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On the significant figures, I have chosen a list of entities that hold sway to analyze how they are portrayed in the news. These entities were chosen because of the roles they play, the power they have, or provide context or nuance to the situation.
- The Lady of Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi
- The Rising Tyrant, Min Aung Hlaing
- The President of the United States, Joe Biden
- The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres
- The First Casualty, Kyal Sin
- The Chinese Casualty Khant Nyar Hein
- The Rebels, the Arakan Army
- The Persecuted Rohingya
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi is hailed as the leader of Burma by many. Daughter of the ‘father of democracy’ Aung San, she has been fighting for democracy in Burma since she was young, and is most famous for being detained in house arrest for a majority of her life for her efforts. Her popularity with the Burmese community stays strong, although her defense of the Rohingya genocide has soured her to international audiences.
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She has remained under military custody since the beginning of the coup, and has been hidden away from the public since then. As such, we see her in the news a lot at the beginning of the coup, demanding her release, but the coverage has shifted due to lack of updates from her and more pressing mattes to cover. Both papers describe her position in government and the history behind her ascent, and she is most associated with the ousted President Win Myint.
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Min Aung Hlaing
Min Aung Hlaing is the leader of the Burmese Army. or Tatmadaw. On February 1 2021, he stormed into the houses of the elected leaders of Burma and spirited them away, taking power for himself. He is a general of the army, and has been noted to be uncooperative with the elected civilian government before the coup, and his division is said to have started persecuting the Rohingya.
Both papers generally cover his actions, and he is in the news often. The Irrawaddy covers much more of his movements, whereas the Voice of America mainly stresses his role in the coup and his position in the army more. The Irrawaddy also stresses his position, and this in some form separates him from the actions of the soldiers on the ground.
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Western Leaders – Biden and Guterres
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On the subject of Western leaders, it seems that both Biden and Guterres have had similar amounts of coverage on their activities, and a closer reading and comparison shows that most of Biden’s remarks are taken as equal to a response from the US as the lines show, and Guterres’ remarks echo his personal take on the situation, mixed in with a few action items from the UN. Neither are particularly covered separate from the organizations they represent.
On the casualties
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Kyal Sin and Khant Nyar Hein were young protesters who passed away early on. Kyal Sin was one of the first casualties of the protests, and an early symbol of resistance against the military, She was part-Chinese. Khant Nyar Hein was a Chinese high school student whose death started a discussion in the community on differentiating ethnically Chinese citizens of Burma from Chinese citizens. Kyal Sin is remembered by both papers, emphasizing her now iconic image. Khant Nyar Hein was listed on the Irrawaddy as a death, and mention was made about his descent, but not much coverage was given.
On the people of Rakhine
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The Rohingya, a native people in the state of Rakhine, are at the center of attention, particularly at the UN, as the Tatmadaw has committed genocide against them. The Arakan Army is a armed ethnic organization, and have been in a civil war against the Tatmadaw for decades.
As the graphs show, we can see that the Rohingya and the Arakan Army are not very mentioned in the Irrawaddy. They are noted as part of other articles and as historical context. The genocide is acknowledged, which is a great step in a country that has not given much public support to the Rohingya. The Rakhine state is mentioned in the Irrawaddy pertaining to infrastructure updates, as a close reading reveals. On the other hand, the Rohingya are the subject of a full article and situation analysis from the Voice of America, and is part of the historical context given to readers.