17 February 2022

Just over a year has passed since the Myanmar armed forces seized control of the government on 1 February 2021 following a general election which Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won by a landslide. The country is still caught up in conflict, and warfare has spread to every region. According to reports, more than 1,500 and 8,000 people were killed and detained in the past year.

By Katie Zeng Xiaojun - North, South and Central Asia Analyst

The opposition to military rule continued their civil disobedience against the military regime. The military junta circulated leaflets warning that participants would be charged with terrorism, incitement and violating the electronic communications law. Thus, in commemorating the first anniversary of the coup, the protesters held a “silent strike” by staying at home, closing their shops and halting activities for six hours.

There have been commercial implications. Companies such as TotalEnergies and Chevron Corp are withdrawing from their gas projects in Myanmar. Maersk and Evergreen Marine have also announced that they will stop using military-owned ports in Myanmar to cut ties with junta-linked businesses.

To date, the situation in the country has not improved. The curfew from 22:00 to 04:00 is still in place in Yangon. The state of emergency has also been extended for another six months till August 2022. Many protesters have resorted to joining one of the hundreds of armed rebel units which have sprung up across the country.

Despite the continuous unrest, the median time vessels spend at the Port of Yangon has remained unchanged in the last six months, ranging from two to three days. There are no further reports of disruptions at the customs, ports or any specific changes to security threats.

The number of protests is likely to be reduced as the military consolidates its control in the coming months. Although the protests in Yangon are mostly peaceful, they are in close proximity to the port. Disruptions to road traffic and businesses in the protest areas are expected. Nevertheless, the ports are highly likely to be operating at the status quo as vessels are observed to be arriving and discharging without significant delay.

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