Coping with the Coup while Poking Some Fun

2015

The article examines some aspects of the changes taking place in Myanmar in connection with the elections held on November 7, 2010 and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the worldwide recognised opposition leader one week later. After providing an overview of the country‟s post-war elections the political strategies of Suu Kyi and the military are outlined, contrasting the symbolic politics of Suu Kyi and the military with its roadmap towards a “disciplined democracy”. Next, the impact of “third forces”, both in the Burmese heartland and on the country‟s fringes which are inhabited by a variety of ethnic groups, is considered. The final section makes a cautious estimate of the prospects for the transition process which may well depend on the international response to the activities of Myanmar‟s various political actors.

Asia Maior, 2021

The year 2020 in Myanmar was not substantively different from that of so many other countries. The year was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, its socio-economic impact and the government’s attempt to cushion its effect and fight against it. The authorities sought to seal off the country from the spread of the Coronavirus from March onwards and managed to contain the first wave quite successfully. After the summer, though, the country experienced a surge in cases and deaths, also among migrant workers abroad. In their efforts to provide relief and support to households and businesses, the authorities were assisted by donors, international financial institutions and key allies such as China. Yet, the impact was severe. Two other issues were also of great significance. Parliamentary elections were held on 8 November. The National League for Democracy (NLD) secured another landslide victory again, just like in 2015. Aung San Suu Kyi’s star status domestically remains unchanged and was boosted by her appearance at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings in 2019 and during the pandemic. At the same time, more than a vote for the NLD per se, the vote appeared to be the reflection of what the party stood against: the military. The Tatmadaw’s protests during the campaign and after the elections lay the ground for an escalation of the tensions between the two. The clashes in Rakhine state between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar army intensified up to the point that the parliamentary and local elections had to be cancelled in some townships. A Japan-brokered ceasefire later in the year opened the way for negotiations and gives some cause for optimism for reducing hostilities and violence.

Eurasia Review, 2021

On February 1, the Myanmar military seized power from a democratically elected civilian government in what has been confirmed as a coup. It detained the de facto country leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the ruling National League of Democracy party (NLD) and announced a one-year state of emergency. This move has turned Myanmar once again into a military junta regime after nine years of democratic transition, putting the future of the country in uncertainty.

Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 2019

For the most time since independence in 1948, Myanmar had been ruled by a ruthless military junta which also controlled large swathes of the economy. In 2008, the military promulgated, as part of its so-called "roadmap to democracy" process, a new constitution which foresaw the holding of free and fair elections for the country's new bicameral parliament. Notably, the military retained a de facto veto over future constitutional changes by reserving a quarter of the seats in both houses of parliament for military appointees. The new constitution also stipulated that the ministries for defence, home, and border affairs needed to be headed by military appointees, thus enshrining prerogatives for the military and paving the way for a system of hybrid governance. 2011 marked the beginning of a process of political transformation, with Senior General Than Shwe stepping down as head of the armed forces and as head of state. His hand-picked successor in the latter office, Thein Sein, became the first democratically elected president of Myanmar. Thein Sein proved willing to work with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the oppositional National League for Democracy (NLD) which successfully registered for national elections later in the year. In the parliamentary byelections of 2012, the NLD won forty-three of the available forty-five seats, with

Myanmar concluded historic elections in November 2015. These saw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) trounce the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). The country's controversial 2008 constitution, however, reserves considerable power for the military, including guaranteeing the military control of three key ministries and creating a de facto power sharing dynamic between the victorious NLD and the military. We argue that this power sharing dynamic, as well as the precarious position of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, will lead to significant political and governance challenges.

International Reports 6/2012, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 2012

in 2008, the previous military government held a referendum as part of a "roadmap to discipline-flourishing democracy", which is generally considered a farce. one of the things expected from thein Sein's government is that it will put an end to the links between top military commanders and local militias involved in drug trafficking.

Brookings, 2021

Journal of International Studies, 2020

Myanmar (or formerly Burma) has been ruled by the military (tatmadaw) since 1962 and although multiparty elections were held in 1990, the Myanmar military junta simply refused to accept the results and transfer power to the National League Democracy (NLD) that won with a landslide victory. Instead, the Myanmar military junta announced its own version of political reform through the introduction of a “disciplined democracy” and as such convened a National Convention for the purpose of drafting a new constitution for the country. The constitution was finally approved in 2008 through a referendum that was highly rigged. Based on provisions of the 2008 Constitution, the military junta held another round of multiparty elections on 7 November 2010. Taking stock of events since 1988 and in the light of recent developments, this paper therefore attempts to gauge the future direction of the country’s political landscape by interpreting and analyzing recent events. More importantly, it would ...