The Shwedagon Pagoda in the evening sun gives the impression that calm and peace exists in Yangon. But this appearance is deceptive.
“On 1 February 2021, Myanmar’s military took power in a coup, abruptly halting the country’s fragile transition towards democracy. In the weeks following the coup, huge numbers of people took to the streets for mass protests. The military responded with deadly violence and imposed a campaign of terror, raiding homes and arresting anyone suspected of supporting democracy.”
“More than 15,500 people have been arrested as of September 2022 – a number that continues to rise. Reports of torture in prisons are common. Almost 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict since the coup, meaning more than 1.2 million are currently displaced. The economy is in crisis, and public services have collapsed.” [theguardian:2022]
Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since the coup and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Further cases against her, which could lead to decades more prison time, are ongoing.
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