ABOUT MYANMAR

Myanmar, also known as Burma is located in the Southeast Asia along the coastline of Bay of Bengal as it borders China, Laos, Thailand and India. The country is smaller than Texas but has a population of 55 million people. Myanmar is known for as the Golden Land as it holds thousands of temples and pagodas, and it's also known for the finest rubies, over 90% of world's rubies come from Burma. While Myanmar had its interesting political past, you will most likely know about Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the national hero Aung San and the leader of the National League for Democracy Party.

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Unrest has gripped Myanmar. Peaceful pro-democracy street demonstrations and work stoppages have given way to paramilitary operations in opposition to the country’s ruthless military, which seized power in a coup d’état on Feb. 1.

Military leaders’ initially restrained response to the first waves of protests, civil disobedience and general strikes has grown more forceful over time, escalating into a brutal effort to put down the movement that has so far left thousands injured and more than 600 dead. Many of those killed have been young protesters, their lives ended with a single gunshot to the head.

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The coup returned the country to full military rule after a short span of quasi-democracy that began in 2011, when the military, which had been in power since 1962, implemented parliamentary elections and other reforms. In the weeks since the coup, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s ousted civilian leader, has faced charges in a secret court. Week after week, the armed forces have escalated their attacks on the demonstrators. Including the toll from the bloodiest day of the crackdown to date, on March 27, the military has killed more than 600 people and assaulted, detained or tortured thousands of others, according to a monitoring group.

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