On 21 February 2021, the military of Myanmar forcibly took control of the country, deposing democratically elected members of the country’s government. The military transferred power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services. This ended the short lived civilian rule of Myanmar. The Myanmar coup may not have a direct impact on us as individuals in the UK, but we can learn a lot from the people of Myanmar.
Myanmar: A Very Brief History
Myanmar, also known as Burma, was a British colony from the 19th century. In 1948 it was granter independence from Britain. A coup d’etat in 1968 led to Myanmar becoming a military dictatorship. A civilian government took power after a general election in 2010. The military still held a large amount of control, despite the government being civilian. The country has a long history of conflict and human rights problems, although some improvements in the human rights record were made under the civilian government.
Myanmar held a general election in November 2020. Aung San Suu Kyi retained the position of State Counsellor of Myanmar and her party winning by a landslide. On 21 February 2021, the Myanmar military conducted a coup d’etat. This started with an early morning raid, detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other party leaders. They also shut down communication systems including phone lines, television and internet services. The military, who had backed the opposition party, declared the results of this general election invalid. They declared there would be a year long state of emergency.
Since the coup, over 800 people have been killed. Many of the people killed are civilians, including children, killed for protesting against the military rule.
What Can Preppers Learn From The Myanmar Coup?
The Myanmar coup is a very real example of extreme scenarios that can happen in the modern world. The military rulers violently dealt with people who disagree with their rule. This is still ongoing months after the coup because civilians are unhappy with the military taking over government. Protestors are frequently being detained, often tortured and sometimes killed. Gunfire is a sound that is becoming common to residents of many cities in Myanmar. Peaceful protestors are now sometimes arming themselves with home made weapons to defend against military attacks. Many people who consider themselves to be likely targets of the military rulers have gone in to hiding.
While a military coup is unlikely in the UK, we can still learn from the Myanmar coup. Preppers often consider scenarios where there has been a collapse of government or security services. This is a real world situation where the military has taken control of the government against the will of the people. People in Myanmar are living with the constant threat of violence. They risk detention, torture or even death for protesting against the military government.
Being able to safely shelter at home as much as possible may be a way to avoid dangerous situations. As a prepper, how would you cope in a situation similar to that in Myanmar now?
Below is a Twitter feed for the hashtag #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar. This can give us a picture of the situation on the ground in Myanmar.
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