I am ethnically Asian and have previously lived in Southeast Asia for some time. I will just point out that the real story in Myanmar is far more complex than what is portrayed in Western media. It’s definitely more nuanced than “military bad, democratically elected government good”. For example, the military junta first came to power in 1962 because the elected government at the time was perceived to be weak and ineffective. Burmese citizens supported that coup because they believed that their country, which had just gained independence not too long ago, would benefit from strong leadership and a new national identity. Even as recently as 2014, a poll of Burmese citizens shows that 84% of them hold “very favorable” or “favorable” opinions of the military, ranking it ahead of other institutions like the government and media.

Also, I don’t know all too much about Aung San Suu Kyi specifically, but her father was a member of the Burmese Communist and Socialist parties. So there’s that.

I am ethnically Asian and have previously lived in Southeast Asia for some time. I will just point out that the real story in Myanmar is far more complex than what is portrayed in Western media. It’s definitely more nuanced than “military bad, democratically elected government good”. For example, the military junta first came to power in 1962 because the elected government at the time was perceived to be weak and ineffective. Burmese citizens supported that coup because they believed that their country, which had just gained independence not too long ago, would benefit from strong leadership and a new national identity. Even as recently as 2014, polls of Burmese citizens show that 84% of them hold “very favorable” or “favorable” opinions of the military, ranking it ahead of other institutions like the government and media.

Also, I don’t know all too much about Aung San Suu Kyi specifically, but her father was a member of the Burmese Communist and Socialist parties. So there’s that.