Khing Hnin Wai got into the habit of recording videos of herself doing aerobics in the capital of Myanmar to the sound of vibrant techno music that would not sound out of place in a cheerleader competition.
In the few videos she posted on her Facebook page, she never captured anything noteworthy behind her in Naypyidaw, except the absurd void of the 20-lane Yaza Htarni road that leads to the country’s parliament building. That was, until Monday.
In a post that went viral, Khing Hnin Wai is seen diving into one of her exercise routines as a convoy of black military vehicles passes her towards the country’s seat of power, also known as Burma. The teacher does not seem to notice the commotion, and it is not clear whether the sirens heard belong to her dance music or the train.
Khing Hnin Wai appeared to be working at the very moment when the Myanmar military was taking power in a coup. The quick and bloodless takeover, ending a decade of fragile democratic reforms, was launched early in the morning and resulted in the arrest of elected civilian leaders, including the head of the National League for Democracy party, Aung San Suu Kyi.
On Facebook Tuesday, Khing Hnin Wai posted older clips of her routines in the same place, showing that it was no coincidence that she exercised there.
“It’s normal when I wake up in the morning,” she wrote.