Suu Kyi's Myanmar election victory not enough to budge military

Powerful obstacle to amending charter and ending strife remains firmly in place

20201126 Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar military troops

Myanmar voters have signaled unwavering support for Aung San Suu Kyi, but the country's powerful military continues to stand in the way of resolving three major issues. (Nikkei montage/Reuters and Yuichi Nitta)

TORU TAKAHASHI, Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Headquarters for Asia

November 30, 2020 15:02 JST

BANGKOK -- Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy won a landslide in the general election on Nov. 8, securing 396 parliamentary seats, 83% of those contested. It was a larger victory than the NLD's electoral romp in 2015, when State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's party secured 79% of the contested seats.

But was it a big win for democracy?