Coup in Myanmar
Date: 02 February 2021 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
The Myanmar military grabbed power in a coup, ahead of a scheduled meeting of the country’s newly elected Parliament.
Background
Leaders of the civilian government including Aung San Suu Kyi have been put under house arrest.
Details
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The military takeover came after a week of rumours and speculation ahead of the scheduled opening of Myanmar’s newly elected lower house of Parliament.
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Amid heightened civilian military tensions, the Myanmar military has put out a statement declaring it would protect and abide by the Constitution.
Reasons for coup
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The military has alleged that the general elections held in November 2020 were full of irregularities and that therefore, the results are not valid.
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The military had demanded that the United Elections Commission (UEC) of Myanmar or the government, or outgoing parliamentarians prove at a special session before the new parliament convenes on February 1, that the elections were free and fair.
Democratic transition
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Myanmar’s democratic transition had been a work in progress. The results of the 2020 election were being seen by the NLD as a mandate for its plan of constitutional reform.
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But this was never going to be easy, given the tight constitutional restrictions for amendments.