Military Coup: Everything You Need To Know About The Protests In Myanmar

OVERVIEW 

Over thousands of people participated in the largest protest in Myanmar, against the authoritarian military government, demanding the release of their elected political leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the other senior leaders of National League for Democracy Party (NLD) from their house arrest.

Suu Kyi was charged with illegally importing equipment for communication, such as unauthorised walkie talkies. On 15th of February, it was noted that guns were pointed at a group of some thousand demonstrators by security forces, and people were also attacked with slingshots and sticks.

According to local media, the police authorities fired shots of rubber bullets into the crowd of protestors, rendering a few people injured. People have joined hands in order to bring down the governance of the military, by wearing red shirts and sporting the three-finger salute, showing their defiance against the Military seized the region.

THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT- What do you understand by that? 

Military Government refers to the state of authoritarian governance by the military over the civilians, as a result of a coup, or seizure of the region.

In its history, Myanmar experienced its first military rule in the year 1958, leading the country to poverty. It was in 2011 that the military government dissolved, which paved the way to the rise of NLD, led by their leader Aung San Suu Kyi, also known as Mother Su to the general public. On February 1st of this year, the Military detained Mother Su and her fellow senior leaders under a house arrest, establishing the military rule back, while declaring the results of the November elections as fraudulent, without providing any evidence of the same.

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW? 

People are still protesting against the Military government, while marching down the streets of Myanmar. Su Kyi, or Mother Su has been detained since the beginning of the coup, and is also charged with the violation of Natural Disaster Management Law, along with the previous charges of illegally importing the unauthorised communication equipment, meaning that her detention will be extended indefinitely.

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, who is acting as the spokesperson of the military stated in a news conference that at least forty million people, out of the Myanmar population of 53 million supported the coup, and falling of Mother Su.

The Internet blackouts and social media bans have helped the military regain some control on the protest, while presenting a threat to Myanmar's democracy, a situation similar to the history of military coup in between the 1960s to 2011.

The protestors refuse to believe the military's claims that the people supported the downfall of Suu Kyi, while also standing together and refusing to live under the military governance. The coup and the claims have triggered the protestors all over the country and has attracted various emotions from the Western Governments as well.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE MILITARY COUP AND THE MILITARY'S CLAIMS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!