Myanmar has a history of coups—but the one that took place on Monday is like no other. It is a coup by the military against its own constitution, its own reputation, and its own authority, as well as against the people of Myanmar and the fragile democratic process that had been underway over the past decade. The military may have shot itself in the foot, but it has shot democracy in the head.
The clash between the goals of the commander in chief of Myanmar’s armed forces, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, and Myanmar’s de facto political head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi, is a clash of values, certainly, but also a clash of egos, a battle between two ambitious people who both want to be head of state. Yet at a much deeper level, this is not about personalities but principles, institutions, and structures. It is about democracy.
