On 1 February 2021, the Tatmadaw (the formal name of the armed forces of Myanmar) under the administration of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing staged a takeover, citing the alleged electoral frauds committed by the National League for Democracy ("NLD") in the 2020 November Elections. A year-long state of emergency was called under Article 417 of the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar ("Constitution"), and all legislative, executive, and judicial powers were transferred to Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing under Article 418 of the Constitution. Shortly thereafter, the State Administration Council ("SAC") comprising members of the Tatmadaw led by Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing himself was formed. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and an array of Members of Parliament, political activists, and NLD party members were straightaway detained.
SAC has restricted the usage of internet since 21 February 2021. A nightly scheduled internet blackout from 1am to 6:30am on weekdays and from 1am to 9am on weekends was imposed without any valid cause. Furthermore, Mobile Data Internet and Publicly Accessible Wi-Fi was suspended indefinitely in March with no indication as to when it will be made available again. The situation in Myanmar continues to develop rapidly.
