10 Facts About the Situation in Myanmar Whereby the US Has Warned of a ‘Response’

By now, you’ve probably heard of the troubles brewing in Myanmar.

The leader of the country, along with several key figures in the ruling party, was detained and the military has seized power.

Don’t know what we’re talking about? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

Here are 10 facts about the Myanmar situation so you’ll sound smart when your boss wants to chit chat about current affairs.

1. Election Fraud

Here’s how the entire saga started.

In Nov 2020, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, National League of Democracy (NLD), won a landslide victory in the elections, winning a whopping 83% of the seats in parliament.

The Myanmar military alleges that there is an election fraud, saying there were duplicated names on voting lists in scores of districts.

However, it wasn’t mentioned if the irregularities were substantial to affect the results and the allegations were dismissed after the election commission determined that there were no errors big enough to affect the outcome.

Meanwhile, NLD said that the allegations were groundless and any election flaws were not big enough to affect the outcome.

2. Rumours Of A Coup

According to CNA, the Myanmar military had threatened to “take action” over the alleged election fraud last week.

When the military held a press conference on their allegations, the spokesperson, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, gave “non-committal answers” regarding the military’s intentions.

He added that the military would “use all available options”, including going to the Supreme court (i.e. Trump’s style).

When asked whether he would “rule out a coup”, he merely replied he “cannot say so”.

3. Leader & Key Figures Detained

In the early morning of 1 Feb 2021, the day where the NLD was supposed to have a parliament sitting, the Myanmar military conducted a raid.

In the raid, several key figures were detained, including Ms Aung, the leader of Myanmar, President Win Myint as well as other leaders.

Spokesperson Myo Nyunt managed to get the word out to Reuters in the morning before he subsequently went uncontactable as well.

He had added that it’s likely that the military is staging a coup in Myanmar and urged for the people of Myanmar to not “respond rashly” and behave “according to the law”.

It was added that the fates of the newly-elected MPs were unknown as well.

4. Military Seizes Power

After the raid which saw several notable figures detained, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency lasting for one year.

The power to govern was handed to military chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Soldiers were also spotted at the city hall in the capital city of Yangon.

Apparently, there is a section in the Constitution which allows the military to seize power during times of national emergency.

This will be the third time the military in Myanmar seizes power, with the first in 1962 and the second in 1988.

5. Reasons For Seizing Power

As for why the military chooses this course of action, Min Aung Hlaing said that there were two factors.

One was the failure of the government to respond to their allegations of election fraud last November, and the second, for failing to postpone the elections due to the coronavirus pandemic.

6. TV Channels Taken Off Air

According to people in Myanmar, several TV channels were taken off-air, including CNA there:

The state TV, MRTV, was also taken off.

Entertainment channels, on the other hand, are left alone.

7. Internet Outages

It wasn’t just television that was affected. Internet connectivity was also affected.

According to ST, mobile internet connectivity and some phone services were disrupted on Monday in Yangon, the stronghold of NLD.

Internet monitoring service NetBlocks says Myanmar’s national internet connectivity fell by 25% from its usual connectivity level.

In fact, Myanmar banks have all agreed to temporarily shut down services due to poor internet connectivity during the “ongoing political situation”.

In a statement, the Myanmar Bankers Association says they’re seeking permission from the Central Bank to temporarily close.

8. A Strong Military Rule

So, exactly how strong is the military in Myanmar?

According to a CNN report back in 2017, the Myanmar military is an aspect of the country that even democracy leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, cannot control.

The Constitution reserves 25% of the seats in parliament for the military, as well as control over three key ministries.

Aaron Connelly, a research fellow in the East Asia Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, said that under the Constitution, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military “is his own boss”, and doesn’t answer to Ms Aung.

Despite Ms Aung assuming the leadership position in Myanmar, the military is still firmly in control.

9. S’pore “Concerned” About Myanmar Situation

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is “deeply concerned” about the going-on in Myanmar.

MFA says that it’s been keeping a close eye on the situation after the detainment of several key figures in Myanmar’s democracy.

It was added that they hope “all parties involved will exercise restraint, maintain dialogue, and work towards a positive and peaceful outcome.”

“Myanmar is a close friend of Singapore and key member of ASEAN. We hope that the situation will return to normal as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, they are also advising Singaporeans in Myanmar to stay home as much as possible and remain vigilant.

They should also e-register with MFA and contact the Singapore embassy in Yangon should they require assistance.

Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Yangon

• 238 Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar
• Tel: +95-1-9-559-001
• Emergency Tel (after hours): 09-250-863-840

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office (24-hours)

• Tel: +65-6379 8800/8855

10. Global Response, Including The US White House’s Response

The US, under the new Joe Biden administration, urged Myanmar to release officials that were detained, including leader Aung Suu San Kyi.

In the statement, it was added that should the steps not be reversed, action will be taken against those responsible.

“The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.”

Australia has also called for the immediate release of the detained officials, urging the Myanmar military to “respect the rule of the law”.

“We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully.”

Meanwhile, both Cambodia and Thailand called the coup Myanmar’s “internal affairs”, and declined to comment on it.

Feature Image: 360b / Shutterstock.com