Coup in Myanmar

The Myanmar military on February 1, 2021, staged a coup and declared a state of emergency in the country for one year. The state power has been handed over to Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, while the first Vice President of Myanmar Myint Swe will be serving as the acting President of the country.

This comes in the wake of rising tensions between the government and the military. According to military officials, there has been massive voting fraud in the elections which were held on November 8, 2020. They also demanded the postponement of the new parliamentary session which was due to convene on February 1. However, the Union Election Commission had dismissed the allegations.

With the military in power, the telephone and internet services in the country’s capital, Naypyidaw, have been suspended. The same situation has emerged in other major cities of Myanmar as well. Citizens can be seen lining up at ATM’s with the expectation that there can be a cash crunch in the coming days. According to the Myanmar Banks Association, the banks have also temporarily halted their financial services.