The U.S. condemned the Myanmar (Burmese) military’s detention of that country’s democratically elected leaders and takeover of its government, media outlets reported on Monday, February 1, 2021, the day after the coup.
The Biden administration threatened sanctions and said, ““The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately,” The Hill reported (here).
Myanmar’s military claims the elections held on November 8, 2020, were “fraudulent” (sound familiar?). The military has been at the forefront of an ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, and nation’s Muslim minority. The majority of Burmese are Buddhists. But the ousted civilian leader, Nobel Peace Prize-winning Aung San Suu Kyi, has also drawn criticism for either supporting or tolerating the persecution of Rohingyas, many of whom have fled to neighboring Bangladesh.
A journalist tweeted from inside the country that internet and other communications were disrupted and said “people are scared” but “things are still pretty quiet for now,” the BBC reported (here).
“The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday … amid calls for a strong response,” but “Myanmar’s close ties with council member China” complicates the prospects for a U.N. response, Reuters reported (here). If China supports the coup, that also could undercut the impact of Western economic sanctions. Burma has a border with China.
The military ruled Myanmar until 2011, when the country transitioned to democracy, which has just proved to be exceedingly fragile.