What’s Going On in Myanmar? Contextualizing Myanmar’s Military Coup and the Political Implications in Southeast Asia

A conversation with Lilianne Fan

 On February 1st 2021, the Myanmar military launched a coup, further threatening Myanmar’s fragile democracy. The coup comes after Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide in the November 2020 elections. Despite Aung San Suu Kyi’s loss of international credibility (especially due to her handling of the Rohingya issue), the return of the junta has created significant fear and unrest, as seen in recent protests on streets by civilians. Media coverage has emphasized civil unrest in central cities, but how do we contextualize these current events within the broader history of democracy and representation across the Nation. How do we understand this event alongside the increased state violence against ethnic minorities even before the coup and the ongoing displacement of Rohingya, Karen, and other ethnic minority groups living at geographic margins. What are some of the political implications of the coup on the broader region?