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From Our Own Correspondent

Myanmar: One Year Under Military Rule

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC

News, News Commentary

4.41.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2022

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Myanmar this week marked one year since its democratically-elected government was overthrown by a coup. The generals who took over have promised to restore democracy, “once the emergency is over.” However, protestors calling for democracy have been arrested and beaten, while the army stands accused of murdering more than a thousand civilians, in its efforts to quash opposition to military rule. Jonathan Head has spoken to some of those still resisting the junta. In the year since Myanmar’s military coup, three countries in West Africa have also suffered the same fate: Mali, Guinea, and most recently, Burkina Faso. The coup leaders there have explained that they took over because the government was failing to tackle Islamist militants. Henry Wilkins tried to report on what was going on, but found himself arrested at gunpoint. When a volcano erupted off the Pacific Island of Tonga, it triggered a tsunami and covered the island in ash. It also cut the underwater cable which connects Tonga to the outside world, meaning no phone-calls or internet were possible. This was a particular cause of concern for Tongans abroad, anxious to know about the welfare of friends and family. They turned to a small online broadcaster, operating from the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. Simon Atkinson paid it a visit. US special forces this week raided the home of Islamic State's leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. It appears he then blew himself up, along with members of his family. This was only a month since al-Qurayshi was held responsible for Islamic State's attack on a prison in Syria, where members of the group were held. The resulting battle went on for more than a week, and Shelly Kittleson has managed to hear from some of those who witnessed it. Yalda Hakim was six months old, when her family fled Afghanistan. Going back there recently, she found dramatic changes since her last visit. Under Taliban rule, there have been widespread reports of Taliban soldiers carrying out summary executions. And when she spoke to women determined to maintain their role in the workplace and wider society, she found their efforts were proving dangerous, and potentially fatal.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

0:05.4

How do you find out what's really going on in a country?

0:08.8

The stories today all feature correspondents struggling with obstacles and the efforts

0:13.7

they make to overcome them.

0:16.2

When a coup occurred in Burkino Faso, a man on the spot headed towards a military base

0:21.2

to investigate, but wound up being arrested at gunpoint.

0:26.0

On the Pacific Island of Tonga, its forces of nature, which have made reporting almost

0:30.7

impossible, a volcanic eruption causing massive disruption to the island's communications,

0:37.1

but our correspondents has managed to follow events, from a small, non-descript building

0:42.9

in northern Australia.

0:45.7

Islamic State have reared their heads again, launching a prison break in Syria, which led

0:50.7

to fierce fighting.

0:52.4

We hear how local people scared for their lives who still sent out messages and videos.

0:58.8

And a correspondent returns to Afghanistan, the land of her birth, where she finds many

1:04.2

there also scared to talk about life under Taliban rule.

1:09.7

First to Myanmar, which this week marked one year since its democratically elected

1:14.4

government was overthrown in a coup.

1:17.2

The generals who took over have promised to restore democracy once the emergency is over,

1:23.0

but so far there's been precious little sign of that.

1:26.6

Indeed, protesters calling for democracy have been arrested and beaten, and the army

1:31.8

stands accused of murdering more than a thousand civilians in its efforts to quash opposition

1:37.7

to military rule.

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