2021 Myanmar coup d'état

2021 Myanmar coup d'état
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Conflict	2021 Myanmar coup d'état
Date	1 February 2021
Place	Naypyidaw and Yangon, Myanmar
Result	Coup successful; State Administration Council formed
Combatant1	Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces)
Combatant2	National League for Democracy, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Cabinet of Myanmar
Commander1	Min Aung Hlaing, Soe Win
Commander2	Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint, Myint Swe (acting president)

2021 Myanmar coup d'état. In the early hours of 1 February 2021, the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, seized power from the democratically elected government. The coup detained key figures including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, declaring a one-year state of emergency. This abrupt action abruptly halted a decade-long, fragile democratic transition that began after the 2011–2015 Myanmar political reforms.

Background and causes

Tensions between the civilian government and the Tatmadaw had been escalating for years, rooted in the military's enduring political influence guaranteed by the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar. The immediate catalyst was a dispute over the results of the 2020 Myanmar general election, where the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory. The military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), along with the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, made unsubstantiated allegations of widespread electoral fraud. These claims were dismissed by the Union Election Commission and international observers like the Asian Network for Free Elections. The military's move was widely interpreted as an effort to reverse its significant electoral defeat and preserve its vast economic interests and political power, encapsulated in its self-appointed role as guardian of the nation.

Events of the coup

In coordinated pre-dawn raids on 1 February, military personnel detained Aung San Suu Kyi at her residence in Naypyidaw and arrested Win Myint in Yangon. Communications were severely disrupted, with internet blackouts and the shutdown of state television stations. The military invoked Article 417 of the constitution, transferring power to Myint Swe, the First Vice President and a former Lieutenant general in the Tatmadaw, who then declared the state of emergency. Power was formally handed to Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who established the State Administration Council (SAC) as the new governing body. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Assembly of the Union) was dissolved.

Aftermath and resistance

The coup triggered immediate and widespread nationwide protests, known as the Spring Revolution, involving civil disobedience movements like the Civil Disobedience Movement. Security forces responded with escalating violence, including lethal crackdowns on protesters in cities such as Yangon, Mandalay, and Monywa. By late 2021, armed resistance coalesced with the formation of People's Defence Forces (PDFs) across the country, leading to a deepening internal conflict. In opposition, the ousted lawmakers formed the National Unity Government (NUG), which declared a People's Defensive War against the State Administration Council. The humanitarian situation deteriorated significantly, with groups like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reporting massive internal displacement.

International reactions

The international community widely condemned the coup. The United Nations Security Council issued statements of concern, though actions were stymied by opposition from China and Russia. The United States, United Kingdom, and European Union imposed targeted sanctions on military officials and conglomerates like Myanmar Economic Corporation. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) attempted mediation, culminating in the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, which the State Administration Council largely ignored. International bodies, including the International Court of Justice where Aung San Suu Kyi had previously defended Myanmar regarding the Rohingya genocide, and the International Criminal Court, opened investigations into post-coup atrocities.

Legal and political implications

The coup nullified the results of the 2020 Myanmar general election and effectively suspended the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar. The military authorities brought a series of criminal charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, including violations of the Official Secrets Act and Natural Disaster Management Law. The State Administration Council announced it would hold new elections, a promise met with extreme skepticism. Politically, the coup shattered the already strained Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), reigniting conflicts with several Ethnic armed organisations such as the Kachin Independence Army and Karen National Liberation Army. The long-term implications point to a protracted multi-front war and the complete collapse of the post-2011 reform political framework.

Category:2021 in Myanmar Category:Coups d'état in Myanmar Category:21st-century coups d'état and coup attempts