The military coup in Myanmar started on February 1, 2021, as a result of people’s discontent with the ruling party’s election. The military junta’s actions were successful, and the democratically chosen politicians were displaced. The goal of the military coup was to change the political order in Myanmar, which resulted in the change of all governing organizations. As a result of this event, military rule was imposed on the country’s citizens, which meant the end of civilian laws. The results of the previous democratic elections have become invalid, leading to the deputies’ resignation and political persecution. It is possible to state that the recent military coup in Myanmar triggered social and political unrest in the state, leading to increased instability.
Discussion
In the results of the elections, the government was led by a democratic candidate, and the majority of citizens supported her position. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, has a long history of persecution from the side of the authoritarian government in Myanmar (Paddock, 2022). She was under home arrest for 15 years until recent times due to the accusations that she could potentially influence the political order in the country (Paddock, 2022). This example and the overall attitude to Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi show the remarkably low level of acceptance and tolerance in the Myanmar government that seized power due to the military coup.
The consequences of the discussed event are harmful because the military overthrow of the elected government is the synonym for the end of civil rule in the state. As was already mentioned, the cases of political persecution increased significantly after the change of government (Paddock, 2022). In addition, the number of people killed intentionally or unintentionally after the military coup is significant. According to the statistics provided by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the international organization that promotes human rights, minimum of 2,500 people were assassinated by the military junta, while almost 16,500 were imprisoned (Paddock, 2022). The investigation of this organization shows that approximately 13,000 individuals are still in detention (Paddock, 2022).
The destabilization of Myanmar’s political and social life influences ordinary civilians’ lives. The crime rate increased significantly after the military coup, regardless of the restrictions of the laws. Numerous armed groups appeared, leading to violence against people, human and drug trafficking, and rapes (Paddock, 2022). No need to say that the hardship of the civilians aggravated in these circumstances, and the previous laws that used to protect their rights, do not work in the new reality.
Conclusion
The recent military coup in Myanmar led to the destabilization of the political situation in the country. People in Myanmar experience difficulties due to the domination of the military junta and the pressure on democratic rights. According to the evaluations of the Western press and agencies, the military coup that annihilated the results of the democratic elections is a vivid example of establishing a totalitarian regime. As mentioned in the paper, people in Myanmar are restricted from expressing their opinions. In addition, the number of political persecutions after the revolt increased dramatically, which was against democratic norms. Ordinary people living in Myanmar suffered significantly from the revolt because soldiers disregarded their civil rights and laws that regulated their actions. Moreover, the country’s violence level increased dramatically after the military coup in 2021.
References
Paddock, R. C. (2022). Myanmar’s coup and its aftermath, explained. The New York Times. Web.