Dozens Killed as Myanmar Protests Grow
By John Fitzgibbons ‘24
On March 3, security forces in Myanmar killed at least 33 protestors across the country in the deadliest single day since the installation of a coup on February 1.
Over a month has passed since the Tatmadaw, the country’s military, overthrew the majority National League for Democracy party (NLD). Several key figures, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained in the process. Ms. Suu Kyi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her work to restore democracy in the state, is facing several charges, including violating COVID-19 restrictions during Myanmar’s 2020 national election and disseminating information with the potential to generate fear.
The 2020 election served as the impetus for last month’s coup. Tatmadaw leadership backed the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which ran in opposition to the NLD. The NLD won 83 percent of available seats in Myanmar’s Parliament, retaining majority control of the government. Their win was recognized by leaders from several countries, including India, Japan, China, Singapore, and Thailand, but USDP leadership claimed the presence of widespread election fraud. They, in conjunction with the Tatmadaw, demanded a recount. These requests were fruitless, however, and the new Parliament was set to convene on February 1, when the coup was put into effect. A year-long state of emergency has been instituted as well, threatening a return to the style of military rule that Ms. Suu Kyi campaigned against for decades.
In the early stages of the coup, NLD leadership published a letter written by Ms. Suu Kyi prior to her arrest, in which she urged the public to protest against the coup in support of the democratic government. The junta tried to prevent such actions by cutting internet access entirely at one point and placing bans on social media platforms to discourage activists from communicating. Despite this, protests have persisted. Donning face masks and colorful signage, people have gathered to protest peacefully in cities across the country, from the capital of Naypyitaw to the southern city of Yangon. Many of those at the forefront of these marches have been women, leading the effort to restore a woman leader ousted by a traditionally patriarchal system.
Tragically, many of the protestors killed by security forces are women as well. On March 3, 18-year-old Ma Kyal Sin was shot in the head by security forces while protesting in the central city of Mandalay. Ms. Kyal Sin, who took on the English name of Angel, wore a shirt to the protest bearing the message: “Everything will be OK.” At least three young women were killed on March 3, a day marred by similar murders in cities across the country. It appears, after over a month of constant protests, that the junta has grown less tolerant of this persistent civilian response. Tatmadaw leadership may have expected a smoother return to power, but it seems that the people of Myanmar, six years into a new era of democratic governance, are not ready to return to the previous state of affairs.
Prior to the 2015 election of the democratically-led, NLD-majority government, Myanmar had been ruled by the Tatmadaw since 1962. Political parties were banned, and the military-led government held control over industry and the economy. Ms. Suu Kyi founded the NLD in 1988 in response to these oppressive policies. The country’s relationship with democratic rule has rockily developed since then, with Ms. Suu Kyi being detained several times until her ascension to the position of State Counsellor.
As State Counsellor, Ms. Suu Kyi faced criticism for her failure to stop the genocide of the Rohingya people. In August 2017, the Tatmadaw began instituting a crackdown on the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Over 700,000 Rohingya fled violence carried out by the Tatmadaw to neighboring Bangladesh, placing pressure on resources and creating a refugee crisis. Ms. Suu Kyi has been criticized for her complicity in the Rohingya genocide, and in 2019 appeared before the UN International Court of Justice to defend Myanmar’s actions. Despite this, international support for Ms. Suu Kyi and the NLD has persisted during the present coup, and the support of the Burmese people has remained potent.
While the outcome of the Myanmar coup remains unclear, there appears to be no end in sight to the protests that have spread across the country since the installation of the military junta on February 1. With increased pressure from both internal and external forces, resolution could soon be viable. If not, though, there remains the present danger: that the country will return to the undemocratic regime that it worked so tirelessly to free itself from.