Name? Min Aung Hlaing
Westphalian identity? Burmese
Age? 65
Why is he in the news? As of yesterday it has officially been one year since the military coup in Myanmar in which General Hliang’s forces took control of the government from democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi. Claiming widespread voter fraud in the 2020 elections, Hlaing has yet to provide a specific date for new elections, perhaps to ensure certain opponents are not looking (or able) to run…
Why do we care? Because in the course of a year, General Hlaing and his junta government have steered Myanmar into becoming a nation that is mired in conflict, under economic and social collapse, and detested by the majority of the international arena. Canada, the UK and the U.S. have imposed coordinated sanctions on members of Myanmar’s judiciary, likely as a reaction to the recent convictions of Suu Kyi.
Why should you care? According to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, over 1500 people have been killed and nearly 12000 arrested in this past year of General Hlaing’s takeover. Nevertheless, the Burmese people continue to strike against the Tatmadaw government as witnessed in yesterday’s six hour “silent strike.” You should care 7/10 about the unnecessary deaths and perseverance of the Burmese people.
Who else cares? Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. As we commented last year, Cambodia has taken over ASEAN chairmanship from Brunei and is already facing difficulties as they attempt to include Myanmar in more group meetings. As a result, Hun Sen has postponed the first ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting over ‘clashing appointments,’ aka deepened differences in the bloc’s approach to Myanmar. Differences were likely heightened by Hun Sen’s visit with General Hlaing last month, the first visit by any head of government.
Any further comments? To sum up, Hlaing is still in power, the Burmese people are still protesting, ASEAN nations are still divided and the West is still sanctioning … welcome to International Relations!
