Environment ignored as Myanmar struggles with coup
When Myanmar’s military staged a coup more than one year ago and seized power from a democratically-elected civilian government, not only did it undo a decade of opening up the country that brought a degree of freedom and prosperity to ordinary citizens, it also condemned the country’s rich biodiversity and ecosystems.
The coup was, and still is, a tragedy for both humans and nature in the Southeast Asian nation.
Myanmar is a country with a long history of state-sanctioned over-exploitation of natural resources – from minerals and precious stones to forests and oil and gas – which enriched the top generals beyond imagination, but also resulted in a polluted and degraded environment, human rights abuses and decades-long conflicts.
Thin Lei Win
