Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the Myanmar junta that seized power Feb. 1, has long been Aung San Suu Kyi’s adversary.

For five years, the two leaders were part of an uneasy power-sharing arrangement in which she headed the civilian side of government and Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the army commander in chief, maintained absolute control over the military, the police and the border guards.

The two rarely spoke to each other.

Min Aung Hlaing is known to be highly ambitious and unwilling to give up power. He faced mandatory retirement in 2016 when he turned 60 but extended his tenure for five years. Soon after the coup, and just before he turned 65, he scrapped the mandatory retirement age for the commander in chief altogether. Many believed he wanted to become president.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-jailed-for-four-years-for-inciting-dissent-against-military-434482">Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi jailed for four years for inciting dissent against military</a>

While a cadet at the military academy, he was known for bullying his juniors and for his tendency to criticize and blame others. His contemporaries gave him a nickname meaning cat feces, an especially vulgar epithet in Burmese.

In 2009, the troops he led in northeastern Myanmar drove tens of thousands of people from ethnic enclaves in what locals described as a brutal campaign of murder, rape and systematic arson.

As commander in chief, he oversaw the ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingya in 2017 that killed thousands and forced more than 700,000 to flee the country. He is said to be a tough negotiator who has maintained a strong grip on the armed forces.

In 2008, the previous military regime adopted a constitution that was devised to keep the presidency in the hands of military leaders. It gives the army commander in chief the power to appoint 25% of Parliament and gives Parliament the power to choose the president.

It also barred anyone from becoming president who has a spouse or a child who is a citizen of a foreign country. The provision clearly targeted Aung San Suu Kyi: her husband was a British citizen, as are her two sons.

But that hasn’t been enough of a head start for the hugely unpopular Min Aung Hlaing to win. Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy crushed the military-backed party in 2015 by winning 80% of Parliament’s nonappointed seats. In 2020, she repeated the feat, winning by an even greater margin.

Thwarted at the polls, the general declared her election victory to be fraudulent and led a coup on Feb. 1, hours before the new Parliament was scheduled to be sworn in.

Early that morning, soldiers and the police arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and other party leaders. She has been detained ever since.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the Myanmar junta that seized power Feb. 1, has long been Aung San Suu Kyi’s adversary. For five years, the two leaders were part of an uneasy power-sharing arrangement in which she headed the civilian side of government and Gen.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the Myanmar junta that seized power Feb. 1, has long been Aung San Suu Kyi’s adversary. For five years, the two leaders were part of an uneasy power-sharing arrangement in which she headed the civilian side of government and Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the army commander in chief, maintained absolute control over the military, the police and the border guards. The two rarely spoke to each other. Min Aung Hlaing is known to be highly ambitious and unwilling to give up power. He faced mandatory retirement in 2016 when he turned 60 but extended his tenure for five years. Soon after the coup, and just before he turned 65, he scrapped the mandatory retirement age for the commander in chief altogether. Many believed he wanted to become president. ALSO READ | Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi jailed for four years for inciting dissent against military While a cadet at the military academy, he was known for bullying his juniors and for his tendency to criticize and blame others. His contemporaries gave him a nickname meaning cat feces, an especially vulgar epithet in Burmese. In 2009, the troops he led in northeastern Myanmar drove tens of thousands of people from ethnic enclaves in what locals described as a brutal campaign of murder, rape and systematic arson. As commander in chief, he oversaw the ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingya in 2017 that killed thousands and forced more than 700,000 to flee the country. He is said to be a tough negotiator who has maintained a strong grip on the armed forces. In 2008, the previous military regime adopted a constitution that was devised to keep the presidency in the hands of military leaders. It gives the army commander in chief the power to appoint 25% of Parliament and gives Parliament the power to choose the president. It also barred anyone from becoming president who has a spouse or a child who is a citizen of a foreign country. The provision clearly targeted Aung San Suu Kyi: her husband was a British citizen, as are her two sons. But that hasn’t been enough of a head start for the hugely unpopular Min Aung Hlaing to win. Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy crushed the military-backed party in 2015 by winning 80% of Parliament’s nonappointed seats. In 2020, she repeated the feat, winning by an even greater margin. Thwarted at the polls, the general declared her election victory to be fraudulent and led a coup on Feb. 1, hours before the new Parliament was scheduled to be sworn in. Early that morning, soldiers and the police arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and other party leaders. She has been detained ever since.

General behind Myanmar Coup is Aung San Suu Kyi's longtime rival

Myanmar authorities declared martial law in parts of Yangon after several Chinese-owned garment factories were torched on Sunday over Beijing being supportive of the military for the coup thereby threatening the country's fragile economy.

At least 38 people were killed on Sunday as security forces in Myanmar opened fire on anti-coup protesters in their continued attempts to crush demonstrations calling for the reinstatement of the elected government.

The Chinese Embassy in Yangon condemned the attacks as 'extremely vile' and urged Myanmar authorities to cease the violence, punish perpetrators and protect Chinese businesses and people in the country.

