Update. It’s no longer a “coup attempt,” it succeeded. Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint have been removed from office and detained. The Tatmadaw, headed by Min Aung Hlaing, are now the head of Myanmar.
Update. It’s no longer a “coup attempt,” it succeeded. Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint have been removed from office and detained. The Tatmadaw, headed by Min Aung Hlaing, are now the head of Myanmar.
My old roommate is from Myanmar and we looked into doing business in the country. His family were Muslim NLD supporters (not Rohinga).
The old military junta is looking to regain control. Both the junta and NLD are corrupt, with the junta during its decades of rule running Myanmar as its personal fiefdom with a few words about socialism with no action towards building it, and the NLD bringing in WB and IMF loans.
No mistake, Myanmar needed outside funds to develop the country as they had barely started modifying their agricultural infrastructure until about 10 years ago when they opened up. Under the junta, infrastructure in Myanmar was the worst kind of anarchy, bribery was everywhere. After the NLD took power, the top leaders of the junta were technically removed from power, but they had transferred most of their assets to their cronies who remained in the government.
Ultimately, the liberal democracy of the NLD and its plan to improve productive forces in Myanmar is a net good over the junta which just ran the country into the ground for decades, whereas the NLD has hardly been in power for a decade.
I’m concerned about US intervention in Myanmar as it is incredibly wealthy in oil, gold, titanium, jade, valuable timber like teak, and there is still considerable opium cultivation in the Golden Triangle. However, given proximity to China and the business they’re doing there, I doubt US troops would be sent in without Chinese permission. China has a non-intervention policy and will continue to try and do business there regardless of who’s in charge.