Myanmar's 2021 Military Coup
The end of the democratic transition
The February 2021 military coup ended Myanmar's democratic opening and pushed the country into violence and chaos.
The coup
On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's army overthrew the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The military justified the coup with unproven claims of election fraud in the November 2020 parliamentary vote. Senior politicians were detained and a state of emergency was declared.
Resistance and violence
The coup triggered nationwide protests. The civil disobedience movement shut down large parts of the economy, but the military responded with brutal force. Thousands were killed or detained, and many protesters eventually took up arms and joined resistance groups.
Civil war by 2025
By 2025, Myanmar was effectively in civil war. Ethnic armed groups and anti-junta resistance forces controlled large parts of the country, while the military government remained isolated and the economy kept deteriorating. China continued to play a complicated role by engaging with multiple actors at once.
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