Nearly two years after a military coup and being increasingly out of the global spotlight, Myanmar, one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries has descended into an unending civil conflict. The ruling generals are also betting that elections planned for this year could project enough legitimacy to alleviate foreign pressure.
The opposition movement has been pleading with Japan and the rest of the world to mount pressure on the junta. What lies at the core of the crisis and has the international community been responding adequately?
Myanmar's problems did not begin on Feb. 1, 2021, when Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing seized control shortly before the inauguration of a newly elected parliament. The junta contested, then invalidated, the election, which was a resounding win for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. The imprisonment of the leader meant the end of a short experiment with democracy, quickly sparking a wave of opposition and repression.
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