A Military That Murders Its Own People

<p>Two months ago, Myanmar’s military carried out a coup, deposing the country’s elected civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and closing the curtains on a five-year experiment with democracy. </p><p>Since then, the Burmese people have expressed their discontent through protest and mass civil disobedience. The military has responded with brutal violence. </p><p>We look at the crackdown and how Myanmar’s unique military culture encourages officers to see civilians as the enemy. </p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/hannah-beech?smid=pc-thedaily">Hannah Beech</a>, the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The New York Times. </p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/signup/NTTD?smid=pc-thedaily">Sign up here</a> to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>Four officers<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/28/world/asia/myanmar-army-protests.html?smid=pc-thedaily"> speak about life in the Tatmadaw</a>, Myanmar’s feared army, which has turned its guns on civilians again. “The Tatmadaw is the only world” for most soldiers, one said.</li><li>Myanmar’s security forces have killed more than 40 children since February. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/04/world/asia/myanmar-coup-deaths-children.html?smid=pc-thedaily">Here is the story of one, Aye Myat Thu</a>. She was 10.</li><li>As the nation’s military kills, assaults and terrorizes unarmed civilians each day, some protesters say <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/world/asia/myanmar-coup-resistance-protests.html?smid=pc-thedaily">there is no choice but to fight the army on its own terms</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>