Days after the takeover, Myanmar’s military officially transferred power to a civilian-led interim government. Yet, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing maintains considerable power as the de facto president. This buildout comes on the heels of a four-year nationwide state of emergency being lifted. Martial law remains in effect for more than 60 townships in nine regions and states.
The military’s replacing of an ousted dictator with a civilian government has produced high praise and disbelief among analysts and human rights advocates. David Mathieson, an independent Myanmar-focused analyst, called the power move purely cosmetic. As he put it, “They’re simply shuffling the same pieces around and renaming the regime.”
As of late September, Min Aung Hlaing remained in charge as chief of the armed forces. This has enabled the military to maintain a tight hold over power. The interim government has announced a December and January election over fears of violence — a justification for the staggered elections that it had cited in earlier discussions. Zaw Min Tun, the interim president and commander in chief, emphasized that the next six months will be dedicated to preparing for these elections.
Since the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government in 2021, Myanmar has experienced widespread turmoil. Each media account has described the military’s proven responsibility for more than 6,000 deaths. Further, over 20,000 have been arbitrarily detained. A new Amnesty International report brings even scarier news. More than 3.5 million people are in internal exile as they flee from continued violence and instability.
Human rights organizations have long condemned the military’s use of these heavy-handed tactics. They have been one of the chief accusers of military’s gross human rights violations. Myanmar’s military has called these allegations Western disinformation, making for inconsistent internal policies and international diplomacy, leading to an inability to act on the crisis.
