Myanmar Coup: Suu Kyi Is Accused Of Illegally Importing Walkie-Talkies

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Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is charged with illegally importing walkie-talkie radios, in the first formal charges against her since the military ordered her detention. Here, a military commander visits a Hindu temple in Yangon.

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Both the Nobel Peace laureate and President Win Myint were detained; they will reportedly be kept in custody until at least Feb. 15. The U.S., the U.N. and others have condemned the detentions, which have also included other politicians and activists.

As it put an abrupt end to roughly 10 years of fledgling democracy, the Tatmadaw declared a state of emergency and installed Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing in power. Min said that Myanmar’s Union Election Commission, which did not back the military’s claims of rampant voter fraud, will be «re-constituted.

«Most analysts agree there were some election irregularities, NPR’s Michael Sullivan reports, «but not enough to constitute massive fraud.

While the coup reflects ingrained tensions between Myanmar’s civilian leaders and its military, Mary Callahan, a Myanmar scholar at the University of Washington, tells NPR that it also reflects the ambitions of Min, 64, who had been facing mandatory retirement this summer.

«I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that he had political ambitions, Callahan said. «But the problem is, under the 2008 constitution, there is no place for a 65-year-old former commander-in-chief to step up to – other than the presidency.

The military plans to hold a new election one year from now, but Suu Kyi and the NLD party have called for the public to reject a return to military rule.

In Myanmar, anger over the military takeover has bubbled over into a push to boycott the military’s vast business interests. Those enterprises range from beer, coffee and tea to hospitals, banks and an Internet provider, according to the Myanmar Times.

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Suu Kyi, 75, holds the official title of state counsellor, but she has been Myanmar’s de facto leader since 2016. Despite her party’s popularity, she is barred from officially becoming president because of legal requirements set by the military.

When the Tatmadaw ceded formal control of the government, the military enshrined many of its powers in the country’s new constitution, remaining in charge of the defense and home ministries. The constitution also reserves 25% of parliamentary seats for the military, allowing it to neutralize Suu Kyi’s attempts at constitutional reforms. With Min now in power, he can solidify his position.

«The last 50 years has taught us that the Myanmar military does not split, Callahan said. «The bottom line is that the very rigid, hierarchical chain of command is very unlikely to break.