Last month, Myanmar’s military took control of the country. Myanmar had only returned to semi-democracy in 2011, after a 23-year military rule. While the military has promised to hold civilian elections within one year, no one is optimistic. Interestingly, this is only the most recent event in a larger pattern around the world.
Over the last two decades, democracy has been retreating. Civilian politicians are rolling-back democracy subtly, whittling away at constitutional norms, altering their country’s legal system, weakening its institutions, and usurping authority in areas where they had none before. Military generals are also getting better at taking-over. Military meddling is replacing outright putsches. Generals are masking their takeovers as temporary necessity, pledging a swift return to civilian rule; however, when they give back power to civilians, they only give back part of it. Some regimes give the appearance of civilian control when there really is none. Regional powers, which once had the influence to stop a neighbor’s coup in progress, have been reluctant to get involved in recent years. They focus on internal problems instead.
While this two-decade long democratic retreat is disturbing, it will not last forever. There are actually fewer military dictatorships in the world today than there were during the Cold War. People inherently want a say in their own affairs and dictatorships don’t allow this. As generations pass, more societies will push for democratic freedoms—it’s a natural progression.
Myanmar’s military has young officers who rise through the ranks believing it is their right and duty to seize control of the country, for its own good, whenever a populist party gets elected. A society’s maturation comes, at least in part, by changing the climate and culture of its military and civilian governance. Because this doesn’t happen overnight, it needs to be included in any society’s long-term development program. It’s unlikely, however, that Myanmar’s military regime is going to be that progressive.
Source: Joshua Kurlantzick, “Why the tanks keep rolling,” Washington Post, 28 Feb 2021, B1, also at https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/02/25/myanmar-coup-overthrow-military-thailand/?arc404=true
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