Calls for Suu Kyi release after Myanmar army coup, Aung San Suu Kyi: Democracy icon who fell from grace, How a peace icon ended up at a genocide trial, What you need to know about the Rohingya crisis, US plane scatters engine debris over Denver homes. Following allegations of election fraud, Myanmar's Tatmadaw military took control of the government in a coup d'état on Feb. 1. The country gained independence from Britain in 1948. The election commission said there was no evidence to support these claims. In retribution, Myanmar’s military vowed to root out militant groups, and they’ve responded on a massive scale that has left many innocent civilians dead, injured, or homeless. Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel and Moe Thuzar, fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Regional Socio-Cultural Studies Programme, discuss the implications of the February 1 coup for Myanmar's political, diplomatic, and economic future. It has a population of about 54 million, most of whom are Burmese speakers, although other languages are also spoken. Many countries, including India, Japan and Australia have called for the return of democracy in the country. Why did this happen? 'Humans just want to see humans doing funny things' Video, 'Humans just want to see humans doing funny things', How bushfires almost wiped out a 'cryptic' species. Read about our approach to external linking. Police have fired rubber bullets at protesters in Myanmar's capital, Nay Pyi Taw, during demonstrations against the coup by the armed forces. Aung San Suu Kyi became world-famous in the 1990s for campaigning to restore democracy. The UN has adopted a resolution against the military coup, demanding the immediate return of power to the government. What is the Myanmar government saying? On 1 February, Myanmar’s military detained the country’s president and put a former army officer serving as vice president in his stead. Many people gathered in the streets in defiance of the rules, demanding restoration of power to the elected government. VideoHow bushfires almost wiped out a 'cryptic' species. “What happened in Myanmar is essentially Myanmar’s internal affairs,” said Chen Xu, China’s ambassador. Myanmar considers them illegal immigrants and denies them citizenship. Myanmar coup: What we know so far, in 500 words A quick look at the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government. Over the … Here is what has happened in Myanmar since the military’s coup: 1. Myanmar’s military said Monday it was taking control of the country for one year after declaring a state of emergency. February 4 Myanmar and Russia show the limits of Biden’s pro-democracy agenda. The military is now back in charge and has declared a year-long state of emergency. Power has been handed over to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Military rule in the region ended after they transitioned from underdeveloped countries to civilian systems and achieved economic progress through revolution, demonstrations, or ballot boxes. You may want a definitive answer as to whether it’s really ‘Burma’ or ‘Myanmar’, but few people will give you one. Myanmar, also called Burma, country, located in the western portion of mainland Southeast Asia. Myanmar military took over the country’s reign on February 1, 2021, after detaining its democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians, citing frauds in the national elections held in November last year. Many other NLD officials have also been detained. Copyright © HT Digital Streams Ltd. All rights reserved. The Rohingya genocide is a series of ongoing persecutions by the Myanmar (formerly Burmese) government of the Muslim Rohingya people. On 2 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar, crossing the south of the country over two days, and devastating the Ayeyarwady Delta region. This move was met with large scale public resistance. Late on Tuesday, police in Myanmar raided the NLD’s headquarters in Yangon, two elected NLD lawmakers said. The country's current … The Coup in Myanmar: What Happened and What’s Next February 5, 2021 — Former U.S. The country had a relatively peaceful couple of decades until 1962. For decades, the military’s brutal regime was known for arresting those who spoke against the military, murdering protesters , and taking part in institutionalized oppression and genocide against ethnic minorities in Myanmar. The military says it will hold a "free and fair" election once the state of emergency is over. The information was shared by Jaishankar through his Twitter post, "Made in India vaccines now arrive in Serbia. On February 1, 2021, the military took control of governance for a period of one year. The main religion is Buddhism. "We want to set out a roadmap which gives people guidance in terms of how we think we'll be able to do this. More than 17.2 million people have been given the first of two doses of vaccine since the UK inoculation campaign began on December 8. Did nuclear spy devices trigger Himalayan floods? Video, How bushfires almost wiped out a 'cryptic' species, Three killed in Louisiana gun shop shootout, Russia sees first case of H5N8 bird flu in humans, How European businesses are adapting to Brexit, Leading Greek actor held over rape accusations, Alaska woman attacked by bear while using toilet, Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing was taken to hospital last week, The general who returned Myanmar to military rule, Myanmar's democracy icon who fell from grace. They didn’t have a plan to control the internet as soon as the (coup) happened,” he said. