Coup briefing: 1st anniversary

On 1 February 2021 the Myanmar/Burma army seized power in a coup. In the year since, Myanmar has been plunged into an appalling political, economic, humanitarian and human rights crisis.

The coup brought an end to a decade of civilian quasi-democratic rule which saw some limited positive political developments. Political power is now held by the commander-in-chief of the Burmese army, Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar’s elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the country’s elected President Win Myint remain in jail and have received the first sentences from a range of charges levied at them, with more to come. Aung San Suu Kyi was initially sentenced to four years in prison, later reduced to two, but faces at least a dozen charges in total and is likely to be held in detention indefinitely.

The coup sparked widespread national protests, marches and walk-outs, with hundreds of thousands of people demanding a return to democracy. They have been met with a heavy-handed and violent response from the army and police, involving water cannons, rubber bullets and live ammunition.

In the year since the coup, the situation of human rights has deteriorated across the country. The Myanmar army, also known as the Tatmadaw, have carried out at least 7,053 attacks on civilians, which represents an increase of 664% from 2020. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 330,600 people have been internally displaced since the coup, although this figure is likely to be a serious underestimate. In Karenni State alone, at least 156,935 people – over half the population – has been displaced.

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