Myanmar, a southeast Asian nation of numerous monasteries and golden pagodas, home to the finest rubies in the world and picturesque landscape is now under military rule for the third time since its independence from the British empire in 1948. After the Rohingya crisis, the country is yet again in the international spotlight for the killings of more civilians including women and children. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a monitoring group, more than 3300 people have been detained since the Myanmar military seized power.
In the early hours of February 1 2021, the Tatmadaw or the armed forces of Myanmar detained its elected leaders including President Win Myint and State Counsellor (equivalent to Prime Minister) Aung San Suu Kyi. Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won the parliamentary elections in 2020 and the day before the first session of the newly elected government, the military seized power and imposed a state of emergency for one year after which there would be new elections. For now, power is entirely in the hands of the commander-in-chief of the Army, General Min Aung Hliang.
The protests over the coup have lasted for months. Thousands have taken to the streets despite restrictions by the military. The pro-democracy protesters faced live ammunition and water cannons. A resident of the town of Myingyan told Reuters news agency that people are being “killed like birds and chickens” in their homes. Even children aren’t spared. In a TV address, the coup leader defended his side by saying that the military had to seize power because of “unlawful acts” by San Suu Kyi and her party.
The violence has forced people to flee the country. An impact of which has been felt by four north-eastern states of India – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland. It’s mostly tribes living along the Mizoram-Myanmar and Manipur-Myanmar borders that are affected. A local school teacher told The Print that Mizoram is considered home for victims of the military junta’s crackdowns.
The porous border makes it easy for the Burmese to cross over. According to the Mizoram Home Department, over 1000 refugees are taking shelter in Mizoram. Keeping in mind the ethnic ties that the Mizos share with refugees, Chief Minister Zoramthanga asserted that India cannot remain indifferent to their plight and requested the Prime Minister to intervene to provide asylum to political refugees on humanitarian grounds.
Pro-democracy protesters have staged mock funeral ceremonies for the military junta leader Min Aung Hliang. With sanctions imposed by the Biden administration and the EU on military officials and Burmese companies, the focus is now on ASEAN member states to pressurize the junta leader to halt the violence and to provide space for humanitarian relief.
Despite that, it is unlikely that the military rule will change its course anytime soon. Women are being beaten and assaulted. The military continues its brutal crackdown on the protest movement.
In Moreh, a town in Manipur, the growing number of migrants is giving rise to a humanitarian crisis. They are being sheltered in people’s homes and village offices. On April 3, India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed that the government is ready to provide food supplies and set up camps but it does not want to encourage illegal infiltration.
As the world’s largest democracy, India was expected to respond to the illegitimate takeover of its neighbor’s democratic government but the havoc that the second wave of Covid-19 is weaving in New Delhi and different parts of India have put those decisions on hold.
Diplomatic pressure from the former’s side should be maximum. Myanmar’s special envoy to the UN, Dr. Sasa is worried that if there is no action from democratic nations to help restore democracy in Myanmar then his country could go through a civil war.
After almost 3 months of political turmoil, protests, and bloody crackdowns, the military is tightening its grip on Myanmar. Amidst a brewing civil war, what could possibly be the outcome of the crisis? The international community can only speak out in support of restoring democracy but the real answer lies in the will of the military junta to stop the violence and to free the detainees. But for now, the situation in the country can be described in the words of a local Burmese miner who in an interview said, “I have seen many zombie movies, but never realized that I would be living in a similar environment”.