Myanmar coup: Fitness instructor unwittingly films video as takeover unfolds

image copyrightKhing Hnin Wai on Facebook

image captionKhing Hnin Wai filmed the video on a roundabout near Myanmar's parliament complex in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw

Pumping her arms back and forth, fitness instructor Khing Hnin Wai dances for the camera, performing ordinary exercises on an extraordinary day in Myanmar.

At first glance, the video appears to show a routine dance workout.

But in the background, a convoy of armoured cars can be seen streaming by, suggesting all is not as it seems.

Ms Khing, an aerobics teacher, posted her exercise video to Facebook on Monday morning.

At the time, Myanmar's army was in the process of a military coup, detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders from her party.

The military would later take power and declare a year-long state of emergency, accusing Ms Suu Kyi's party of fraud over its recent election win.

Meanwhile, Ms Khing gyrated her hips to the sound of an upbeat dance track, blissfully unaware of the gravity of events unfolding around her.

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She captured the video on a roundabout on a main road leading to Myanmar's parliament complex in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

The post soon went viral, with thousands of shares and views on Facebook, where many commented on the surreal contrast between Ms Khing's frenetic moves and the military takeover.

"The background scene and the music kind of match," she wrote in the original post. "I was filming the clip for a competition before the morning's news came out. What a memory!"

Is the video genuine?

Yes, the video is genuine. At first, there was some scepticism, given the extraordinary circumstances in which the video was filmed.

But when internet sleuths, journalists and disinformation researchers looked into the origin of the video, its authenticity became clear.

The BBC has been in contact with Ms Khing, who confirmed the video is real.

image copyrightKhing Hnin Wai on Facebook

image captionKhing Hnin Wai said was was unaware of the military coup at the time she filmed the video

In another Facebook post, the fitness instructor said the roundabout had been her favourite location to dance "in the past 11 months".

In response to criticism from supporters of Myanmar's military, she took to Facebook to defend herself.

"I wasn't dancing to mock or ridicule any organisation or to be silly. I was dancing for a fitness dance competition," wrote Ms Khing. "As it isn't uncommon for Nay Pyi Taw to have an official convoy, I thought it was normal so I continued."