Narayanan Ganesan (Professor)
The Myanmar military or Tatmadaw staged a coup on 1 February 2021 and usurped power from the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led elected government that was headed by Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD had won an overwhelming victory in the November 2020 elections and was scheduled to return to power in January 2021 when the appointment was delayed by the military in the capital city Naypyitaw. Then after a month long delay the coup was staged by the military citing widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election. The 2008 Constitution that was crafted by General Than Shwe contains a provision that allows for the military to usurp power from an elected government it there is a perceived threat to national security. And this was the clause cited by the military that claimed the coup was legal and constitutional.
Shortly after the coup, the military cited the Constitution again to impose a 2 year long state of emergency to stabilize the domestic political situation before arranging for a new election. It then appointed a State Administration Council (SAC) that was led by the army chief General Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy. When the emergency expired in February 2023, the military extended the emergency by another 6 months citing an unusually challenging domestic political and security situation – a reference to widespread resistance to military rule.
Resistance to the coup was indeed swift and widespread. The civilian population immediately embarked on a Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) that affected many sectors of the public service. Resistance was notably strong in the education and health sectors leading to a collapse of both the sectors with the attendant disruptions. Banging of pots and the three fingers salute reminiscent of the Thai resistance to the military coup of May 2014 by General Prayuth Chan-ocha were also popular forms of resistance. Over time, and with encouragement from the elected civilian government-in-exile, the CDM morphed into armed resistance against the military called People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) in May 2021. Shortly afterwards, the SAC labelled the PDFs terrorist organizations.
The shadow government-in-exile is helmed by members of the NLD who have gone into hiding and calls itself the National Unity Government (NUG). The NUG is active in collaborating with like-minded organizations and individuals that oppose the military coup. It has won the support of a number of Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) that have fought the military for a long time. Such groups that draw on the country’s ethnic minorities include the Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed affiliates, Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and its armed affiliates, Chin National Front (CNF) and armed affiliates in particular. These ethnic armies have collaborated with the NUG and offered training and weapons to the PDFs and more recently operated alongside each other against the military. There are approximately 20 EAOs in Myanmar and the previous elected government had a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with 10 of them although the agreement was fraying since 2016.
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