On the face of it, during a pandemic, this appears to be a sensible way to proceed. But in post-coup Myanmar, this underlines the junta’s intention to use anti-COVID measures to empower the military in preventing public gatherings and protests. The charges against Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior NLD figures are manifestations of the same cynical approach to the virus.
Using COVID-19 as a justification for the arrest of civilian leaders and to limit public demonstrations undermines trust in government measures worldwide to tackle COVID-19.
It effectively reframes these measures as potentially sinister tools to increase government control, rather than as necessary public health controls. In doing so, Myanmar’s military has not only damaged the country’s progress towards democracy but also arguably undermined global efforts to tackle the pandemic.
(This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for…