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Myanmar Democracy, Economy Expected to Suffer After Military Power Grab

Zsombor Peter

   KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - A Monday morning power grab by Myanmar's
   military has set the country's nascent democratic reform drive back at
   least a decade and will likely bolster what were already growing ties
   with China and Russia, analysts say.
   The military declared a one-year state of emergency hours after
   detaining several senior members of the National League for Democracy
   party including the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The
   military claimed its complaints of mass voter fraud in last year's
   general elections had gone ignored.
   The NLD defeated the military's proxy Union Solidarity and Development
   Party on its way to winning a second straight landslide election on
   Nov. 8. While local and international poll watchers complained of
   disenfranchised electors and election commission bias, they broadly
   agreed that the official count reflected the voters' will.
   Reuters reports that soldiers have taken up positions across Naypyitaw
   and Yangon, the country's capital and commercial hub, respectively, and
   that phone and internet connectivity have dropped sharply.
   VOA could not reach sources inside Myanmar Monday morning.
   "Obviously this is a very dramatic step back for democratic reform in
   Myanmar," said Peter Mumford, Southeast Asia analyst for the Eurasia
   Group, a political risk consultancy.
   Myanmar's powerful military was already well-entrenched in the
   country's politics. After decades in total control, the generals ceded
   some power to a quasi-civilian government in 2011 but first drafted a
   constitution that guarantees them control over the military, police and
   borders and a quarter of the seats in parliament, enough to block any
   amendments that would change that.
   Military chief Min Aung Hlaing, who was due to step down this year
   after hitting the official retirement age of 65, was also widely
   reported to have his eye on the presidency. Barred by the constitution
   from holding that job herself, Aung San Suu Kyi, as state counselor,
   had appointed her own allies to the post instead.

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