Topic: MYANMAR

Objectives:
1. Explain a parliamentary form of government of Myanmar
2. Distinguish parliamentary from presidential

 yellow represents solidarity

 green symbolizes peace, tranquility and lush greenery
 red represents courage and determination
 white star stands for the significance of the union of the country
Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
Capital: Nay Pyi Taw
Currency: Kyat

Acting President Myint Swe

Min Aung Hlaing

The Chairman of the State Administration Council is the head of Myanmar's ruling military
junta, established in the 2021 coup d'état.  He is the current holder of the office, and also
serves as the prime minister of the Provisional Government.
Soe Win 
- current Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar following the formation of the caretaker
government on 1 August 2021. He also serves as vice chairman of the State Administration
Council, deputy commander-in-chief of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar armed forces)
and commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Army.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi

Following the 2020 Myanmar general election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a
clear majority in both houses, the Burmese military (Tatmadaw) again seized power in a
coup d'état. The coup, which was widely condemned by the international community, led
to continuous ongoing widespread protests in Myanmar and has been marked by
violent political repression by the military. The military also arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and
charged her with crimes ranging from corruption to the violation of COVID-19 protocols, all of
which have been labeled as "politically motivated" by independent observers, in order to
remove her from public life.

Myanmar -  Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a country

in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and
Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. Myanmar is the largest of the mainland
Southeast Asian states. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of
5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay
of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be
51 million people. As of 2017, the population is about 54 million. Myanmar is 676,578 square
kilometres (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw (Nay Pyi Taw), and its
largest city is Yangon (Rangoon). Myanmar has been a member of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Independence (1948–1962)
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, under the terms of
the Burma Independence Act 1947. The new country was named the Union of Burma,
with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first president and U Nu as its first prime minister. Unlike most
other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of
the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of
Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities, and multi-party elections were held in 1951–
1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong
Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper
Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.
In 1961, U Thant, the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
and former secretary to the prime minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United
Nations, a position he held for ten years. Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he
was secretary-general was Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to
become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a
weak civilian government at the center, the military leadership staged a coup d'état in 1962.
Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed
the use of the term 'federalism' as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.

Government and politics

In the early morning of 1 February 2021, the day parliament was set to convene,
the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other
members of the ruling party. The military handed power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and
declared a state of emergency for one year and began closing the borders, restricting travel
and electronic communications nationwide.
The military announced it would replace the existing election commission with a new one,
and a military media outlet indicated new elections would be held in about one year – though
the military avoided making an official commitment to that.
State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were placed under house
arrest, and the military began filing various charges against them. The military expelled NLD
party Members of Parliament from the capital city, Naypyidaw. By 15 March 2021 the military
leadership continued to extend martial law into more parts of Yangon, while security forces
killed 38 people in a single day of violence.
Myanmar operates de jure as a unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008
constitution. But in February 2021, the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, was
deposed by the Tatmadaw. In February 2021, Myanmar military declared a one-year state
emergency and First Vice President Myint Swe became the Acting President of
Myanmar and handed the power to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung
Hlaing and he assumed the role Chairman of the State Administration Council, then Prime
Minister. The President of Myanmar acts as the de jure head of state and the Chairman of
the State Administration Council acts as the de facto head of government.

Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)

The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers
and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with
a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25%
of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
The legislature, called the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, is bicameral and made up of two houses: the
224-seat upper house Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities) and the 440-seat lower
house Pyithu Hluttaw (House of Representatives). The upper house consists of 224
members, of whom 168 are directly elected and 56 are appointed by the Burmese Armed
Forces. The lower house consists of 440 members, of whom 330 are directly elected and
110 are appointed by the armed forces.

Political culture
The major political parties are the National League for Democracy and the Union Solidarity
and Development Party.
Myanmar's army-drafted constitution was approved in a referendum in May 2008. The
results, 92.4% of the 22 million voters with an official turnout of 99%, are considered suspect
by many international observers and by the National League of Democracy with reports of
widespread fraud, ballot stuffing, and voter intimidation.
The elections of 2010 resulted in a victory for the military-backed Union Solidarity and
Development Party. Various foreign observers questioned the fairness of the elections. One
criticism of the election was that only government-sanctioned political parties were allowed
to contest in it and the popular National League for Democracy was declared
illegal. However, immediately following the elections, the government ended the house
arrest of the democracy advocate and leader of the National League for Democracy, Aung
San Suu Kyi, and her ability to move freely around the country is considered an important
test of the military's movement toward more openness. After unexpected reforms in
2011, NLD senior leaders have decided to register as a political party and to field candidates
in future by-elections.
Myanmar's political history is underlined by its struggle to establish democratic structures
amidst conflicting factions. This political transition from a closely held military rule to a free
democratic system is widely believed to be determining the future of Myanmar. The
resounding victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in the 2015
general election raised hope for a successful culmination of this transition.
Myanmar rates as a corrupt nation on the Corruption Perceptions Index with a rank of 130th
out of 180 countries worldwide, with 1st being least corrupt, as of 2019.

Economy
The informal economy's share in Myanmar is one of the biggest in the world and is closely
linked to corruption, smuggling and illegal trade activities. In addition, decades of civil war
and unrest have contributed to Myanmar's current levels of poverty and lack of economic
progress. Myanmar lacks adequate infrastructure. Goods travel primarily across the Thai
border (where most illegal drugs are exported) and along the Irrawaddy River.
Religion
Many religions are practiced in Myanmar. Religious edifices and orders have been in
existence for many years. The Christian and Muslim populations do, however, face religious
persecution and it is hard, if not impossible, for non-Buddhists to join the army or get
government jobs, the main route to success in the country. Such persecution and targeting
of civilians are particularly notable in eastern Myanmar, where over 3,000 villages have been
destroyed in the past ten years. More than 200,000 Muslims have fled to Bangladesh by
2007 to escape persecution.
A large majority of the population practices Buddhism; estimates range from 80% to 89%.
[
 According to 2014 Myanmar Census, 87.9% of the population identifies as
Buddhists. Theravāda Buddhism is the most widespread. There are some 500,000 Buddhist
monks and 75,000 nuns in this country of 54 million.