Suu Kyi’s party demands her release
YANGON: The party of Myanmar’s detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi called yesterday for her immediate release from detention and for the junta to recognise her victory in November elections, a day after a military coup sparked global outrage.
The United States threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar’s generals after they seized power and arrested Suu Kyi and dozens of her allies on dawn raids on Monday.
The Noble Peace laureate’s whereabouts remained unknown more than 24 hours after her arrest and her only communication had come in the form of a statement written in anticipation of the coup calling for protests against military dictatorship.
The UN Security Council was due to meet overnight, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong global response to the military’s latest seizure of power in a country blighted for decades by army rule.
The coup followed a landslide win for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) in November 8 elections, a result the military has refused to accept, citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud.
The army handed power to General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year, crushing hopes the povertystricken country also known as Burma was on the path to stable democracy.
The NLD’s executive committee demanded the release of all detainees ‘‘as soon as possible’’.
In a post on the Facebook page of senior party official May Win Myint, the committee also called for the military to acknowledge the election results and for the new parliament to be allowed to sit.
US President Joe Biden called the crisis a direct assault on Myanmar’s transition to democracy and the rule of law.
‘‘We will work with our partners throughout the region and the world to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law, as well as to hold accountable those responsible for overturning Burma’s democratic transition,’’ he said in a statement.
The United Nations led condemnation of the coup and calls for the release of detainees, in comments largely echoed by Australia, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States.
China did not join the condemnation, saying it noted the events and called on all sides to respect the constitution. Other countries in the region refused to comment on Myanmar’s ‘‘internal affairs’’.
The streets of Myanmar were quiet overnight during a curfew already in place to stop the spread of coronavirus. Troops and riot police took up positions in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial centre Yangon.
By yesterday morning, phone and internet connections were restored but usually bustling marketplaces were quiet and the airport in the commercial hub of Yangon was closed.
The latest coup is the second time the military has refused to recognise a landslide election win for the NLD, having also rejected the result of 1990 polls that were meant to pave the way for multiparty government.
General Min Aung Hlaing has promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the winning party, without giv
ing a timeframe. — Reuters