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it was a "serious blow to democratic reforms". A statement from them said “The voter lists which were used during the multi-party general election which was held on the 8th of November were found to have huge discrepancies and the Union Election Commission failed to settle this matter,” Reuters reported. During one such protest on Saturday in the city of Mandalay, the armed forces opened fire on the public causing chaos amidst the crowd. Evidence of Neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BCE has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves. The country has seen mass demonstrations after the armed forces arrested the country's elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and members of her party. Ms Suu Kyi's international reputation has suffered greatly as a result of Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya minority. However, China blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the coup. The raid was carried out by about a … 3. On February 1, 2021, the military took control of governance for a period of one year. The genocide has consisted of two phases to date: the first was a military crackdown that occurred from October 2016 to January 2017, and the second has been occurring since August 2017. The government has claimed that it is targeting militants responsible for attacks on the security forces, and that the majority of those killed are terrorists. Myanmar suffered almost 50 years of oppressive military rule before it moved towards democracy in 2011, when the former regime agreed to hand power to a civilian government. Former foreign affairs minister Mohamed Bazoum, who received about 39 per cent of the vote in the first round, is running against former president Mahamane Ousmane. Here is what has happened in Myanmar since the military’s coup: 1. But what really happened in Myanmar? On 1 February, Myanmar’s military detained the country’s president and put a former army officer serving as vice president in his stead. Facebook on Sunday took down the military’s “Tatmadaw True News Information Team Page.”. The UK, EU and Australia are among those to have condemned the military takeover. In 1989, the ruling military government changed the name from Burma to Myanmar after thousands were killed in an uprising. Protestors had gathered at major cities and held demonstrations against the junta rule. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while under house arrest in 1991. Some countries, including the UK, initially refused to use the name as a way of denying the regime's legitimacy. Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in South East Asia. Internet services were cut off by the military several times to hinder the protests. The military has imposed restrictions in some areas, including curfews and limits to gatherings. They could've been. Monday’s military coup in Myanmar strikes a massive blow to the country’s already fragile and at times unstable top-down democratic transition, and creates a much more tenuous situation for the people of Myanmar — of all ethnicities and religions. Neighbours including Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines, have said it is an "internal matter". The US government too had issued sanctions against Myanmar on February 12, according to a Reuters report. Get free access to newsletters, alerts and recommendations. A 20-year-old woman shot in the head during anti-coup demonstrations in Myanmar has died of her injuries. 5. The takeover prevented a new legislature dominated by the National League for Democracy, which won an election last November, from sitting. It neighbours Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China and India. In his first public comments after the coup, Gen Hlaing sought to justify the takeover. Protesters include teachers, lawyers, students, bank officers and government workers. The Myanmar Government says that Rohingya people are not Burmese citizens – but the Rohingya have been living in Myanmar for generations. The country, which has previously opposed international intervention in Myanmar, urged all sides to "resolve differences". Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago. The ECP had said that it suspected that the results of 20 polling stations had been falsified in the by-election for the NA-75 (Daska) constituency, the Dawn reported. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. According to official figures, 84,500 people were killed and 53,800 went missing. Myanmar's newly elected parliament is scheduled to meet for the first time on Monday. The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 25,000 BP with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Myanmar's military has seized power after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders. The Honolulu-bound Boeing suffered engine failure but returned safely to Denver airport. Under a law enacted by hardline Iranian lawmakers last year, the government is obliged on Feb. 23 to limit IAEA inspections to declared nuclear sites only. But use of "Myanmar" has become increasingly common and in 2016 Ms Suu Kyi said it did not matter which name was used. The coup launched by Myanmar’s military on February 1 has important implications for the country’s democracy as well as the wider region and international community. Myanmar’s new parliament was due to convene Monday for its first session. There are many ethnic groups in the country, including Rohingya Muslims. Many international agencies and governments, including the United Nations, have condemned the use of force by the military. This episode of Worldly discusses what happened in Myanmar and what potentially lies ahead. She spent nearly 15 years in detention between 1989 and 2010, after organising rallies calling for democratic reform and free elections. Myanmar has changed markedly in the years since the military last ruled, with more social freedoms, foreign investment and a growing middle class. The protests over the coup have been the largest since the so-called Saffron Revolution in 2007, when thousands of the country's monks rose up against the military regime. Ms Suu Kyi is under house arrest and has been charged with possessing illegally imported walkie-talkies. “We have noted what has happened in Myanmar and are in the process of further understanding the situation,” Wang told a daily news briefing in Beijing. What happens to your body in extreme heat? "This is natural gas plants, largely, that weren't weatherized. The new president declared