Part 1: What Led to the End of Democracy in Myanmar?

At least 521 civilians have been killed in two months of protests against the military since 1 February 2021.

At least 521 civilians have been killed in two months of protests against the junta and 141 of them took place on 27 March, which has the bloodiest day of the unrest, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

(Photo: The Big Story)

It’s been 2 months since history repeated itself in Myanmar, where on 1 February, its de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained along with other leaders following a military coup in the country,

At least 521 civilians have been killed in two months of protests against the junta and 141 of them took place on 27 March, which was the bloodiest day of the unrest according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The military seized power saying that the November 2020 elections won by Suu Kyi’s party were fraudulent, an assertion which has been dismissed by the election commission. The National League of Democracy or NLD, which Suu Kyi’s leads, won in the November elections with a tally of 396 seats out 498.

It’s important to note that Myanmar is not new to military takeovers. The country was immersed in a military dictatorship from 1962 to 2010 and the military had a tight grip over its citizens through torture and mass killings.

An entire generation of Myanmar has suffered in silence at the hands of the country’s military.

And given that an entire new generation has now tasted democracy, the world is now watching how the military is taking back control of the country and tossing aside a government that won a massive popular mandate only a few months ago.

In this two-part special episode, we are going to first hear from veteran diplomat and the former Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Vivak Katju to understand the complexities of Myanmar, its history, and what led to the coup.

In the second part, you will hear from voices in Myanmar about what the ground reality is, what measures have been taken by the military and what do the people of Myanmar want.