Burma/Myanmar.

EXPLAINER: Myanmar, Burma and why the different names matter (apnews.com)

WHY ARE THERE TWO NAMES FOR ONE COUNTRY?

For generations, the country was called Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group. But in 1989, one year after the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, military leaders suddenly changed its name to Myanmar.

By then, Burma was an international pariah, desperate for any way to improve its image. Hoping for a sliver of international legitimacy, it said it was discarding a name handed down from its colonial past and to foster ethnic unity. The old name, officials said, excluded the country’s many ethnic minorities.

At home, though, it changed nothing. In the Burmese language, “Myanmar” is simply the more formal version of “Burma.” The country’s name was changed only in English.

It was linguistic sleight-of-hand. But few people were fooled. Much of the world showed defiance of the junta by refusing to use the new name.

A little over a decade ago, the country began a stumbling semi-democratic transition. The military retained extensive political power, but opposition leaders were freed from prison and house arrest, and elections were allowed. Longtime pro-democracy activist Suu Kyi became the country’s civilian leader.

Over the years, many countries and news outlets, including The Associated Press, had begun using the country’s official name. As repression eased and international opposition to the military became less vocal, “Myanmar” became increasingly common. Inside the country, opposition leaders made clear it didn’t matter much anymore.

Unlike most of the world, the U.S. government still officially uses “Burma.” But even Washington has mellowed its stance.

In 2012, during a visit to the country, then-President Barack Obama used both “Burma” and “Myanmar.” An adviser to Myanmar’s president called that “very positive” and said it was an “acknowledgement of Myanmar’s government.”

In a recent statement, Biden referred to the country as "Burma," not "Myanmar."

Washington’s response to the coup seemed designed to highlight old criticisms, with both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden pointedly avoiding the country’s legal name.

“The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy,” Biden said in a statement. “The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws.”

Most other countries, though, continued to call it Myanmar.

 

[Stevicus]

and how exactly does something like that happen.. is it because the military got too powerful or something

It seems there had been military rule in that country for generations, but in the past 10 years, they were implementing more democratic reforms. However, it appears that they've gone back to military rule. The article suggested that it could have been due to an internal power struggle within the military itself.

 

[Stevicus]

Just noticed this story related to the Myanmar coup. Apparently, the US blocked their attempt to withdraw $1 billion. Exclusive: U.S. blocked Myanmar junta attempt to empty $1 billion New York Fed account - sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Myanmar’s military rulers attempted to move about $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York days after seizing power on Feb. 1, prompting U.S. officials to put a freeze on the funds, according to three people familiar with the matter, including one U.S. government official.

The transaction on Feb. 4 in the name of the Central Bank of Myanmar was first blocked by Fed safeguards. U.S. government officials then stalled on approving the transfer until an executive order issued by President Joe Biden gave them legal authority to block it indefinitely, the sources said.

A spokesman for the New York Fed declined to comment on specific account holders. The U.S. Treasury Department also declined to comment.

The attempt, which has not been previously reported, came after Myanmar’s military installed a new central bank governor and detained reformist officials during the coup.

It marked an apparent effort by Myanmar’s generals to limit exposure to international sanctions after they arrested elected officials, including de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had won a national election in November. The army seized power alleging fraud, claims that the electoral commission has dismissed.

A spokesman for Myanmar’s military government did not answer repeated calls seeking comment. Reuters was unable to reach officials at the central bank.

The United States, Canada, the European Union and Britain have all issued fresh sanctions following the coup and the army’s subsequent deadly crackdown on demonstrators. The United Nations said on Thursday that at least 54 people have been killed since the coup. More than 1,700 people had been arrested, including 29 journalists.