Greedy coup

The criminal gang running Myanmar is now cutting internet access across the country in order to maintain its illegitimate grip on power. We would expect no less from a military headed by generals that the UN Human Rights Commissioner wants to put on trial for war crimes. Some of those alleged war criminals — responsible for the butchering of the Rohingya people — are now formally running the country after acting from behind the scenes for years. The coup leaders claim they acted because there was fraud in the November general elections, where the military-backed party was thrashed. These allegations were rejected by the local election commission and international observers, and the military has provided no evidence to back up its claim.

A more likely reason comes from the observations of pro-democracy activists. Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, now effectively the dictator, was due to retire later this year. "He has also used his position to ensure his family have lucrative business interests, which he won't be in a position to protect after retirement," according to Burma Campaign UK director Mark Farmaner told Time Magazine. Min Aung Hlaing, army chief since 2011, is already under US sanctions and a travel ban due to his role in the Rohingya genocide, which he has previously referred to as a "final solution" — literally the same term the Nazis used for the Holocaust.

Perhaps that is why even the military's excuses for arresting Aung Sang Suu Kyi and President Win Myint fall flat. Suu Kyi was arrested because her security detail had "unregistered" walkie talkies, and Win Myint is locked up violating Covid-19 restrictions by waving at political activists. This is why the UN Secretary-General made one of his most aggressive speeches to date, saying the UN "will do everything... to make sure that this coup fails”. And yes, we know Suu Kyi is no friend of the Rohingya, but she represented a transition towards a system where bad leaders can be replaced before they run their country into the ground, as the generals were doing before her.