- Military staged the coup just before the Parliament was convened its first session
- Mass protests had been taking place across the country after few days following the military coup on 01 Feb
- Peaceful demonstrations faced a deadly crackdown and hundreds including the under-aged are killed
Yangon (Chindwin): Myanmar that could only enjoy quasi-civilian democracy for only 8 years has returned fully to the military rule following the coup de’tat in February.
Unlike in the past, the mobilization of Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), the mass demonstration and Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) have Myanmar’s peaceful demonstrators turned to arming themselves up in resisting the military rule.
A deadly crackdown on the peaceful protestors forces completely shaped the dynamics of revolution – all walks of lives have joined ethnic armed organisation to have military training – a choice people appear to view that arms to arms is the only path to force the military to return the people’s power.
How did the coup happen?
Parliament was scheduled to convene its first session on 05 Feb for which the Parliament was said to elect speakers and deputy of speakers for both Houses of the Parliament, as well as to approve the 2020 election results and the vote.
The military regime led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing staged the coup d’état on 01 Feb – four days before the Parliament was convened by detaining President U Win Myint, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Gyi, Vice President 2 Henry Van Thio and his family under house arrest along with elected members of Parliament, cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, senior NLD leaders, opposition politicians, political activist.
As of now, more than 6,000 have been arrested and currently in detention.
The military junta’s leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing accused of the election results being fraudulent and widespread corruption during the election emboldened by the military-backed political party known as USDP (Union Solidarity and Development Party). No concrete evidence, however, has ever been provided to the nation so far.
Earlier at the start, rumours suggested that the military head Senior General Min Aung Hlaing demanded he be guaranteed the Presidency by the NLD (National League for Democracy) led by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Gyi or approving the extension of another term for his current role which requires to be approved by the military-designed 2008 Constitution. Because Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has been at the pension age in June this year – already disqualifying to continue to be Commander-In-Chief of the military.
Chindwin interviewed U Bo Bo Oo who was former political prisoner and comrade in the 1988 Student’s Movement, first time elected as Phythu Hlutaw (Lower House) representative in 2015 and subsequently appointed as Secretary of International Relations Committee of Lower House as well as Secretary of Joint Committee of International Parliamentary Union of Congress, with regard to the rumour after he confirmed this news to BW online news last week. U Bo Bo Oo confirmed to Chindwin that military officials first spoke the NLD Senior members verbally and this make NLD started feeling that something would happen. At last, three days prior to the coup, a team of delegates from Commander-In-Chief approached the NLD Executive Team and delivered the demand of their Commander-In-Chief.
U Bo Bo were not the team members to whom the military delegates came and deliver their special demand. Asked how State Counsellor Daw Aung Sang Suu Gyi responded to the demand, the NLD Executive team decided to reply to the office of Commander-In-Office the next day with a clear message that that is not possible.
“We were aware of the fact that something might come big since our message was quite clear to them refusing to comply with their demand”, acknowledged U Bo Bo.
Now, U Bo Bo currently serves as an elected member of Committee Representing Yangon Hluttaw (Parliament) and hiding in somewhere safe location for his safety.
So, where is the country heading?
The country is once again facing another dark under the military rule.
