Myanmar's military has used surveillance, draconian laws and fear to stifle dissent before. Will it work again?

Abstract

Myanmar has once again returned to military rule, with a year-long state of emergency declared by the army.<br/><br/>When military dictators ruled Myanmar from 1962 to 2010, they were able to maintain tight control over the people through the country's extensive intelligence apparatus and harsh tactics such as imprisonment, torture and mass killings. As a result, Myanmar's people lived in virtual silence for decades.<br/><br/>After a decade-long political transition that brought Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to power, Myanmar is now a changed place. What used to be a pariah state is increasingly connected to the world. Civil society has begun to be established and public awareness about freedom, democracy, human rights and development has increased drastically.<br/><br/>Given this, many are closely watching how people will react to the military taking back control of the country and tossing aside a government that won a massive popular mandate only a few months ago.