a state of emergency, handing government to the military for the next year. Nepal receives second shipment of 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from India, South African variant outbreak shrinking in Britain: UK health secretary, Severe floods kill five in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, says report, Israel's Covid-19 vaccination pass opens fast track to normal life, Israel buys Covid-19 vaccines for Syria to secure release of prisoner: Reports, Made in India Covid-19 vaccines reach Serbia, Niger voters return to polls in second round for president, Pak judge lashes out at SC order barring him from hearing cases against Imran, ECP report on bypoll results a 'charge sheet' against Imran Khan: Maryam, UK speeds up Covid-19 vaccinations; aims all adults by July 31, Decision ending snap inspections by IAEA does not breach 2015 nuclear deal: Iran, Protests on after 2 demonstrators shot dead in Myanmar: What has happened so far, Iran says ready for talks with Arab states without preconditions, Covid data will determine how quickly UK emerges from lockdown: Matt Hancock, Deaths in Texas caused by cheap power plants unable to run in cold: Bill Gates. The city of Rangoon also became Yangon. US President Joe Biden has threatened to reinstate sanctions. The … Are streaming algorithms really damaging film? Two people were killed in the firing, according to reports. Shortly after the end of Myanmar’s British colonization, the Myanmar military forcefully took control of the country and ruled dictatorially from 1962 to 2011. Thousands of Rohingya were killed and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh following an army crackdown in 2017. Rohingya people are being widely abused and exploited. In 1989 the country’s official English name, which it had held since 1885, was changed from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar; in the Burmese language the country has been known as Myanma (or, more precisely, Mranma Prañ) since the 13th century. The new president declared a state of emergency, handing government to the military for the next year. It seized control on 1 February following a general election which Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide. Read about our approach to external linking. Myanmar became independent in 1948, and the British colonialists left. 4. The city was struck by torrential rains over the weekend, which flooded dozens of major roads and forced hundreds of people to rush to emergency shelters. The two words mean the same thing but Myanmar is the more formal version. Is it working? For many in Myanmar, the coup triggered memories of the decades-long junta era which ended after political reforms led to the partial restoration of civilian rule in 2010. Today, they are a people with no home or citizenship. It costs money, and the trade off was made, and it didn't work out, and it's tragic that it has lead to people dying," Gates told CNN late on Saturday. The … The takeover prevented a new legislature dominated by the National League for Democracy, which won an election last November, from sitting. Thank you for subscribing to our daily newsletter. The first official reaction, from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, was decidedly bare-bones: “We have noted what happened in Myanmar, and … Southeast Asian countries, which have all been colonies of European countries, have often tasted military rule. It was ruled by the armed forces from 1962 until 2011, when a new government began ushering in a return to civilian rule. The coup was staged as a new session of parliament was set to open. Israel announced Friday it had reached a Russian-mediated deal to bring home a young woman who had crossed the border into neighbouring Syria earlier this month. He has received international condemnation and sanctions for his alleged role in the military's attacks on ethnic minorities. 2. After minor protests by the citizens initially, the military on February 9, 2021, issued orders prohibiting public demonstrations in some areas of Yangon and Mandalay cities and warned of action against protestors, the Associated Press reported. Also read | Myanmar protesters' resolve strengthens following death of activists. Israel eases restrictions following vaccine success, All UK adults to be offered vaccine by 31 July - PM. Find out more about what is happening with this guide. How Trump offered Kim a ride on Air Force One, The Irish woman who shot Benito Mussolini, 'Humans just want to see humans doing funny things' Video'Humans just want to see humans doing funny things', Inside Singapore's unusual vending machines, How bushfires almost wiped out a 'cryptic' species. The biggest city is Yangon (Rangoon), but the capital is Nay Pyi Taw. The ruling military changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, a year after thousands of people were killed in a crackdown on a popular uprising. US plane scatters engine debris over Denver homes1, Three killed in Louisiana gun shop shootout2, Israel eases restrictions following vaccine success3, The Irish woman who shot Benito Mussolini4, All UK adults to be offered vaccine by 31 July - PM5, How Trump offered Kim a ride on Air Force One6, Russia sees first case of H5N8 bird flu in humans7, How European businesses are adapting to Brexit8, Leading Greek actor held over rape accusations9, Alaska woman attacked by bear while using toilet10. Pass-holders could prove their status by presenting a vaccination certificate or downloading a Health Ministry app linked to their medical files. The armed forces had backed the opposition, who were demanding a rerun of the vote, claiming widespread fraud. Ms Suu Kyi appeared before the International Court of Justice in 2019, where she denied allegations that the military had committed genocide. The military promised to return their powers after a free and fair election. Troops are patrolling the streets … In 2015, she led the NLD to victory in Myanmar's first openly contested election in 25 years. Even their name (the very word ‘Rohingya‘) is denied them in Myanmar.