Myanmar Coup: The Day After
Nepali Journalist Dipak Bhattarai who is currently in Myanmar shares the current situation in the country, a day after the military overtook power from the civil government.
Here is what Bhattarai had to say about how people are reacting to the coup. Excerpts.
"Some doubt still lingers in the air a day after the military coup in Myanmar. However, people are relatively relaxed today and the movement on roads are thicker.
Fear about when the phone lines and the internet will be cut off, however, remains.
Many people here revere Aung San Suu Kyi. There have been widespread concerns regarding her whereabouts and how she is doing at the moment.
Phone and internet services that were cut off on Wednesday resumed today. A curfew order has been issued the military administration that will last from 8:00pm on Tuesday till 5:00am on Wednesday.
A panic-buying situation could be noticed on Monday but the people are much pacified today.
Banks and ATM services which were halted resumed as usual today.
People are still reluctant to comment on the current political situation. Meanwhile, a few rallies supporting the military takeover could be observed here and there in the capital.
Despite insignificant reach and influence in the political sphere and next to non-existent political engagements, many Nepali speaking Burmese people have condemned the coup on their social media in form of poems and other symbolic protests. There are around 115,000 Nepali speaking Burmese in the country.
All other media except for the Military owned TV station have been shut down."
A new government with new ministers was formed after the coup on Monday and a the formation of an Election Commission is underway. The military government, which had overthrown the elected civil government claiming election fraud, has said it will conduct a fresh election in a year and hand over the administration to an elected government.
