Myanmar protests (2021–present)
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution, began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw., at least 2000 protesters have been killed, 14,000 arrested and 700,000 displaced by the military junta.
Protesters mostly employed peaceful and nonviolent forms of protest, which included acts of civil disobedience, labour strikes, a military boycott campaign, a pot-banging movement, a red ribbon campaign, public protests, and formal recognition of the election results by elected representatives. The colour red, which is associated with the National League for Democracy, has been donned by many protesters. "Kamba Ma Kyay Buu", a song that was first popularised as the anthem of the 8888 Uprising, has been revitalised by the civil disobedience movement as a protest song. The three-finger salute has been widely adopted by protesters as a protest symbol.
In response to the growing protest movement, the military leaders of the coup enacted a number of countermeasures. These included internet and social media blackouts, a media blackout, pursuit of arrests and criminal sentences against protesters, the spread of disinformation, political overtures to competing political parties to participate in the self-appointed State Administration Council, deployment of pro-military protesters and instigators, and the violent use of force to suppress protests.
Armed insurgencies by the People's Defence Force of the National Unity Government have erupted throughout Myanmar in response to the military government's crackdown on anti-coup protests.
Background
The 2021 Myanmar coup d'état began on the morning of 1February 2021 when democratically elected members of Myanmar's ruling party, the National League for Democracy, were deposed by the TatmadawMyanmar's militarywhich vested power in a stratocracy, the State Administration Council. The Tatmadaw declared a year-long state of emergency and declared power had been vested in Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing. The coup d'état occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the November 2020 general election, thereby preventing this from occurring. President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained, along with ministers and their deputies and members of Parliament.When the coup took place, a key source of mobilisation were industrial workers in Myanmar, who understood the coup as an event that would pave the way for greater worker exploitation and wage depression. Workers went on to form a key base from which the Spring revolution developed. However, the ability of workers in Myanmar to mobilise and resist against the coup, while not prevented outright, was weakened by the pre-coup democratic transition era. In this period, international financial institutions, foreign consultants, US-trained Burmese advisors, and Myanmar's governments, restricted the ability of workers, peasants, and students to organise. The effect of which was the limiting of the mass base that emerged after the coup in exchange for an investment friendly environment.
The coup took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Myanmar was struggling with one of the most severe outbreaks in Southeast Asia, owing to its poor health infrastructure and ongoing internal conflict. The country had begun its COVID-19 vaccination deployment a few days before the coup. The country's economy had also been greatly affected by the pandemic, shrinking by 5% during 2020.
Recognition of election outcomes
Representatives elected in the November 2020 elections have not officially recognised the legitimacy of the coup d'état. On 4February 2021, around seventy MP-elects from the NLD took an oath of office in Naypyidaw, pledging to abide by the people's mandate, and serve as lawmakers for a five-year term. The following day, 300 elected legislators formed a committee to conduct parliamentary affairs, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. The committee held its first session on Zoom.On 6 February 2021, several political parties, including the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the Democratic Party for a New Society, the Karen National Party, and Asho Chin National Party, announced they had rejected the military's offer to participate in the State Administration Council. The Karenni National Progressive Party has publicly denounced the military coup and the coup's detrimental effect on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing peace talks, and called for the NLD and Armed Forces to compromise, in order to resolve the country's political stalemate.
On 7 February, the parliamentary committee condemned the military coup as a "criminal act" and dismissed Min Aung Hlaing's military cabinet as being illegitimate. The committee cited the military with violating Chapter6 of the Myanmar Penal Code in overthrowing the civilian government. CRPH has advised UN diplomats and the international community to contact the committee to discuss official government business.
On 14 February, the Karen National Union issued a statement announcing its public support for the ongoing protests, and characterised the military's seizure of power as a step toward military dictatorship, contrary to the vision of national reconciliation.
