Myanmar Coup: A sovereign nation or a pariah state?

Nestled in the center of the large Asian continent, Myanmar is a country that has been brought to the focus of the global discourse because of the coup it recently saw. Previously hailed as Burma, the country offered escapades in magnanimous and peaceful mountains. Woeful as it is, Myanmar is now the home of incessant unrest and conflicting aspirations. The national coup is a recent political unrest that the country saw as the democratically elected party, National League for Democracy(NLD), was overthrown by the military forces on the 1st of February, 2021.

The NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi had won the first democratic elections to be held in the country in the last twenty-five years. The conspirators contested that the country needed a military rule for the establishment of a ‘disciplined democracy’. Therefore, they supported the opposition to finally oust the existing party in power, and revive a ruthless military rule. The coup d’état has met with waves of resistance led by students, teachers and young politicians resulting in the death of a staggering number of people. 

The military is meeting the rage of the protesters by implementing stringent curfews and limiting people’s gatherings. Protesters are being dispersed with the frequent use of water guns and other ammunition, taking away their voices. The implementation of such rigid laws is not a step towards establishing a disciplined society, but a way to guarantee suppression of any dissent that might go against the regime in power. 

The world community has gathered together to widely criticize the happenings of the country, raising issues over the legitimacy of the actions. People belonging to the country are fighting for a system that should have been theirs to choose, not struggle for in the first place. Myanmar is increasingly becoming a pariah state with other nations turning a blind eye, showing little solidarity for their cause. Every nation is treading carefully when it comes to the Myanmar coup, unwilling to get embroiled in the situation directly. Indonesia has taken the lead to forge a path towards possible peace and initiate a future of growth.

This nation has seen a shift from a militarized authoritarian system to a quasi-democratic government, alas returning to a tyrannical, undemocratic form of rule. This is a regressive step that is likely to have a severe impact on the progress of the nation as a whole and the well-being of its citizens. The trajectory that the movement will follow is unclear at the moment but the uncertainty that looms over the people of Myanmar is disheartening to see. With strict curfews imposed, aspirations and goals are being suppressed under the banner of an organized democracy. 

The Myanmar coup is a contemporary example of how people are still struggling to have their demands met and to establish a government that is a true representation of their ambitions.  As groups gather to revolt against this coup, it foreshadows the darkness that has the country in its clutches, resulting in bodies strewn on the ground. Military or quasi-democratic, the most important factor of a nation are its citizens and therefore it should be up to them to decide who will govern them. While the world is silently observing the situation to only make interjections once in a while, the need is to understand that human lives are at stake.