“Explainer: Why Is the Military Taking Control in Myanmar?”: Article Analysis

Identification of the Argument Presented In the Article

• In Myanmar, the armed forces have taken over the country.
• Military TV declared a state of emergency in the country for one year (Milko, 2021).
• Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counselor of Myanmar, was detained.
• Several Myanmar officials were also arrested.

• Civilian rule and democracy in Myanmar are undermined.

Premises and Conclusions Presented in the Chosen Article and Their Importance

• A constitution drafted by the soldiery that gives them broad rights.
• An election commission rejected the military’s allegations about possible voter fraud in the November elections.
• Democratization and liberalization are set back.
• Upcoming sanctions from the US and other countries.
• When an electoral commission rejected voter fraud claims, the military took advantage of constitutional rights and seized power in the country, which undermined civil rule.

The Type of Reasoning Applied By the Writer

• The writer applied specific reasoning to formulate the argument and draw conclusions.
• It is inductive reasoning.
• It is “a type of reasoning that involves drawing a general conclusion from a set of specific observations” (MasterClass, 2020, para. 3).
• Specific observations are military takeover, November elections, and government officials’ detainment.
• The general conclusion is that civilian rule and democracy in Myanmar are undermined.

Cause and Effect Reasoning

• The writer also applied cause and effect reasoning.
• Causes are broad military constitutional rights, November elections, rejection from the election commission.
• Effects are military takeover, one-year state of emergency, and government officials’ detainment.
• The writer logically links events of the present with the past.
• There are more frameworks applied in the article.

Value Judgement about Morality

• The writer herself remains neutral.
• She cites political experts, human rights defenders, and US officials.
• They condemn the Myanmar military.
• They demand the release of the detained democratic leaders.
• They fear that critics of the military will be detained and jailed.

Value Judgement about Law

• The writer herself remains neutral.
• She cites political experts, human rights defenders, and US officials.
• They consider a military takeover unlawful, even when it is constitutional.
• They consider the detention of the Myanmar government leaders unlawful.
• They find the detention and imprisonment of critics of the military unlawful.

Explanation of Why the Argument Fits

• The question arises whether the argument fits concepts.
• The argument fits all three concepts.
• The argument is derived from a cause and effect relationship.
• The argument is consistent with the moral position of the cited experts.
• The argument corresponds to the position of the cited experts on the lawfulness of the events described.

The Purposefulness of the Use of Concepts

• The question arises whether the use of concepts was purposeful.
• It was purposeful.
• Evidence is the reference to the constitution that was drafted in 2008.
• The writer also quotes only those experts who condemn the military.
• The writer also quotes only those experts who declare the illegality of the seizure of power.

How Frameworks Affect the Argument

• Another question is how concepts affect an argument.
• They strengthen it.
• Cause and effect reasoning is the appeal to logos here.
• Value judgment about morality is the appeal to pathos here.
• Value judgment about the law is the appeal to ethos here.

The Persuasiveness of the Argument and Personal Opinion

• The writer uses all modes of persuasion.
• Modes of persuasion are “three basic ways of convincing your audience of something” (Modes of persuasion, 2020, para. 1).
• She also uses other concepts and inductive reasoning.
• These concepts are interrelated and reinforce the argument.
• Therefore, the argument is convincing.
• Although the military takeover was constitutional, the detention of democratic leaders and the imposition of a state of emergency was unnecessary.

References

MasterClass. (2020). What is inductive reasoning? Learn the definition of inductive reasoning with examples, plus 6 types of inductive reasoning. MasterClass. Web.

Milko, V. (2021). Explainer: Why is the military taking control in Myanmar? U.S. News & World Report. Web.

Modes of persuasion. (2020). Web.