KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
The turmoil that erupted in Myanmar with the recent military coup of Feb. 1 continues even 2 weeks after the putsch.
Senior government officials including then-President Win Myint and Foreign Minister and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi were arrested on the day of the coup.
Despite the military announcing plans to hold elections a year later, the coup has continued to take flak both domestically and from outside the country.
Protests continue to roil the country despite martial law and internet access bans, while the military refuses to back down amid US sanctions and international calls for the release of ousted government officials.
Coup and its aftermath
The military seized power on Feb. 1, ahead of parliamentary sessions that would have held a presidential vote, after the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the Nov. 8, 2020 elections.
In a statement by the NLD in the morning of the day of the takeover, it was reported that Suu Kyi, President Myint, and some Cabinet members were detained.
A few hours later, the military television channel said that in response to allegations of fraud in the general election, the army took control of the country and imposed a state of emergency that would last a year, with Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing taking over the post of the head of state.
Following the coup, the NLD made a public call for demonstrations against the coup.
On Feb. 2, the military removed 24 ministers and their deputies, while appointing 11 new ministers.
As the military held its first cabinet meeting on the same day, the NLD called for the release of elected members of the government.
Civil disobedience
People in the Southeast Asian country responded to the call for protests on Feb. 3, when civil disobedience demonstrations began to erupt.
Residents of Yangon, the most populous city in the country, protested the coup with drums and car horns, while a group of university students marched against the coup in the city of Mandalay further north.
Healthcare workers across 74 hospitals also launched a civil disobedience movement via social media and stopped working.
Meanwhile, 400 people detained on the day of the coup were released, while President Myint, Suu Kyi, and other senior figures remained under arrest.
The military court charged Suu Kyi with violating the country's import and export laws and extended her detention period by two weeks.
Myint was accused of violating coronavirus measures during the election propaganda period.
Social media ban, nationwide protests
Seeking to tighten its grip on social media in the country, the military ordered telecom companies on Feb. 4 to bar access to Facebook and WhatsApp.
This was followed by another order to block Twitter and Instagram the following day.
Former minister Win Htein, one of Suu Kyi's's advisers, was also detained on the same day, as teachers and civil servants joined in the protests.
On Feb. 6, anti-coup demonstrations gained added momentum as they spread across the country.
Following the mass protests, the military responded by banning mobile internet access.
The protests continued to swell as Yangon saw its biggest demonstrations since 2007 on Feb. 7.
Protests were also held in Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia to support the anti-coup demonstrators in Myanmar.
Harsh response
On Feb. 8, footage shared by protesters on social media showed security forces using water cannons on the crowds.
Martial law was declared in Yangon and Mandalay, where the protests were concentrated, with the military imposing a night-time curfew and banning crowds of more than five people.
Despite the move, protests continued on Feb. 9, upon which police fired rubber bullets on demonstrators and detained 27 people.
On Feb. 11, Former minister Kyaw Tint Swe who served as Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor under Suu Kyi, was detained.
Gen. Hlaing, the junta's leader, made an address on the Feb. 12 Day of Unity, when Myanmar gained independence, calling for public support for the army.
Internet shut down, protests continue
The military government suspended a law on Feb. 14 that required security forces to seek court approval before detaining suspects, while people were ordered to report home visits to the police.
On Feb. 15, the internet was cut off to prevent protests from organizing as the military deployed armored vehicles in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, and Mandalay.
This coincided with a warning by the military that protesters could face up to 20 years in prison if they obstructed the armed forces.
Meanwhile, a military court announced that the detention of deposed leader Suu Kyi had been extended until Feb. 17. Suu Kyi was also charged with violating the country's Disaster Management Law on the grounds that she did not comply with measures against the novel coronavirus.
Demonstrators continue to oppose the coup despite the military's restrictions and harsh response by security forces.
International reactions, sanctions
Demanding the release of elected government officials, numerous countries have condemned the coup, namely Turkey, the US, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, the UK, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, and France.
The US also decided to sanction senior military officers who played a role in the coup in Myanmar.
Denmark halted its economic support to Myanmar, while New Zealand suspended political, military, and economic relations.
The EU and UN also denounced the putsch and urged the release of the ousted officials, especially Suu Kyi.
The UN also criticized the harsh measures taken by Myanmar security forces against the protests, while Facebook, restricted military accounts.
*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Ankara
