Myanmar military seizes power in apparent coup, detains Suu Kyi
Myanmar's military-owned television on Monday said its commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing has taken over the country in what amounts to a military coup.
The military has declared a one-year state of emergency, and has detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the ruling National League for Democracy.
NLD spokesperson Myo Nyunt told the news agencies that Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained on Monday morning. Myo Nyunt said the situation regarding NLD lawmakers was unclear, with parliament scheduled to convene on the day.
According to the spokesperson: "The military should abide by the law. We need broad support from the international community to protect democracy in Myanmar."
The Chief Minister of the Yangon region has also been detained, according to police sources.
The state-owned mobile carrier has stopped providing services and communications in the capital Naypyidaw have been interrupted.
The Suu Kyi-led NLD, which came to power in 2015, again won a landslide victory in the general election last November. The civilian government was set for its second term. However, the military claimed the election was marred by fraud and demanded an investigation.
This will be the first coup in the country since 1988, marking the collapse of civilian rule after only a decade since it took over the government in 2011.
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| Local Myanmar Military TV Myawaddy has just announced the military has taken over control of the country. That the VP, Myint Swe, a former military general is now the temporary president & he has given authority to the military chief. This will reportedly be for a 1 year period |
On Jan. 26, a military spokesperson did not rule out the possibility of a coup when asked about it at a media conference. The next day, commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech at a military academy that "if the constitution is not followed, then it should be declared invalid."
According to military sources, representatives of the military and the government held a meeting in Naypyitaw on Jan. 28 to seek common ground, but failed to reach an agreement. According to local reports, the military expressed distrust of the electoral commission and asked for a recount of the votes and a postponement of the opening of the parliament, but the government refused.
Related Post: Click here to read a column by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan - Myanmar: Is the Military Planning a Takeover?
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