Phnom Penh, Feb. 1, 2021
Myanmar’s military has declared a state of emergency for a year and installed a former general as president, the military-owned Myawaddy television station announced on Monday.
A former general named Myint Swe, who was previously serving as vice president, has been installed as acting president.
However, under the state of emergency, military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing has effectively taken control.
The military announcement came hours after the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and numerous other government officials, along with leaders of smaller parties, were detained in pre-dawn raids across the country.
There were reports of internet and phone lines going down on Monday as soldiers appeared on the streets of major cities.
Army trucks were parked in front of City Hall in Yangon and troops were seen in the country’s capital, Naypyitaw.
The country had been gripped by fears of a coup for days amid escalating tensions between the military and the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, with the army refusing to rule out taking over and suggesting it could revoke the constitution.
Regional ministers and student activists were also among those detained, Wai Wai Nu, an activist from Myanmar’s Rohingya minority, said on Twitter.
The raids came just hours before a newly elected parliament was due to convene in Naypyitaw.
The military had called for a postponement of the new term after claiming to have uncovered potentially widespread voter fraud during the general election in November, though they did not provide any direct evidence.
Suu Kyi rejected the call for a delay and other requests during a high-level meeting with the military last week, according to The Irrawaddy news website, which quoted an unnamed source.
Local election observers said in a statement last week that they found no major irregularities during November’s poll, which the NLD won by a landslide.
“The results of the elections were credible and reflected the will of the majority of voters,” the statement said.
NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told dpa on Monday morning, as he was confirming the detentions of Suu Kyi and other party officials, that he expected security personnel to detain him soon.
“I am waiting for their arrival now. I don’t think anyone can guess what will happen next,” he said.
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said he feared for activists inside the country.
“We are especially concerned for the safety and security of activists and other critics of the military who may have been taken into custody,” he said.
“The military should recognise that it will be held accountable for its actions, including any mistreatment in custody and excessive use of force.
“We urge concerned governments to speak out forcefully against the military’s actions and consider targeted sanctions against those responsible,” he added.
Myanmar spent almost five decades under military rule before beginning a political transition in 2010 that saw many political prisoners freed and ushered in partial civilian rule.
Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest and is a Nobel Peace laureate, was among those freed.
She came to power in the country’s freest election in decades in 2015 amid a wave of intense optimism sparking widespread hopes for a new democratic era.
She was barred from becoming president under a widely opposed 2008 constitution written by the military, but had been serving as state counsellor, a role akin to prime minister which was created to help her lead through a puppet president.
U.S. threatens action against detainers of Myanmar’s president, others
The U.S. has threatened to take action against those responsible for the detention of State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint in Myanmar.
“The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country’s democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma (Myanmar).
“President (Joe) Biden has been briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan,” White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Earlier, Western media reported that Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained along with other members of Myanmar’s ruling party in an early morning military raid on Monday.
“We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma’s democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today.
“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,” Psaki said.
The U.S. State Department has also expressed concerns over the detention of multiple civilian government leaders in Myanmar.
“We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on Nov. 8.
“The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development.
“The military must reverse these actions immediately,” the State Department said in a statement.
The Australian government has also issued a statement on Myanmar, saying that Australia is a long-standing supporter of Myanmar and its democratic transition.
“We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms, and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully,” Australia’s foreign ministry said in a Monday statement.
Later in the morning, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined international leaders in condemning the actions of Myanmar’s military.
“I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar.
“The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.
Aung San Suu Kyi urge Myanmar to oppose military coup
Phnom Penh, Feb. 1, 2021
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was arrested during a coup on Monday has urged the people of Myanmar to oppose military power grab.
The plea was contained in a statement signed by her party.
“The Tatamdaw’s (the military’s) action showed no consideration whatsoever for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and is just to bring the country back to the military dictatorship’’ Suu Kyi asserted.
“The public is urged to fully oppose the military coup and resoundingly resist against it,” she added.
