February 1 marks two years since the military coup in Myanmar.

The military, which holds the real power, plans to hold elections by August this year, but it is showing signs of eliminating democratic forces that resist the military, and there is no prospect that the situation will settle down.

In Myanmar, today marks two years since the military staged a coup d'état over allegations of fraud in the 2020 general election, which was won overwhelmingly by the NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.



In response, some of the pro-democracy forces have taken up arms and continued to fight with the military, and according to Myanmar's human rights group, the death toll has risen to 2,940 by January 31 following the coup d'état due to military attacks and repression. I'm here.



Mr. Suu Kyi, who was detained by the military and charged with corruption and other crimes, was found guilty and sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison.



In addition, the military enacted a law on political party registration in January, effectively outlawing the NLD, making moves to eliminate it.



The military plans to hold elections again by August this year, but some speculate that the military may continue to hold the real power because of the inability to hold elections safely. There is no prospect that the situation will subside.

Experts say election success unlikely

Associate Professor Yoshihiro Nakanishi of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, who is familiar with the situation in Myanmar, commented on the military's plan to hold elections by August, saying, ``Even now, fierce battles are still taking place in rural areas, There have been casualties on both the civilian and military sides, and it is difficult to set up polling stations across the country to ensure the safety of public officials involved in election management and citizens who come to vote. It is extremely unlikely that it will succeed in the form of



On top of that, he said, "The fighting has become a quagmire, and as of January, the number of internally displaced people has exceeded 1 million. However, it is not of great national interest to the West, so interest in it is gradually declining due to the Ukraine crisis."



He added, "The Japanese government has long taken the stance of dealing with both the military and the democratization forces, and now it is difficult to make contact with both. However, we are content with the fact that there is no way to change the current situation. It is in a very half-baked state because it has not been decided what to do with Myanmar's future policy.It is necessary to find a way to provide assistance that will directly benefit the people of Myanmar, even if it takes risks." I'm here.

UN chief 'strongly condemns all forms of violence'

Regarding the fact that two years have passed since the military coup in Myanmar, UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement, expressing a sense of crisis, saying, "The multidimensional crisis in Myanmar continues to worsen." "We strongly condemn all forms of violence," he said.



He also pointed out about the elections that the military is planning to hold, saying, "Unless the people of Myanmar can freely exercise their political rights, there is a risk that elections will exacerbate the unstable situation." bottom.



In addition, Secretary-General Guterres commented, "The United Nations will continue to stand by the people of Myanmar and support their desire for a peaceful and just society."

U.S. Treasury Department announces additions to sanctions list

The U.S. Treasury Department released a statement on the 31st, revealing that it has added three groups, including the Election Commission, under the control of the Myanmar military, and six people, including energy-related officials, to a sanctions list that imposes asset freezes. Did.



Of these, he points out that the purpose of the Election Commission was to invalidate the democratic election held in November 2020.



It also sanctioned officials in charge of the energy industry and executives of state-owned companies, alleging that the military earns more than $1 billion a year from oil and gas exports.



The U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions were coordinated with the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and said, "For two years, the Myanmar military has used violence and repression to force the people of Myanmar to choose their leaders. I deny that," he accuses.