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| Myanmar's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to a further five years in jail after the latest verdict in a series of secret trials. {Credit: REUTERS/BBC} |
Myanmar's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to a further five years in prison in a series of secret trials following the latest verdict. She was arrested after the country's military seized power in February 2021, an event that sparked large-scale protests and armed resistance. and mass murder.
Where is Myanmar?
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is located in Southeast Asia. It is a neighboring country of Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China and India.It has a population of around 54 million, most of whom speak Burmese, although other languages are also spoken. The largest city is Yangon (Rangoon), but the capital is Nay Pyi Taw.
The country became independent from Great Britain in 1948. It was ruled by the armed forces from 1962 to 2011, when a new government began heralding a return to civilian rule. The main religion is Buddhism. There are many ethnic groups in the country including Rohingya Muslims. Thousands of Rohingya were killed and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown in 2017.
What you need to know about the Rohingya crisis?
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| {Credit: BBC} |
When was the Coup?
The military took over on February 1, 2021 after a general election in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide victory.
The generals had backed the opposition party, which called for the vote to be repeated, citing widespread fraud.
However, the electoral commission said there was no evidence to support these claims.
Who rules the country?
Military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing is in charge. He is a very influential figure in Myanmar and has successfully held power in the Tatmadaw, the army, even as the country was moving towards democracy.
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| Min Aung Hlaing is the leader of the coup (Credit: GETTY IMAGES) |
He has been internationally condemned and sanctioned for his alleged role in military attacks on ethnic minorities.
Gen Hlaing said the military stands with the people and will form a "true and disciplined democracy". He promised a "free and just democracy".
Elections after the end of the state of emergency. The General Who Returned Myanmar to Military Rule
Who is Aung San Suu Kyi and why was she imprisoned?
Aung San Suu Kyi became world famous in the 1990's for her work to restore democracy. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 2015, he led the NLD to victory in Myanmar's first openly contested elections in 25 years.
However, its international reputation suffered greatly from Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya minority. In 2019, he appeared before the International Court of Justice and dismissed allegations that the military had committed genocide. Myanmar's icon of democracy who has fallen from grace
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| (IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS) |
Ms Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since the February 2021 coup. The 76-year-old had already been sentenced to six years in prison for violating the country's official secrecy law, possessing illegal walkie-talkies and publishing information that may "cause fear" or alarm."
She has now been sentenced to a further five years after being found guilty on corruption charges. Ms Suu Kyi faces ten other corruption charges, each carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Allegations were overcome by the military regime to ensure that Ms. Suu Kyi, who remains very popular in Myanmar, is imprisoned for life.
Democratic and civil rights groups have denounced the trials. Human Rights Watch called it a "circus of secret trials for false allegations."
What else has happened since the coup?
Opposition activists founded the Civil Disobedience Campaign (CDM) and helped organize mass strikes and protests. The military responded with live fire, water cannons and rubber bullets.
What began as civil disobedience has now essentially turned into civil war in Myanmar. Local militias calling themselves the People's Defense Forces, or PDF, have attacked military convoys and killed officials.
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| Protesters armed with rudimentary weapons take cover from the police in a demonstration in March, 2021 [Image source: STR / AFP] |
The government has carried out violent reprisals against PDFs, including the torture and killing of 40 civilians in July 2021 in the opposition stronghold of Sagaing district.
Detained by the military says 1,503 people have died since the military regime came to power. The American organization Acled, which compiles figures from news and publications by human rights organizations, speaks of up to 12,000 dead.
Has the international community reacted?
The United Nations warns that the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is worsening, with "increasing violence and a rapid rise in poverty". US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the security forces of operating a "reign of terror".
The US, Britain and the European Union have imposed sanctions on military officers. return to democratic norms.
Why is Myanmar also known as Burma?
The ruling army changed the name of Burma to Myanmar in 1989.The two words mean the same thing, but Myanmar is the more formal version. Some countries, including Britain, initially refused to use the name, denying the regime's legitimacy.
But the use of "Myanmar" is becoming more common, and in 2016 Ms Suu Kyi said it doesn't matter which name is used.