: How Myanmar’s Fragile Push for Democracy Collapsed in a Military Coup #WorldNEWS Myanmars military assumed control of the country in a coup on Monday, ousting the democratically elected government

How Myanmar’s Fragile Push for Democracy Collapsed in a Military Coup #WorldNEWS
Myanmars military assumed control of the country in a coup on Monday, ousting the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and arresting the Nobel laureate and several leaders of her party in early-morning raids. The move came after Myanmars generals complained of fraud in the Nov. 8 election—citing evidence that is, at best, disputed.
While military leaders said they were assuming control for one year under emergency powers granted to them in the constitution, the coup seems likely to undo hard-won democratic reforms that the U. S. under the Obama Administration worked to nurture. It comes just five years after Suu Kyi won political leadership of the country in the freest elections in 25 years, after decades of military rule.

“The coup abruptly ends Myanmar’s faulty and fragile push towards democracy over the last decade,” says Lee Morgenbesser, an expert on authoritarian politics in Southeast Asia at the school of government and international relations at Australia’s Griffith University.
The coup will be an early test of President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinkens ability to tackle a foreign policy crisis, while the U. S. struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, a brutal economic downturn and an impeachment trial.
According to a statement posted on its Facebook page, Suu Kyis National League for Democracy called on people in Myanmar to resist the military coup. According to Agence-France Presse, Suu Kyi issued the statement pre-emptively before she was detained.
The message, in Burmese, called the actions of the military unjustified, and said they went against both the constitution and the will of the voters, according to the Associated Press. It warned of a return to military dictatorship.
Communications, including phones, TV broadcasts and internet in many parts of the country, including the capital, were cut or hindered, according to reports. Internet monitoring group Netblocks, said online connectivity had dipped to 50% normal levels Monday morning, before being partially restored by the afternoon.

Update: Internet service in #Myanmar has been partially restored as of midday with users learning of a new political landscape and year-long state of emergency declared by the military; network data show connectivity back up to 75% of ordinary levels t. co/Jgc20OBk27 pic. twitter. com/H3P9y577Ss
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 1, 2021

Suu Kyi won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent resistance against the military dictatorship that kept her under house arrest for 15 years. The former human rights icon was lauded by the international community and former President Barack Obama—who eased sanctions on the country and called for engagement with the country—called her a “beacon of hope” for “people reaching for justice.