Yangon: Myanmar’s military has taken power for a year after declaring a state of emergency in response to its claims of election fraud, reports said, after Aung San Suu Kyi and other top leaders were detained in an early-morning raid.
Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders were detained by Myanmar’s army, Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy, said by phone. TV channels, phone and internet communications were all spotty, making it difficult to get information from the country. The military has yet to release a statement.
The U.S. and Australia urged Myanmar’s military to release all those detained and to respect the results of the election. “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,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Ever since Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory in the second general election after decades of army rule, the military and its political factions have demanded authorities investigate its allegations of mass voting fraud. Myanmar’s election commission last week had labeled the vote transparent and fair, and the U.S., United Nations and the European Union urged the military to respect the results.
Top military leaders had hinted at seizing power, even while saying they pledged to work in accordance with the law. In a statement on Sunday, Myanmar’s military — known as the Tatmadaw — denied objecting to the outcome of the election and said it “finds the process of the 2020 election unacceptable.” The constitution allows the military to take power during a state of emergency that could cause disintegration of the union or “national solidarity.”
“It’s a really cynical take on their justification to power, but I would anticipate that they will say this is in line with the military’s duty and obligation to uphold the Constitution as we wrote it,” said Hunter Marston, a Canberra-based political analyst who has written about Myanmar for several publications. “We could see pretty widespread protests in major cities and even around the country in smaller towns, especially in Yangon.”