Aung San Suu Kyi’s reputation is tarnished, but she is not Myanmar | Vasuki Shastry

To protect the country's democratic values, the international community will have to work with her elected party

Myanmar's democratic transition in the years following 2009 was a near-miracle. To see it so callously rolled back is a tragedy, a sign that the army is nervous about giving up its power and privileges to rowdy civilian rule, as in neighbouring Thailand. With a state of emergency declared for a year and important civilian leaders detained, notably the state counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's army will be tempted to turn the clock back and permanently hold on to power.

That would be a strategic blunder because Myanmar in 2021 is not Myanmar circa 1962, when General Ne Win seized power, or even 1988, when generals Saw Maung and Than Shwe staged a putsch in the face of civilian protests and appointed themselves to run the country via the State Law and Order Restoration Council. Myanmar today is a flawed but flourishing democracy. The ruling National League of Democracy (NLD) enjoys broad popular support, evidenced by the overwhelming mandate it received in the November 2020 elections. Ordinary Burmese have enjoyed the democratic dividend and are not about to give it up.