In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, the new military government blocked Facebook. Their actions come amid calls for civil disobedience after Myanmar’s military siezed power on Monday. The military government took control of the country and detained the country’s senior politicians, including 75 year old Aung San Suu Kyi whose National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in last November’s general election. The election made Suu Kyi “the de facto leader although the constitution barred her from being president” reported APnews.com.
Myanmar’s military takeover was in part due to the government’s failure to act on claims of voter fraud in last November’s election according to a CBS news report. The military also claimed their actions are in response to the government’s failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis. The military seized power shortly before a new session of Parliament was to convene. It declared a one-year state of emergency citing a section of the Myanmar constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergency”
The new military government said it would hold a new election at the end of the state of emergency and hand power to the winner. CBS News Asia correspondent Ramy Inocencio managed to get in touch with a friend in the country’s biggest city of Yangon on Monday. According to the friend , a presenter on Myanmar’s military-owned Myawaddy TV announced the takeover and put all state powers into the hands of the junta, including legislative functions.
The new military government halted all flights in the country and closed banks. People were panic buying food and rushing to ATMs to try to get their money out. Myanmar’s new military government blocked Facebook access as resistance to Monday’s coup mounted after the ousting of Suu Kyi, believed to be under house arrest at her residence according to APnews.com. Nearly 400 people were detained in the aftermath of the takeover.
