JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Myanmar’s military has taken a coup, arrested leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other leading politicians and took control of the country under a one-year state of emergency. Here are some possible reasons why the military has now taken over:
THE CONSTITUTION
The Myawaddy TV ad, owned by the military, cited Article 417 of the country’s constitution, which allows the military to assume power in times of emergency. The announcer said the coronavirus crisis and the government’s failure to postpone the November elections during the pandemic were the reasons for the emergency.
The military drafted the constitution in 2008 and maintain power under the charter at the expense of the democratic and civilian government. Human Rights Watch described the clause as a “coup-waiting mechanism”.
The constitution also reserves key cabinet ministries and 25% of parliamentary seats for the military, a part that limits the power of a civilian government and excludes amending the charter without military support.
Some experts expressed perplexity as to why the military disturbed its powerful status quo, but others noted the imminent retirement of General Min Aung Hlaing, who has been commander of the armed forces since 2011.
“There is an internal military policy around this, which is very opaque,” said Kim Jolliffe, a researcher on Myanmar’s civil and military relations. “This may be reflecting these dynamics and it may be a kind of internal coup and its way of maintaining power within the armed forces.”
The military has appointed Vice President Myint Swe, a former military officer best known to the international community for suppressing popular protests led by monks known abroad as the Saffron Revolution, as head of government for a year.
Immediately after being appointed president, Myint Swe handed over power to the country’s military commander, General Min Aung Hlaing.
THE ELECTIONS
In the November elections, Suu Kyi’s party won 396 of the 476 seats in the combined lower and upper chambers of Parliament. The state Union Electoral Commission confirmed the result.
But the military, right after the elections, claimed that there were millions of voter list irregularities in 314 districts that could have allowed voters to vote or commit another “electoral negligence”.
“But they didn’t really show any proof of that,” said Jolliffe.
The election commission dismissed the allegations last week, saying there was no evidence to support them.
The military coup took place on what would be the first day of the new Parliament after the elections.
Instead, Suu Kyi and other lawmakers who would have been sworn in were detained.
A later announcement on TV Myawaddy said the military would hold an election after the end of the yearlong emergency and hand over power to the winner.
WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW
Telecommunications almost stopped in the morning and early afternoon. In the capital, access to the internet and the phone seemed to be blocked. Many people in other parts of the country who could still access the Internet found that their social media accounts were temporarily suspended.
Barbed wire roadblocks were built in Yangon, the largest city, and military units began to appear outside government buildings, such as the City Hall.
Residents flocked to ATMs and food vendors, while some shops and homes removed Suu Kyi’s party symbols, the National League for Democracy, that typically adorn the city streets and walls.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Governments and international organizations have condemned the acquisition, saying it delays the limited democratic reforms Myanmar has undertaken.
“This is an extremely overwhelming blow to efforts to present Myanmar as a democracy,” said Linda Lakhdhir, legal advisor at Human Rights Watch. “His credibility on the world stage was a huge blow.”
Watchdogs fear a new crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists and other critics of the military. Even before the current military coup, journalists, freedom of expression advocates and critics of the military have often faced legal action for publicly criticizing them.
A US senator raised the possibility that the United States would again impose economic sanctions, which the US lifted when Myanmar was transitioning to civilian rule.
Myanmar’s military leaders “must immediately free Myanmar’s democratic leaders and withdraw from the government,” said Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the next chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Otherwise, the United States and other countries should impose strict economic sanctions, as well as other measures” against the military and military leaders, he said.
Former US diplomat Bill Richardson said the Biden government and other governments should act quickly to impose sanctions. He also questioned Suu Kyi’s ability to lead, given his defense of military actions against Rohingya Muslims.
“Because of Suu Kyi’s failure to promote democratic values as a de facto leader of Myanmar, she should step aside and let other Myanmar democratic leaders take the reins with international support and support,” said Richardson in a statement.