TRIBUNE HERALD
Monday, March 22, 2021Myanmar emerged from years of military rule to a form of democracy over the last decade.
While generals still held ultimate power, Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy Party led the civilian government and won November’s national election in a landslide. But before Myanmar’s Parliament met on Feb. 1, military rulers seized control in a coup, arresting Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders on flimsy charges as they plunged the country back into authoritarianism.
But apparently the military of Myanmar, also called Burma, didn’t anticipate the depth of citizen opposition. For weeks, throngs from all walks of society have braved security forces in peaceful protests demanding a return to democratic rule.
The regime responded with relative restraint at first but has reverted to brutality. A bloody crackdown has killed at least 126, including 51 shot (many in the head) just this last weekend. More than 2,000 have reportedly been arrested, with many enduring torture.