On February 1 Myanmar’s military ousted the country’s democratically elected ruling party (the National League for Democracy) and declared a year-long state of emergency. The military, also known as the Tatmadaw, transferred power to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hiaing.
The Tatmadaw also declared that the results of the November 2020 general election, which was won by the NLD, were invalid. The coup took place a day before the NLD were due to be sworn into power. The Tatmadaw have taken incoming President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi into custody.
Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were both charged with breaching campaign guidelines and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which included illegally importing radio and communication devices.