<p><strong>Syllabus Section: International Affairs</strong></p>
<p><strong>What is the news?</strong><br />
• Myanmar’s military staged a coup detaining de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and declaring it had taken control of the country for one year under a state of emergency.<br />
• The intervention came with rising tensions between the military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, and the civilian government over allegations of fraud in November’s elections.<br />
• The military had signaled its intentions to seize power to settle its claims of irregularities in the polls, which Suu Kyi’s party won easily.</p>
<p><strong>How was the coup carried out?</strong><br />
• The military detained the leaders of the governing NLD party and Myanmar’s civilian leadership, including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, along with various ministers and even the opposition.<br />
• The military quickly seized control of the country’s infrastructure, suspending most television broadcasts and canceling all domestic and international flights, according to reports.<br />
• Telephone and internet access was suspended in major cities.<br />
• The stock market and commercial banks were closed, and long lines were seen outside ATMs in some places.<br />
• In Yangon, the country’s largest city and former capital, residents ran to markets to stock up on food and other supplies.</p>
<p><strong>Aung San Suu Kyi</strong><br />
• Suu Kyi came to power as state councilor in 2016 after the country’s first fully democratic vote in decades.<br />
• Her ascension to leadership was seen as a critical moment in the transition of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, to democracy from military dictatorship.<br />
• Suu Kyi, the daughter of the country’s independence hero General Aung San, spent more than 15 years under house arrest.<br />
• Her time in detention made her an international icon, and she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.<br />
• Since her release, her reputation has been tarnished by her cooperation with the military and her deadly campaign against the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group.</p>
<p><strong>India’s response</strong><br />
• India is “deeply concerned” with the return to military rule, which is a repeat of events thirty years ago.<br />
• It sees only the option to engage, building on its outreach in recent years via the security and defense establishment.<br />
• India seeks a more pragmatic approach, engaging the military while pushing for more freedoms and democracy in Myanmar.</p>
<p><strong>Source: The Hindu</strong><br />
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