Myanmar’s military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. She and other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party have been detained in early morning raids, according to a report from Reuters.
The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to alleged“election fraud”. It has now handed power to the military chief, Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.
The coup derails years of Western-backed efforts to establish democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where neighbouring China also has a powerful influence. The efforts include resolutions to tackle the Rohingya refugee crisis and address the military’s abuse of power, as well as a United Nation’s General Assembly Resolution, which was passed by a total of 134 countries in the 193-member world body, with nine votes against and 28 abstaining.
Phone and internet connections in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial centre of Yangon were disrupted and state television went off the air after the NLD leaders were detained.
Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other NLD leaders were “taken” in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.
Troops and riot police stood on guard in Yangon, where residents rushed to markets to stock up on supplies and others lined up at ATMs to withdraw cash. Banks subsequently suspended their services due to poor internet connections.
The detentions came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the military in the aftermath of the election.
