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A brief political history of Myanmar

1962

Military Dictatorship

Myanmar has been under a military dictatorship since 1962.

1988

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi became the leading figure for democracy since 1988, during the times of the 8888 uprising.

1988

8888 Uprising

The 8888 uprising was a series of student led protests, in which thousands died at the hands of the military.

1989

House Arrest

In 1989, Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for 15 years, during which she won the Nobel Peace Price.

1990

Elections

ASSK and NLD party won elections in both 1990 and 2012, but were unable to fully take over due to military restrictions.

2007

Saffron Revolution

In Summer 2007, widespread protest spread in Myanmar after a steep jump in fuel prices. In September that year troops fired bullets and used tear gas against monks and other protesters. In 45 days, over 30 people died due to violence by the Military Junta and over 3,000 people got arrested.

2015

NLD Victory

Aung San Suu Kyi won with a landslide victory in the democratic elections held in 2015.

2020

Another NLD Victory

In November 2020, Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD party had won yet again through a landslide victory despite the military attempting to manipulate votes.

2021

Military Dictatorship

From February 2021, Myanmar has reentered a dictatorship, with the military carrying out a coup d'etat under claims of the Nov 2020 elections being fraudulent, for which they have no proof.