Reports of a military coup in Myanmar

Tokyo

As an example of the kind of actions that are becoming more prevalent here, in Mandalay on Saturday night, security forces shot a street vender and wounded him, then threw his body on the roadblocks set up by local people and burned him alive. They've also started using grenades against civilians not far from my home.

Pretty much the last week the BBC site will have "Bloodiest Day" in a headline. Or a number that increases through the day. It's just built and built and there's a feeling of inevitability about it.

Tokyo

Deleted User wrote: »

Pretty much the last week the BBC site will have "Bloodiest Day" in a headline. Or a number that increases through the day. It's just built and built and there's a feeling of inevitability about it.

Every day becomes the new "bloodiest day" due the degree of escalation going on. The Irrawaddy is a very good local news source for day to day updates. They don't hold back on the photos though in terms of graphic content.

igCorcaigh

Tokyo wrote: »

What would you like to know. Am happy to fill in the details as far as I know them.

What motivated the army to take control now?

Do some people support the army, and if so, why?

Many thanks.

yagan

igCorcaigh wrote: »

What motivated the army to take control now?

Do some people support the army, and if so, why?

Many thanks.

The last election diluted the military control in parliament and they didn't like it, so it was easier to simply declare it a fraud.

When all you know is how to use a hammer every problem looks like a nail.

What's different this time compared to the suppression of 1988 is that the junta doesn't have total control on internal communications.

igCorcaigh

yagan wrote: »

The last election diluted the military control in parliament and they didn't like it, so it was easier to simply declare it a fraud.

When all you know is how to use a hammer every problem looks like a nail.

What's different this time compared to the suppression of 1988 is that the junta doesn't have total control on internal communications.

Is it an ideological thing? Are the junta socialist (in an Asian sense)?

Tokyo

yagan wrote: »

The last election diluted the military control in parliament and they didn't like it, so it was easier to simply declare it a fraud.

When all you know is how to use a hammer every problem looks like a nail.

What's different this time compared to the suppression of 1988 is that the junta doesn't have total control on internal communications.

None of these points are particularly true. I will try to address the points in more detail later.

joe40

Tokyo wrote: »

As an example of the kind of actions that are becoming more prevalent here, in Mandalay on Saturday night, security forces shot a street vender and wounded him, then threw his body on the roadblocks set up by local people and burned him alive. They've also started using grenades against civilians not far from my home.

I read about that incident. It is absolutely sickening, sounds totally out of control at the minute.
I can understand war and fighting but how human beings can behave like that is beyond me.

BanditLuke

And the world stands by.

igCorcaigh

Air strikes??

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1376511908161986566?s=19

Tokyo

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Air strikes??

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1376511908161986566?s=19

Yes. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) took a strategic hilltop outpost in Karen state previously held by the military. In response, the military launched airstrikes on the villages along the Salween river over the weekend, killing civilians.

Personally, I will be surprised if we don't see airstrikes in Yangon and Mandalay in the near future.

igCorcaigh

Tokyo wrote: »

Yes. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) took a strategic hilltop outpost in Karen state previously held by the military. In response, the military launched airstrikes on the villages along the Salween river over the weekend, killing civilians.

Personally, I will be surprised if we don't see airstrikes in Yangon and Mandalay in the near future.

Ah, I didn't know about the Karen people.

yagan

Tokyo wrote: »

Yes. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) took a strategic hilltop outpost in Karen state previously held by the military. In response, the military launched airstrikes on the villages along the Salween river over the weekend, killing civilians.

Personally, I will be surprised if we don't see airstrikes in Yangon and Mandalay in the near future.

My only question is why aren't you on a plane out of there?

I can understand if you've married in or are from there, but otherwise you know it's going to get pretty medieval there.

BanditLuke

BanditLuke wrote: »

And the world stands by.

The US is a bit over stretched. Problem here is the last democratic government was part of the problem. Are the protestors here pro Rohingya? I doubt it.

Hande hoche!

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Air strikes??

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1376511908161986566?s=19

Starting to seem a bit like Libya.

bodice ripper

Tokyo wrote: »

PM me with your father's details if you wish, or I can give my contact details to you via PM. I am out in the streets somewhere most days and I also have a good network of people here - if he needs anything, or if he needs food/medicine/supplies delivered to his home, he's free to contact me.

I appreciate it, but he does have friends running him supplies, so no need to go out of your way. I just wish he would come home.

igCorcaigh

Hande hoche! wrote: »

Starting to seem a bit like Libya.

Hardly.

yagan

This is going to get interesting.

The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar has for the first time spoken with members of a committee representing elected lawmakers from the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government, amid Beijing’s repeated calls for all parties in its southern neighbor to seek a political resolution to the current crisis through dialog.

With the Russians supporting the junta I can see how Myanmar could become a proxy war.

Tokyo

My sense so far is that Russia does not have huge interest in Myanmar one way or the other, so it is not affected if there is great instability or conflict in Myanmar. But it is an opportunity to sell weapons and planes, so it's wise to play nice.

I can't imagine that China is happy with the current situation either, as it would not be in China’s interest to see this level of violence and instability. However, unlike Russia, China does have a vested interest in Myanmar in that it is China's only real access to the Indian Ocean. As such, China is likely hedging its bets as to which side it's best to be on right now, as opposed to simply throwing their support behind the military.

yagan

Things seems to going backwards for the junta, rebels take important border town on the Thai border.

I won't be surprised if the junta which was heavily reliant on Russia for weapons is now feeling the effect of Russia prioritising its own war in Ukraine.

TheValeyard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993846#Comment_121993846

Kind of reminds me of the situation in Rwanda with the RPF during the genocide and civil war, siezing control of rural and border regions before moving on major urban centres.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993917#Comment_121993917

Myanmar is a union of nations, many nations in direct rebellion against the mainly Burmese led junta. No one regional army would have the numbers to oust the Burmese regime, but with China's tacit support Shan and Kachin rebels have been able force the junta forces to formally handover control in their respective homelands.

ULEZ23

Mike / @Tokyo seemed to have disappeared in the middle of this coup, hope everything is okay for them