Military coup in Myanmar

Myanmar’s military has seized power in a bloodless coup against the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, alleging fraud in elections her party won by a landslide in November


AUNG SAN SUU KYI, 75

Nobel Peace Prize winner came to power in 2015 election. Victory followed decades of house arrest in struggle for democracy with Myanmar’s junta that turned her into an international icon

International standing badly damaged after hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims fled army crackdown in Rakhine state in 2017, but she remains hugely popular at home


COUNTDOWN TO COUP

Nov 3, 2020: Army chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing accuses Suu Kyi’s government of “widespread violations” of pre-voting procedures in run-up to election

Nov 9: Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party claims resounding victory in second democratic election since end of military rule in 2011

Nov 11: Main opposition – military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) refuses to recognise results

Jan 26, 2021: Army threatens to “take action” over alleged fraud

Jan 28: Election commission rejects allegations of vote fraud

Jan 30: Military says it will protect constitution and “act according to law”

Feb 1: Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior NLD figures detained. One-year state of emergency declared


INDIA 
BANGLADESH
MYANMAR 
Nay Pyi Taw
Yangon
Rakhine state
Andaman Sea
CHINA
LAOS
THAILAND
200km 125 miles


Sources: Reuters, BBC
Picture: Getty Images 
© GRAPHIC NEWS