Myanmar 2/1 Coup Protests

Camera Operator - Video | 2021

On February 1st 2021, Myanmar’s democratically-elected government was ousted in a military coup.

Power was seized by the Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw, and civilian leaders were arrested. 

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were jailed on trumped up charges.

The coup leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, claims the 2020 election was fraudulent. The claim of widespread voter fraud has been disputed by all election observer groups.

Min Aung Hlaing’s move to seize power from the National League for Democracy government and call for a new election has been met with nationwide protests.

Myanmar’s transition from military to civilian rule began 13 years ago with the drafting of a new constitution.

The military junta that controlled the country since 1988 was dissolved, but three key ministries: defence, home affairs and border affairs, would remain under military control.

25 percent of all seats in parliament go to them. But this was still not enough for the Tatmadaw. 
However, this coup was different from the one in 1988.

Myanmar had five years under an NLD government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

This allowed people to enjoy human rights like freedom of speech and to protest peacefully. It also gave them unfettered access to the internet.

But after the military staged its coup, it shut down the internet.

General Min Aung Hlaing has implemented a digital dictatorship blocking access to Facebook.

In Myanmar, nearly half the population of 54 million use Facebook for news and information.

Undeterred, digitally-savvy youth - called Gen Z - have turned to Virtual Private Networks to get around the restrictions and to organize protests against the coup. 

It began with the nightly banging of pots and pans meant to repel evil spirits in Burmese culture. It led to peaceful street protests that resembled a festival atmosphere.

The three-fingered salute from The Hunger Games films was adopted by all Myanmar anti-coup protesters.

This footage was shot for Arte.tv just a few days before the army decide to shoot at protesters with live-ammo.