Death, danger, despair: A year in Myanmar under the military

By VICTORIA MILKO
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Since Myanmar’s military dismissed the results of democratic elections and seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, peaceful nationwide protests and violent crackdowns by security forces have spiraled into a nationwide humanitarian crisis. A woman told AP she kept fleeing from one place to another after fighting broke out near her village in eastern Myanmar. A 28-year-old surgeon who quit his job to protest the military takeover joined an armed resistance group in the jungle to treat the displaced. A former peace activist gave up on nonviolent protests to take up arms after seeing colleagues shot dead. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Myanmar, at least 1,490 people have been killed and over 11,775 arrested since the army takeover.