Course Themes:
How do social allegiances like nationalism and religion motivate political activism and change?
How has the changing nature of media as a platform for human interaction from print to radio/TV to internet/social media affected politics, economics, and social affairs?
Throughout all of its history, Myanmar has been suppressed into either colonial or military rule. Myanmar, then known as Burma, was originally colonized by the British but got its independence in 1948. Since their independence, the fight over the ideal system of government for the people has been a source of inner conflict in Myanmar. In 1962, the military staged a coup and remained in power for 26 years. In 1988, the National League of Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi began to rise to power, and hope for a democratic system was in sight. The NLD won multiple elections by a landslide. The 1990 election was not recognized by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military junta, but the 2011 election marked the start of the NLD’s leadership. In the November 2020 election, the NLD won by a substantial amount yet again, however, the Tatmadaw refused to accept a democratic Myanmar and claimed election fraud, eventually staging a coup in February 2021. Since then, the people of Myanmar have become fed up with the Military’s plans for a dictatorship and have begun to protest. The protests are aimed to hopefully create a democratic Myanmar.
The Myanmar conflict relates to two course themes, the first being: How do social allegiances like nationalism and religion motivate political activism and change? Social allegiances, such as loyalty to the NLD and democracy, reflect a person’s values and beliefs, and thus motivates political activism and change; social allegiances unite people with similar beliefs and give people the manpower to promote their cause. In Myanmar, citizens have organized and are protesting against the coup because it actively and forcefully oppresses the beliefs of the NLD. Despite the dangers, citizens are fighting for the removal of the Tatmadaw from power and the reestablishment of Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD.
The Myanmar protests also relate to our second course theme: How has the changing nature of social media for human interactions affected politics, economics, and social affairs? Social media has been utilized by both protesters and the Tatmadaw. Protesters use social media(especially Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) to spread information, raise awareness, and organize protests. Social media can quickly reach a wide audience, and for that reason, the Tatmadaw has been suppressing civilian access to social media through internet blackouts, social media bans, and by arresting online critics. The Tatmadaw also uses social media to spread information, however, was banned from posting by Facebook after the coup. Facebook states that the Tatmadaw posted content that “violat[ed their] violence and incitement and coordinating harm policies”. Additionally, according to TIME, the Tatmadaw had been spreading hate speech and misinformation about the Rohingya minority, eventually leading to the Rohingya genocide. Social media is a huge game-changer in conflicts like the Myanmar situation; information, credible or not, spreads like wildfire, and it has both assisted and harmed the protesters and the Tatmadaw.
The Myanmar situation is still unfolding, and for that reason, there are still many unknowns and speculations. For example, China has not publicly condemned the Myanmar military for the coup, leading many to believe that China is supporting the coup and helping the Myanmar military build the internet firewall and suppress protesters. Another controversy is Aung San Suu Kyi’s true stance. The Myanmar government has been condemned for the inhumane actions against the Rohingya minority by the Tatmadaw, now being accused of genocide; however, Suu Kyi never condemned the Tatmadaw for their actions, and even defended them during her time as State General. This has led many to wonder what her political stance really is (i.e. she may support democracy, but may not support freedom of religion), and has led some to believe that she is actually under the influence of the Tatmadaw.
The Myanmar conflict is still ongoing, and citizens continue to protest in an effort to restore democracy to the country.
Discussion Questions:
Imagine your government is violent and oppressive after all these years it’s time for change. How would you go about promoting/making those much-needed changes? How would you spread the word?
Given that the military has the resources to physically dominate a country, how can you prevent the military from becoming too powerful?
Establishing a careful system of checks and balances in a country's government is the first step in ensuring a part of the state, such as the military, cannot become too powerful. Limiting the size of the military and putting all of its decision-making and authoritative power in the hands of civilian-elected officials and a separate part of the government (civilian control of the military) also lessens the danger of the military seizing power and acting unjustly. Of course, these measures do not provide complete safety, especially in the case of fraudulent elections or government coups.
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