Myanmar coup: On the frontlines with the protesters, doctors, and defectors – BBC Newsnight

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WARNING – this report contains some violent and distressing images. Please subscribe HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

It’s been six weeks now since Myanmar’s military seized power, in a violent coup. They imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi and other leading democratic figures.

In the past days the armed forces appear to be stepping up the use of lethal force against the nationwide protests.

The UN says that there have been over 149 deaths documented, with more than 2,000 arrests.

This week, martial law has been imposed in some areas and mobile internet data has also been cut, making communication with those on the ground, much more difficult.

Newsnight has been in contact with activists and defectors, some in hiding. 

Newsnight also asked the Foreign Ministry in Yangon and the Burmese Embassy in London for an interview or a statement on the issues raised in the report, but they declined. 

The BBC’s Emir Nader reports. This film was produced by Maria Polachowska.
 
#BBCNews #BBC #Newsnight

Newsnight is the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs TV programme – with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.

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Comments

@Didyeaye404 says:

Long live Myanmar junta

@Didyeaye404 says:

I enjoy death

@CodeLeeCarter says:

This is were the talents of the #Woke #PC #CancelCulture should be directed,…
Imagen how much REAL good they could do, Instead of #Bullying single people who can't fight back!!!

@khaingpyaehein342 says:

Right now, with FFTH wifi, I can only get access to YouTube, Google Search and some other Google Stuffs. I just don't know where to report it so, here I am.

@skywatcher651 says:

MYANMAR: THE WORLD MUST KNOW

The Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military) has ruled since the 1960s when Gen. U Ne Win took power by coup. Its junta was dissolved in 2011 but the Tatmadaw secured for themselves1/4 of the seats in parliament and by owning multibillion worth businesses, corporations and holdings for international trade. They range from cigarettes, beers, tourism, telecoms, real estate, banking. They receive at least $450M/yr from foreign oil companies operating in the country. The coup leader Min Aung Hlaing's 2 adult children own 6 companies – (1) A&M Mahar Co. Ltd (2) Sky One Construction Co. (3) The Yangon Restaurant (4) The Yangon Gallery (5) Everlift Co. Ltd and (6) 7th Sense Co. Ltd. The US sanctioned these and "froze" the Tatmadaw account of $1B (which earns $4M a year from interest) that they attempted to move days after launching the coup due to the uprising.

Hlaing was supposed to retire in 2016 but he extended his term for 5 more years. Because he knows the ruling pro-democracy party, NLD, has very strong support from the people, it is impossible for him to win the election. The NLD consistenly won by massive landslide of 82-86% .

Hlaing needed to launch a coup to stay in power. Reviving the old authoritarian system will guarantee him power for as long as he wishes. And to keep power, he is now on a full campaign to destroy the NLD to eliminate opposition by charging Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint with election fraud and other unfounded and absurd charges. He timed the coup just days before the newly elected leaders were to be sworn in. Hlaing's junta unlawfully nullified the election results and appointed Myint Swe as his puppet acting president. The trials of the said duly elected leaders are done behind closed doors, hidden and kept from the public. Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer is not allowed to see her in person.   

Myanmar only enjoyed their semi-democracy for only 10 years from 2011, a nascent one but it allowed the impoverished country to enjoy some freedom,  improvement in standard of living, and a more liberal economy, though development is yet to reach the rural parts of the country.

The Tatmadaw, who violently expelled the Rohingya also committed atrocities against the different Burmese ethnic groups for decades. Aung San Suu Kyi was placed in a very difficult situation of protecting their fragile democracy which they worked very hard to achieve at great risk since the 1980s. Because of what is going on now and why, it shows Hlaing has been on a gradual campaign to destroy the democratic government. He led the expulsion of the Rohingya, committing brutal and grave atrocities against them knowing it will be Aung San Suu Kyi who will take the fall for it and not him. Now, Hlaing and his henchmen (combined Tatmadaw and police force) are after other pro-democracy figures and supporters to eliminate resistance and any pursuit for democracy. One of Aung San Suu Kyi's advisor, Ko Ni, who was a brilliant lawyer, writer and constitution expert, was assassinated in 2017 for working on constitutional change. Last week, an NLD party official, was taken from his home in the wee hours, was beaten and laid dead at a military hospital by morning. Recently, duly elected officials and designated envoys that support the 22222 Spring Revolution of 2021 were slapped with high treason, which has a penalty of death. Other key pro-democracy and NLD figures are being targeted and hunted as well. The 2008 Constitution was formulated by the Tatmadaw.

This is not the first uprising in Myanmar against the Tatmadaw. At least 10,000 were killed in the 8888 Revolution of 1988, Saffron Revolution of 2007 led by the Buddhist monks, and the current 22222 Spring Revolution. Many of their earlier freedom fighters were killed, tortured, jailed for years as political prisoners. Hlaing has ordered his henchmen to carry out crackdowns on peaceful protests with increasing violence, including the deployment of snipers, burning, looting, violent night raids and arrests. They are now undertaking community to community operations to quash dissent. As of March 18, at least 220 have been killed and more than 2,800 arrested and detained. In February, Hlaing ordered the release of 23,000 convicts to free up spaces for detaining those who will be arrested. As Myanmar has a young population, many of the protesters who were killed were young adults and teenagers. Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint remain under house arrest. It can be remembered that she was first placed under a long house arrest from 1989 to 2010.  Aung San Suu Kyi already had a family and a life in London but returned to Burma to take care of her ailing mother. She witnessed the 8888 Revolution violence against the protesters where thousands died. Her pro-democracy activism and political life began since.

A parallel government has been set up by CRPH working together with colleagues, duly elected leaders and envoys to counter the Tatmadaw junta of Hlaing which has no legitimacy to power. The CRPH designated an Acting President to lead the country back to democracy and stability. The country saw for the first time tremendous courage,  unity and resolve of the people to restore democracy and bring down the illegitimate, repressive, authoritarian rule of Hlaing.

Freedom for Myanmar!

@obsidianstatue says:

Don't worry, peace and order will be restored.

@QuacGiaNgoVietCongHoa says:

what's the front-liner meaning? A meaning of storm troup or mujahid?

@public.public says:

We've had 40 years of continuous neoliberal governments which merely gives the illusion of democracy.
Trained to vote against the very slightest difference instead of FOR what WE want.
STOP BORROWING FROM BILLIONAIRES
TAX BILLIONAIRES.

@maseng4773 says:

R2P or UN army must intervene this crisis or at least they should support ethnic armed forces with ammunition in order to abolish the military junta.

@hollycockeram7335 says:

Why isn't the world DOING ANYTHING?

@sopek1427 says:

So who gonna take care of the wife n 2 kids

@naveedismail5774 says:

Where were these same protestors when the previous government was killing the Rohingya minority?

@cranteri says:

You all may ask, after so many deaths why don’t they give up? If they gave up, those deaths will be meaningless!

@ultra7897 says:

Please stop the dictators who are threatening the democracy people.

@daniellartey7898 says:

This is an aftermath and all the characteristics of total 'unrest' is evident and also anxiousness do make people forget 'death'.

@bazhughes5625 says:

The military did the right thing overthrowing the election fraud, which was backed by Soros' Open Societies money. His bank accounts have now been seized and warrants have gone out for his and his staffs arrest. Stop listening to this propaganda by the mainstream media and do your own research, it's not that hard to find.

@QuantumYash says:

Thanks to the BBC for this story. In the west, we aren't getting enough coverage of what's happening in Myanmar.

@universolibre6691 says:

LOS DESFASES CRONOLÓGICOS, Y CAMBIOS PLANETARIOS

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