According to the Embassy, several Chinese-backed factories were smashed up and set ablaze, while many Chinese nationals were injured.

"We urge the Myanmar people to express their demands in a lawful manner, and avoid being incited and exploited into damaging friendly cooperation between China and Myanmar," the Embassy said, adding that Chinese investment in the textile and garment sector has created nearly 400,000 jobs in Myanmar.

Many opponents of the coup have slammed China for its refusal to condemn the takeover or violence against protesters in Myanmar, viewing Beijing as supportive of the military, reported WSJ.

China's response to the hostile takeover has stood in contrast to that of other democratic countries, describing it as an 'internal matter' of Myanmar. Beijing's foreign ministry said that any action by the international community should 'avoid aggravating conflicts and further complicating the situation'.

Some people in Myanmar have also questioned China's relationship with the junta and its silence over human rights abuses. Social media users have shared lists of companies said to be Chinese-owned calling for boycotts.

One widely shared image shows the words "China get out from Burma" over the Chinese flag, according to WSJ.

In several interviews, residents of the affected Yangon suburbs have said that they are increasingly frustrated with Beijing.

Mon Sandar Myint, the chairperson of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar, said many of the garment workers her group represents have been threatened by Chinese employers over their participation in protests and civil disobedience.

She further said that the Chinese Embassy's statement belied Beijing's antagonism towards the demonstrators, and did not show any sympathy for the Myanmar nationals who were killed.

"They don't care about the people of Myanmar, they only care about their own interests in the country," Moe Sandar Myint said.

Around 40 percent of the country's clothing factories have Chinese owners; WSJ reported citing Myanmar's national garment association.

Large numbers of protesters have taken to the streets of Myanmar since the military seized power in the February 1 coup, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, despite the increasingly deadly posture taken by security forces to quell the wave of protests.

China and Russia continue to defend Myanmar's military, insisting that the armed forces' seizure of power from the democratically-elected government in Myanmar's internal affair, the Irrawaddy reported earlier.

Myanmar authorities declared martial law in parts of Yangon after several Chinese-owned garment factories were torched on Sunday over Beijing being supportive of the military for the coup thereby threatening the country's fragile economy.

Myanmar authorities declared martial law in parts of Yangon after several Chinese-owned garment factories were torched on Sunday over Beijing being supportive of the military for the coup thereby threatening the country's fragile economy. At least 38 people were killed on Sunday as security forces in Myanmar opened fire on anti-coup protesters in their continued attempts to crush demonstrations calling for the reinstatement of the elected government. The Chinese Embassy in Yangon condemned the attacks as 'extremely vile' and urged Myanmar authorities to cease the violence, punish perpetrators and protect Chinese businesses and people in the country. According to the Embassy, several Chinese-backed factories were smashed up and set ablaze, while many Chinese nationals were injured. "We urge the Myanmar people to express their demands in a lawful manner, and avoid being incited and exploited into damaging friendly cooperation between China and Myanmar," the Embassy said, adding that Chinese investment in the textile and garment sector has created nearly 400,000 jobs in Myanmar. Many opponents of the coup have slammed China for its refusal to condemn the takeover or violence against protesters in Myanmar, viewing Beijing as supportive of the military, reported WSJ. China's response to the hostile takeover has stood in contrast to that of other democratic countries, describing it as an 'internal matter' of Myanmar. Beijing's foreign ministry said that any action by the international community should 'avoid aggravating conflicts and further complicating the situation'. Some people in Myanmar have also questioned China's relationship with the junta and its silence over human rights abuses. Social media users have shared lists of companies said to be Chinese-owned calling for boycotts. One widely shared image shows the words "China get out from Burma" over the Chinese flag, according to WSJ. In several interviews, residents of the affected Yangon suburbs have said that they are increasingly frustrated with Beijing. Mon Sandar Myint, the chairperson of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar, said many of the garment workers her group represents have been threatened by Chinese employers over their participation in protests and civil disobedience. She further said that the Chinese Embassy's statement belied Beijing's antagonism towards the demonstrators, and did not show any sympathy for the Myanmar nationals who were killed. "They don't care about the people of Myanmar, they only care about their own interests in the country," Moe Sandar Myint said. Around 40 percent of the country's clothing factories have Chinese owners; WSJ reported citing Myanmar's national garment association. Large numbers of protesters have taken to the streets of Myanmar since the military seized power in the February 1 coup, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, despite the increasingly deadly posture taken by security forces to quell the wave of protests. China and Russia continue to defend Myanmar's military, insisting that the armed forces' seizure of power from the democratically-elected government in Myanmar's internal affair, the Irrawaddy reported earlier.

China's role in Myanmar highlighted after Beijing-owned factories torched

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General behind Myanmar Coup is Aung San Suu Kyi's longtime rival

China's role in Myanmar highlighted after Beijing-owned factories torched