Myo Nyunt, jurucakap parti NLD memaklumkan bahawa Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint, Han Tha Myint dan pemimpin parti lain telah 'diambil' pada awal pagi serangan berlaku. Nyunt menambah lagi bahawa beliau menjangkakan bahawa beliau juga akan ditahan tidak lama selepas memberikan kenyataan itu. Saluran komunikasi semuanya dihentikan, talian telefon ke Naypyidaw, ibu kota Myanmar juga terganggu, MRTV iaitu stesen televisyen negara memaklumkan bahawa ia tidak dapat bersiaran kerana isu teknikal dan gangguan internet dilaporkan berlaku secara meluas bermula sekitar jam 3.00 pagi. Pihak tentera telah mengganggu perkhidmatan telefon bimbit di seluruh negara, mencerminkan taktik "kill switch" yang pernah digunakan di zon peperangan di negeri Chin dan negeri Rakhine. Semua ahli bank di bawah Pertubuhan Perbankan Myanmar juga menggantung perkhidmatan kewangan mereka.
Seramai 400 orang ahli parlimen yang dipilih melalui pilihan raya ditahan di rumah, terbatas di kompleks perumahan kerajaan di Naypyidaw. Selepas rampasan kuasa berlaku, parti NLD mengaturkan supaya ahli parlimen berada di kompleks perumahan itu sehingga 6 Februari 2021. Pengguna media sosial mula menyeru ahli parlimen supaya mengadakan sesi parlimen di rumah tetamu kerajaan kerana kumpulan itu memenuhi syarat dalam Perlembagaan. Sebagai tindak balas, pihak tentera mengeluarkan satu lagi arahan yang memberikan masa selama 24 jam bagi ahli parlimen untuk meninggalkan premis rumah tetamu. Pada 4 Februari 2021, seramai 70 ahli parlimen dari parti NLD mengangkat sumpah jawatan, sebagai menandakan bahawa mereka menentang rampasan kuasa tentera.
Semasa rampasan kuasa, tentera juga menahan beberapa orang bhiksu Buddha yang mengetuai Revolusi Saffron 2007 termasuklah Myawaddy Sayadaw dan Shwe Nyar War Sayadaw yang terang-terang mengkritik tentera. Seramai 8888 orang pemimpin aktivis kebangkitan termasuklah Mya Aye juga ditahan. Sehingga 4 Februari 2021, Pertubuhan Bantuan untuk Tahanan Politik mengenalpasti seramai 133 orang pegawai dan pembuat undang-undang serta 14 aktivis masyarakat sivil dalam tahanan oleh tentera kesan dari rampasan kuasa tersebut.
Tentera dilihat di Naypidaw dan di Yangon, kota terbesar di Myanmar. Pihak tentera seterusnya mengumumkan di TV Myawaddy yang dikuasai oleh mereka bahawa ia relah menguasai negara itu sejak setahun.
A statement signed by acting president Myint Swe declared that responsibility for "legislation, administration and judiciary" had been transferred to Min Aung Hlaing.[41] The National Defence and Security Council – chaired by acting president Myint Swe and attended by top military officers – was convened, following which a statement was issued by the military declaring that fresh elections would be held, and that power would only be transferred after they had concluded.[42] The military also announced the removal of 24 ministers and deputies, for whom 11 replacements were named.[1]
On 2 February 2021, Min Aung Hlaing established the State Administration Council, with 11 members, as the executive governing body.[43][44]
On 3 February 2021, Myanmar police filed criminal charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing her of violating the Export and Import Law, for allegedly importing unlicensed communications devices used by her security detail, after conducting a raid on her home in the capital.[45][46][47][48] The Export and Import Law carries a potential prison term of 3 years and/or a fine, and was previously used in 2017 to prosecute journalists for flying a drone above the Assembly of the Union.[45][49] Meanwhile, Win Myint was charged with violating the Natural Disaster Management Law, specifically for waving at a passing NLD convoy in September 2020, thereby violating rules against election campaigning during the COVID-19 pandemic.[45]
On 6 February 2021, Sean Turnell, the Australian economic advisor to the civilian government, was arrested.[50]
On 8 February 2021 and 9 February 2021, the military government issued orders to impose curfew from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am in Yangon and other major cities and restrict gatherings of 5 or more people in the public spaces.[51][52][53]
On 9 February 2021, the NLD's headquarters in Yangon was raided by Myanmar police.[54] Myanmar military regime distributed a draft for the controversial Cyber Security Law to internet service providers, asking them to provide comments by 15 February 2021. The law was widely criticized by IT communities as it violates human rights by putting citizens under digital surveillance and severely restricting freedom of speech.[55] News of China's involvement in building the firewall were widely circulated among Myanmar social media users, which prompts protestors to demonstrate outside the Chinese Embassy. China denied the news as rumors.[56]
On 10 February 2021, civil servants at Kayah State protested against the coup, which also included police officers stationed there when they refused orders from their superior to return back to work.[57]
On 12 February 2021, at midnight, members of Myanmar's military and police arrested government ministers, election officials, senior members of the NLD, activists, and a former general.[58]
On 13 February 2021, a viral post online showed that the military-run Ministry of Information (MOI) pressured the press not to use the words "junta" and "regime" in the media in the military's first attempt to restrict the freedom-of-press.[59] The military regime issued an arrest warrant for seven well-known activists and influencers including Min Ko Naing for using their fame to spread writing and speaking on the social media that would disturb the nation's peace process.[60]
On 15 February 2021, the military deployed armoured vehicles across the cities, in an attempt to silence the demonstrations in the country. Thousands of protestors in different cities across Myanmar had been calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.[61] On 16 February, as protests continued, Aung San Suu Kyi was given a new criminal charge on allegations of violating the country's National Disaster Law.[62]
On 17 February 2021, the military issued arrest warrants on six more celebrities for urging civil servants to join the civil disobedience movement.[63]
On 26 February 2021, the Myanmar ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, condemned the coup by the Tatmadaw.[64] He was sacked from his post the next day.[65] On the same day, a Japanese freelance journalist named Yuki Kitazumi was detained by Myanmar officers at the Sanchaung township police station, but he was released hours later after Kitazumi explained that he clearly identified himself as a reporter.[66]
On 8 March 2021, state-controlled channel MRTV announced that the Ministry of Information revoked the licenses for five local media outlets: Mizzima, Myanmar Now, DVB, 7 Day News, and Khit Thit Media. The announcement stated that the outlets were prohibited from publishing and broadcasting in any type of media and by using any sort of technology.[67]
On 9 March 2021, Kyaw Swar Min, the Burmese ambassador to the UK, was being recalled after he condemned that Tatmadaw for the coup.[68]
