Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing, Why Has the State Administration Council Failed to Gain Control of Myanmar?

In August 1988, university students in Myanmar organized a nationwide pro-democracy movement that brought down the government of the military-dominated Burma Socialist Program Party. However, the military cracked down on the protests and, within three weeks, had succeeded in reasserting control, although an underground resistance movement continued. This history shaped expectations for the aftermath of the military’s decision to topple a popularly elected government on February 1, 2021. Public reaction surprised both international and domestic observers. Youth-led protests sprang up and spread to almost all major cities and towns, drawing support from people in all walks of life. More than two years on, opponents of the State Administration Council (SAC), the military’s governing body, continue to contest its control. Why has the powerful and well-armed Myanmar military failed in 2021 where its predecessor succeeded in 1988, in the face of equally powerful protests? The answer, as this talk will explain, lies in complex changes within both the military and society over the last decade.