In Pics: Over 100 killed in Junta airstrike; here's what is happening in Myanmar post 2021 coup
Myanmar has suffered decades of repressive military rule. In 2021, Myanmar’s brief tryst with democracy ended when its military seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government, dashing hopes for democratic reforms in the country.
Myanmar military on April 11 carried out an air strike on a village, killing as many as 100 people, including many children. The military is increasingly using airstrikes to counter a widespread armed struggle against its rule, which began in February 2021 when it seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed since then by security forces. (Image: AP)
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The country has suffered decades of repressive military rule. In 2021, Myanmar’s brief tryst with democracy ended when its military seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government, dashing hopes for democratic reforms in the country. (Image: News18 creative)
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The military has held the reins of power in Myanmar for more than 60 years in one way or the other. (Image: News18 creative)
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Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been beset with political instability since it was granted independence from the United Kingdom in January 1948. The military seized power in the 1962 coup, which under the leadership of Ne Win, precipitated 26 years of military rule. In 1988, nationwide protests broke out in the country. Dubbed the 8888 Uprising, the civil unrest was sparked by economic mismanagement, leading Ne Win to step down. Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the country's modern founder Aung San, became a notable pro-democracy. (Image: News18 creative)
In 1990, free elections were allowed by the military, under the assumption that the military enjoyed popular support. Ultimately, the elections resulted in a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy. However, the military refused to cede power and placed her under house arrest. (Image: News18 creative)
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The military remained in power for another 22 years until 2011. Between 2011 and 2015, a tentative democratic transition began, and elections held in 2015 resulted in a victory for Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). However, the military retained substantial power. (Image: News18 creative)
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The 2021 coup occurred in the aftermath of the general election on 8 November 2020, in which the NLD won 396 out of 476 seats in parliament, an even larger margin of victory than in the 2015 election. The army disputed the results, claiming that the vote was fraudulent. (Image: News18 creative)
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Mass protests break out in the wake of military coup. Myanmar's military regime responded with a brutal crackdown. (Image: News18 creative)
At first, resistance consisted of mass protests and a vast civil disobedience movement leading to people refusing to return to work until the elected government returned to power. (Image: News18 creative)
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Gradually, peaceful protests gave way to armed clashes between the military and pro-democracy forces. Vowing to resist the military junta, former lawmakers and activists formed a shadow government known as the National Unity Government (NUG). (Image: News18 creative)
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The NUG declared war on the junta and formed an armed division known as the People's Defence Force (PDF) to fight the regime. They have attacked military convoys and attacked officials. (Image: News18 creative)
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Myanmar's Military Junta resorts to unrelenting brutality to deal with the resistance movement. The military has destroyed entire villages believed to support the opposition, massacring both civilians and opposition fighters. (Image: News18 creative)
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According to Thailand based non-profit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), more than 8,000 people have been arrested by the junta. (Image: News18 creative)
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After the 2021 coup, Suu Kyi was detained and held incommunicado in a house in Nay Pyi Taw. Since then she's faced more than 18 months of trials on 19 charges. (Image: News18 creative)
