Yet, on February 1, 2021 the Myanmar military launched an illegal coup attempt. Since then, an illegal and illegitimate military junta has seized multiple institutions of government, including domestic ministries and overseas embassies, and attempted to pose as the government of Myanmar.

At the same time, the military junta has engaged in a campaign of terror against the people of Myanmar. To date, the military has killed thousands of people and imprisoned tens of thousands more, including elected members of parliament, journalists, pro-democracy activists and others. The military has committed massacres, indiscriminate airstrikes and shelling, torture, sexual and gender-based violence and mass arson.
As a result of these crimes, 1.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the attempted coup began. Such atrocities amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and meet the definition of terrorism under Myanmar domestic law and as defined in international law.

In its attempt to gain control over the people and media outlets, the military junta uses internet shutdowns, intimidation and persecution of journalists, widespread surveillance and a pervasive system of censorship.

People in Myanmar are strongly and bravely resisting the military junta on an unprecedented scale through mass protests across the country, armed resistance, boycotts and civil disobedience. Since the military junta took control of government ministries, large numbers of civil servants from many sectors, including police and military personnel, left their jobs and are participating in the ongoing nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement.

Despite the military junta’s campaign of terror, they do not control the whole country of Myanmar, or even the majority of the territory. Ethnic revolutionary organisations, the National Unity Government and other resistance groups have effective control over the majority – 52 per cent – of Myanmar, according to recent estimates. The military junta only has stable control over 17 per cent of the country. The junta’s control over a further 23 per cent of the territory is being actively contested and the junta is currently losing ground to the resistance.

In an effort to seek legitimacy and entrench military rule, the junta has announced its plan to hold a sham ‘election’. In the meantime, the junta has sought to develop relationships with foreign governments, intergovernmental institutions and other international organisations. The junta instrumentalise their meetings with foreign leaders and their participation in international decision-making forums. They do this to seek political and economic support for their attempt to gain power, and to promote the public appearance of themselves as an internationally accepted government via their propaganda media.

Overall, the international community’s support for the people of Myanmar in the face of slaughter by the military junta has been grossly inadequate.

Under pressure from the people of Myanmar, the United Nations and ASEAN have excluded junta members from some high-level meetings. Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States have imposed some sanctions against the military junta, its members and business entities they control.

Yet, many more foreign governments, intergovernmental institutions and other international organisations continue to engage with the military junta and legitimise its members as though they are a government.

Others including Russia, China, India and Singapore are supplying weapons and related material to the junta.

The international community faces a choice: to increase support for the people of Myanmar or to abandon them amidst the military junta’s atrocities. Or even worse, to support the military junta, its international crimes and its quest to take full control over the people.

People in Myanmar are courageously resisting the military junta and it is possible for them to return the country to its democratic path. But they need solidarity from foreign governments, intergovernmental institutions and other international organisations. The very least of which includes ending all forms of support for – and engagement with – the military junta, and instead recognising and engaging with Myanmar’s legitimate elected representatives.