On 15 February, the Committee for Shan State Unity, a coalition of Shan ethnic armed groups and political parties that includes the Restoration Council of Shan State, the Shan State Progress Party, the Shan National League for Democracy, and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, and the Sin Kyawt Militia, publicly opposed the coup, announcing its support of the ongoing protests, and calling for the abolition of the 2008 constitution and restoration of civilian-led government.
Campaigns and strikes
Myanmar has a long history of contentious collective action and a varied repertoire of protest. Soon after the coup, protesters deployed a number of inherited forms of political action that arehistorically and culturally specific to Myanmar. But they also developed innovative tactics and strategies borrowed from global repertoires of contention.
Civil Disobedience Movement and labour strikes
On 2 February 2021, healthcare workers and civil servants across the country, including in the national capital, Naypyidaw, launched a national civil disobedience movement, in opposition to the coup d'état. A Facebook campaign group dubbed the "Civil Disobedience Movement" has attracted more than 230,000 followers, since its initial launch on 2February 2021. Min Ko Naing, an Uprising leader, has urged the public to adopt a "no recognition, no participation" stance to the military regime. One expert on the government's civil service system estimated that the country had about one million civil servants and that about three-quarters of them had walked off their jobs.Healthcare workers from dozens of state-run hospitals and institutions initiated a labour strike starting 3February 2021. As of 3February 2021, healthcare workers in more than 110 hospitals and healthcare agencies have participated in the movement. Six of the thirteen-member Mandalay City Development Committee, including vice-mayor Ye Mon, resigned on 3February 2021, in protest against the coup d'état. Labor strike participants have faced intimidation and threats from superiors. By 9February, COVID vaccination had been suspended, the country's testing system had collapsed and most hospitals in Myanmar had shut down.
The labour strikes have quickly spread to other sectors. Seven teacher organisations, including the 100,000-strong Myanmar Teachers' Federation, have pledged to join the labour strike. Staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formerly led by Aung San Suu Kyi, have also joined the strike. On 4February 2021, in Naypyidaw, civil servants employed at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation staged a protest. On 5February 2021, three hundred copper miners at the Kyisintaung copper mines joined the strike campaign. Miner Sithu Tun stated that the strike would continue until the "elected leaders receive their power back".
By 5 February 2021, the civil service strike included administrative, medical, and educational sector staff and students at "91 government hospitals, 18 universities and colleges and 12 government departments in 79 townships". Nan Nwe, a member of the psychology department at Yangon University stated, "As we teach students to question and understand justice, we can't accept this injustice. Our stand is not political. We only stand up for the justice."
On 8 February, news emerged that state-run newspapers Kyemon and the Global New Light of Myanmar intended to halt publications to protest the coup. On 8February, all of workers from Myanmar railways participated in the movement and so, the railway transportation is completely stopped. On 8February, Kanbawza Bank temporarily closed its branches due to staffing shortages resulting from KBZ staff participating in the civil disobedience campaign. Other banks were also impacted by staff participation in the ongoing campaign. On 9February, staff from the Central Bank of Myanmar joined the movement.
On 9 February, the impact of Civil Disobedience Movement activities led the Ministry of Health and Sports to publish a public plea in the state-run New Light of Myanmar requesting healthcare workers to return to work. On 10 February, Myanmar's largest trade union, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar, announced plans to pursue prosecution for workplace officials who retaliate against employees joining the civil disobedience movement. On 11 February, Min Aung Hlaing urged civil servants to put aside their feelings and return to work. On 16 February, a Ministry of Information spokesperson warned civil servants participating in the movement, warning that authorities would not wait long for their return to work.
A number of industry lobbying groups, including the Myanmar Mobile Industry Association and the Myanmar Cosmetics Association, have suspended cooperation with government agencies following the coup.
From 25 February, truck drivers also began a strike against the coup by refusing to transport goods from the docks at Yangon's four main ports. Joint secretary of the Myanmar Container Trucking Association said he estimates that about 90% of the 4,000 city's drivers are on strike, and have promised to deliver only essential food, medicine and fabrics for factories.