Coup in Myanmar; Aung San Suu Kyi and several other government officials arrested

Myanmar's military forces declared a state of emergency in the country on Monday morning, arresting Aung San Suu Kyi and the president. The White House condemned the coup and announced that it would take action against its perpetrators.

Myanmar's military arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and several other senior government officials in the early hours of Monday, February 1 (local time). A government spokesman and member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party announced the news and urged the people of Myanmar to remain calm and not react "hastily." Myo Nyunt, who is also expected to be arrested soon, urged people to act according to the law.

Hours after the events, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency. Military television announced that the civilian government had been stripped of power. Witnesses said military vehicles had been deployed in Myanmar's largest city, Rangoon. Internet, telephone and mobile phone services were also cut off.

According to the latest news, leaders of several small parties are also among those arrested.

State-run MRTV said on Facebook that it was unable to broadcast due to technical difficulties. The Myanmar Banks Association said all banks in the country were closed due to reduced internet capacity.

 A landslide victory in the election

The National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in November's election, but Myanmar's military says the vote was rigged. The military's top brass has threatened to dissolve the constitution if it fails to uphold it.

After UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and most Western countries warned of political tension in Myanmar, the country's military commanders tried to dispel all rumors of a coup.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won the election with 83 percent of the vote, according to official results. Turnout was above 70 percent. However, Suu Kyi remained loyal to the military. Under the 2008 constitution, the military holds a quarter of the seats in parliament.

Also, according to an additional article in the constitution, Suu Kyi cannot be president but serves as a potential head of state or prime minister. The constitution cannot be changed without the consent of the military. In addition, the most important ministries are also in the hands of the military.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, spent 15 years under house arrest during Burma's military dictatorship. She came to power after facing international criticism for her crackdown on the Rohingya minority and for failing to deliver on promises of democratic reforms.

Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia and has a population of 50 million.

Strong criticism from Washington

Immediately after learning of the arrest of Suu Kyi and government officials, the White House issued a statement saying: "The United States rejects any attempt to change the results of the recent elections and hinder the transition to democracy in Myanmar, and will take action against those responsible if the situation does not return to the previous state."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also called for the immediate release of members of the Myanmar government.

The Australian government has condemned the coup in Myanmar and called for the immediate release of those arrested.

The Japanese government has also said that it is monitoring the situation and currently has no plans to repatriate its nationals from Myanmar.

Source: DW