EFSAS Interview: Dr. Walton speaking on the situation in Myanmar
June 27, 2022
Turning towards the 2021 coup, Dr. Walton recounted how the constitution introduced in 2008 changed the role of the military in domestic affairs but maintained the military’s political influence, including through a military-allied party, the USDP (Union Solidarity and Development Party). The 2015 victory of Suu Kyi’s NLD (National League for Democracy) and the NLD’s renewed victory in 2020 had destabilizing political effects as the electoral victories questioned the role of the military and the USDP. Alleging that the NLD victory had been marred by electoral irregularities, the military then staged the coup that disposed the NLD and put Suu Kyi under house arrest.
