Myanmar Crisis

Examples of protest art made available by the organization Art for Freedom (Myanmar). The group operates a website and Facebook page where people can download artwork for free to use in protests against the coup. (Courtesy of Art for Freedom (Myanmar))
Life & Arts

Young, creative and angry: Myanmar's youth pushes back

Artists and writers take on military through social media, art and street protests

19 February 2021
The Feb. 1 coup, in which Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders were arrested, has created a potential minefield for businesses and investors in Myanmar.
Business Spotlight

Myanmar's coup creates a minefield for business

Fears of digital crackdown undercut hope junta will improve on Suu Kyi's policies

19 February 2021
Kirin Holdings President & CEO Yoshinori Isozaki defended the decision to invest in Myanmar, saying its military-linked partner "should have followed the rules." (Photo by Kosuke Imamura)
Interview

Japan's Kirin seeks end to Myanmar ventures 'within a year': CEO

Brewer to cut ties with military-linked partner, fearing reputational damage

18 February 2021
Protesters hold banners during a protest against coup in Yangon on Feb. 16: one voice has been largely absent.
Opinion

Myanmar's business community must speak out

Organizations need to take a strong stand against intimidation and violence

18 February 2021
Demonstrators protest the military coup in Myanmar in Yangon on Feb. 11, demanding the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar military woos ethnic minorities after coup

Junta aims to demonstrate better governance than ousted Suu Kyi

18 February 2021
Monks protest in Yangon on Feb. 16 with signs decrying the coup by Myanmar's military.
Myanmar Crisis

Monks join Myanmar rally, demanding release of Suu Kyi

Influential religious figures pose dilemma for military touting Buddhism

18 February 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Myanmar's Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw in January 2020.
Comment

Myanmar poses the question: democracy or geopolitics?

Measured approach required to avoid pushing generals toward Beijing

17 February 2021
Malaysian immigration officers usher detainees into a truck after a raid in 2018. The country's strict approach has drawn scrutiny amid Myanmar's coup. 
International relations

Malaysia sticks to deporting Myanmar detainees despite UN pressure

Kuala Lumpur insists no refugees involved as move spotlights immigration system

17 February 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Feb. 5. The American leader has promised to coordinate foreign policy with international partners. (Photo courtesy of the White House)
Myanmar Crisis

On Myanmar, Biden has multilateral ambitions but little leverage

Congress skeptical that Japan and Singapore will join sanctions

17 February 2021
Demonstrators protest against the military coup at the U.S. embassy in Yangon.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar junta charges Suu Kyi again to keep her under house arrest

Military urges media not to call its seizure of power a coup in news conference

16 February 2021
Soldiers stand outside Myanmar's central bank in Yangon on Feb. 15 during a protest against the military coup. 
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar protesters urge central bankers to boycott junta

Suu Kyi's detention extended; military tightens grip by deploying soldiers

15 February 2021
Kirin's business in Myanmar has expanded rapidly, but the coup has thrown a wrench into the Japanese brewer's plans there. (Source photos by Yuichi Nitta and Yoichi Iwata) 
Myanmar Crisis

Kirin forecasts profit growth in Myanmar despite coup

Japanese brewer seeks new joint-venture partner to replace military-linked group

15 February 2021
Anti-coup protesters confront police forces in Yangon. The future of the Myanmar economy is uncertain with the possibility of sanctions being reimposed by the U.S and Europe.
Comment

Myanmar coup highlights human rights risks in emerging Asia

Uniqlo leads ranking as companies urged to look after ESG investors

15 February 2021
Kirin intends to terminate two beer joint ventures with MEHL in Myanmar, becoming the first foreign company to cut its relationship with the company after the coup. (Photo courtesy of Kirin)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar coup tests companies on human rights action

Strong response demanded as US prepares tougher sanctions

13 February 2021
Workers in Naypyitaw prepare for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in January 2020. Myanmar's military has been wary of becoming overly dependent on China.
13 February 2021
Myanmar soldiers walk near the legislature in Naypyitaw. The military junta has replaced those in many key leadership positions, including the governor of the central bank.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar coup removes central bank chief, alarming global financiers

Bank of Japan concerned that years of cooperation risk turning backward

13 February 2021
Protestors march in Yangon on Feb. 12.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar civil servants boycott to pressure military after coup

Junta chief urges workers to keep country running as protests mount

12 February 2021
Demonstrators in Thailand have been inspired by their counterparts Myanmar to bang on kitchenware in public as a means of non-violent protest. The Thai protesters want the abolition of Article 112 of the criminal code -- the controversial law of lese-majeste. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
Turbulent Thailand

Thailand and Myanmar protesters exchange displays of dissent

Rallies yet to overcome authorities but succeed in raising public awareness

12 February 2021
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing speaks during a Feb. 3 meeting. (MRTV/Handout via REUTERS) 
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar junta targets sweeping data access with cybersecurity bill

Telecoms face content and service controls, and civil groups cite privacy threat

12 February 2021
Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, left, is among the first current and former generals sanctioned by the U.S. under a new executive order by President Joe Biden. (Photos by Reuters)
Myanmar Crisis

US sanctions on Myanmar: 5 things to know

Military-linked enterprises bear brunt, but other businesses risk public wrath

12 February 2021
Myanmar soldiers on parade: A military spokesman said little in response to the Biden administration's Feb. 10 executive order authorizing penalties on coup leaders.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar military companies become prime target for US sanctions

First round of measures to take aim at business interests of coup leaders

12 February 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the political situation in Myanmar at the White House.
Myanmar Crisis

US hits Myanmar junta with $1bn asset freeze and other sanctions

Biden administration engages with allies for global response

11 February 2021
Rohingya Muslims fear that the military, which drove them out of Rakhine State in 2017, will continue to persecute them if they return. (Source photos by Reuters)
Myanmar Crisis

Rohingya Muslims fear repatriation to Myanmar after coup

Bangladesh, keen to send refugees back, wants to continue talks with Naypyitaw

10 February 2021
Myanmar's $6 billion garment and footwear industry, already under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic, now faces more potential damage in the aftermath of the country's military coup.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar coup clouds future of country's crucial garment industry

Global brands' response holds key to industry that accounts for 30% of exports

10 February 2021
Riot police stand guard as protesters approach a barricade in Yangonon Feb. 7: the deck was stacked against Myanmar from the start.
Opinion

Myanmar coup reveals Asia's new democratic divide

US must balance democracy promotion against regional aversion to finger-wagging

10 February 2021