On February 1, 2021 Myanmar's military took over the government in a coup, causing ongoing, nationwide anti-coup protests. Putting an entire nation of 50 million people at immediate risk.

According to Human Rights Watch, the police and military have killed over 1200 protestors and bystanders, including children. They have detained over 8,700 government officials, activists, journalists, and civil servants. According to those on the ground the numbers are exponentially higher.

The security forces have engaged in widespread and systematic attacks on civilians throughout Myanmar, including killing protesters, enforced disappearance of opposition supporters, torture, sexual abuse, rape of some detainees, and mass political detentions.

Thousands of people have been displaced within the country. Authorities have been committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid, persecution, and severe deprivation of liberty against 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine State. The junta have banned media outlets, and satellite television.

The UN said in July at least 3 million people need humanitarian aid.

Democracy
Free and Fair Elections
Human rights
Civil liberties
Women’s rights
LGBTQIA rights
The ability to live safely and support their families

124 years under British Occupation (Japanese 1942-45)

After WW2, the country finally gained its independence as the “Union of Burma” (named after the largest ethnic minority group, the Bamar) The borders of this country were invented by Europeans and bound together many diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Thus, this nascent country experienced post-imperial unrest and fighting.

The military, led by General Ne Win, staged a coup, discarded the national constitution and established a military junta (military government), a one party state headed by the BSPP.

Hundreds of thousands of students began a national revolution known as the 8888 Uprising against the BSPP. Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as a leader for democracy. Her father had been a national hero and leader protesting British rule. The student protests were quickly crushed, thousands were killed, ASSK was placed under house arrest, and the military again seized power.

Aung San Suu Kyi remained under house arrest for 15 years. She pushed for democracy from her home with her party, the National League for Democracy, earning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

The Junta ended subsidies on gas and oil prices leaving an already-impoverished Burmese populace unable to access transportation and fuel, and unable to work or eat. Monks and Nuns took to the streets in protest on behalf of the people and called for democracy. The Junta responded brutally, murdering and incarcerating many. For the first time, technology enabled bystanders to record what was happening on their phones and show the world. Due to the deep red color of the monastics robes, this became known as The Saffron Revolution.

Myanmar held its first free and open election, and the National League for Democracy won in a landslide. ASSK was recognized as the National Leader, State Counselor. The military still had the majority of political power and control of the parliament through a mandatory 25% of the seats. They used this power to block reforms, and maintain power of the judiciary, immigration, and defense. For years ASSK tried to remove the military from power.

The military staged a genocide against the Rohingya population in the north. Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader who led the 2021 coup and is running the country now, is called “one of the most wanted men on the planet” for his actions in the genocide. If he loses power he would be held responsible for these actions.

The military staged a coup and took over the government once again. Nearly the entire country has risen up in protest. Security forces are opening fire on citizens, the military has cut off the internet and closed television stations, imposed martial law, thousands have been turned into refugees, monasteries have been attacked, women and the lgbtqia community are fighting to establish their rights, and the country seeks to achieve freedom.