Military rule (1962–2011)

On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état,
and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between
1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all
aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government
control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[75] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation
and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988,
the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning
and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[76] During this period, Myanmar
became one of the world's most impoverished countries. [77]

Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.

There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost
always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon
University, killing 15 students.[75] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government
protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly
suppressed by overwhelming force.[76]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to
widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising.
Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état
and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared
martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly
elections on 31 May 1989.[78] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist
Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 18 June 1989 by enacting the
adaptation of the expression law.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National
League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e.,
80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power [79] and continued to rule the
nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its
dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national
movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.

On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site
near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the
kings".[80]

Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.

In August 2007, an increase in the price of fuel led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks
that were dealt with harshly by the government.[81] The government cracked down on them on 26
September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon
Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed
forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely
condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in
economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta
of the Irrawaddy Division.[82] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an
estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as
1 million left homeless.[83] In the critical days following this disaster,
Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.
[84]
 Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the
country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other
supplies.[85]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern
Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han
Chinese,[86] Wa, and Kachin.[87][88] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000
Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan in neighbouring China.[87][88][89]

Civil wars
Main article: Internal conflict in Myanmar
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment
of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national
autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as
the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel
permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue. [90]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[91] between the Pro-
Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[92] a civil war between
the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[93] and a
conflict between the Shan,[94] Lahu, and Karen[95][96] minority groups, and the government in the
eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in
Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's
leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the
group was doing "what they can to rescue you". [97] In response, the military raised its level of
alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not
tolerate any threat to their motherland. [98]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in
the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee
their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border. [99] During the incident, the
government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels.
Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government
throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese
satellite state in Southeast Asia.[100] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops
and local insurgent groups continue.