Inside Burma’s Sudden Coup: Phones Down, Goons Banging on the Door Brendon Hong
Moving to the beat of the Indonesian hit song
Ampun Bang Jago (“Have mercy, tough guy”) a TikTok favorite and a sampled siren sound, Khing Hnin Wai did her morning aerobics near the Assembly of the Union, a 31-building complex in Naypyidaw, the junta-made capital of Burma. This is her routine: rise early, record a video, upload it for her followers, and head to work. As a physical education instructor for the Ministry of Health and Sports, this hobby chimed with her general professional purpose.
But in Monday’s clip, a military convoy rolled by in the background, red and blue lights flashing atop black vehicles. Without realizing, Khing Hnin Wai was one of the first people to film Burma’s latest coup taking place.