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Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party is urging Myanmar’s people to oppose Monday’s apparent coup and any return to “military dictatorship”.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) released a statement on the Facebook page of its party head, Ms Suu Kyi, saying the military’s actions were unjustified and went against the constitution and the will of voters.
Myanmar military television said on Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the country’s senior politicians including Ms Suu Kyi had been detained.
A presenter on military-owned Myawaddy TV announced the takeover and cited a section of the military-drafted constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergency.
He said the reason for the takeover was in part due to the government’s failure to act on the military’s claims of voter fraud in last November’s election and its failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis.
The announcement and the declaration of a state of emergency follows days of concern about the threat of a military coup – and military denials that it would stage one – and came on the morning the country’s new parliament session was to begin.
The takeover is a sharp reversal of the partial yet significant progress toward democracy Myanmar has made in recent years following five decades of military rule and international isolation that began in 1962.
It would also be a shocking fall from power for Ms Suu Kyi, who led the democracy struggle despite years under house arrest and and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.
International condemnation
The military’s actions received swift and widespread international condemnation.
The White House said US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the detentions.
“The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
The office of the UN secretary-general was also among those to issue a statement condemning the developments as a “serious blow to democratic reforms”.
The detention of the politicians and cuts in television signals and communication services on Monday were the first signs that plans to seize power were in motion. Phone and internet access to Naypyitaw was lost and Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party could not be reached. Phone service in other parts of the country was also reported down, though people were still able to use the internet in many areas.

Aung San Suu Kyi led the democracy struggle despite years under house arrest and and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. File photograph: Getty


The Irrawaddy, an established online news service, reported that Ms Suu Kyi, who as state counsellor is the nation’s top leader, and the country’s president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours. The news service cited Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the NLD.
Its report said that the party’s Central Executive Committee members, lawmakers and regional cabinet members had also been taken into custody. – AP