US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken condemned reports that the Burmese military was taking control of the country and retaining senior leaders – including Aung San Suu Kyi, its de facto leader – and called on the military to “immediately reverse these actions. to turn”.
Myawaddy TV, which is controlled by the military, announced the takeover, citing a portion of the military-drafted constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergencies. The presenter said the reason for the takeover was partly due to the fact that the government has not acted on the military’s allegations of voter fraud in last November’s elections and that the elections have not been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. A state of emergency has been declared for a year.
FILE – In this May 6, 2016, file photo, Aung San Suu Kyi, left, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister, walks with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, right, Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Army, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo / Aung Shine Oo, File)
The National League for Democracy, led by Suu Kyi, said in a statement obtained by Reuters that those in the country must reject the military actions.
GORDON CHANG: CHINA TESTS OFFER WITH INCURSIONS AGAINST TAIWAN, INDIA: ‘THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS TIME’
“The actions of the military are actions to bring the country back under dictatorship,” the statement read. “I urge people not to accept this, to respond and to protest wholeheartedly against the coup by the military.”
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the US is “alarmed” by reports from Burma. President Biden has been briefed on the situation by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
“We continue to express our strong support for Burma’s democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and those detained today to be released, ”she said. She said the US will “take action against those responsible” if the steps are “not reversed.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The takeover is a sharp turnaround in the partial but significant progress towards democracy Myanmar has made in recent years after five decades of military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It would also be a shocking fall from power for Suu. Kyi, who led the struggle for democracy. despite years under house arrest and and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. The BBC reported that the country was ruled by the military until reforms began in 2011. According to the report, the military performed poorly in the November elections and Suu Kyi’s party “did even better than in 2015”.
However, the military claims its actions are legally justified, even though Suu Kyi’s party spokesman and many international observers have said it is in fact a coup. The Commander in Chief of the armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is said to be in control of the country. ABC News reported that he is being charged with human rights violations against the Rohingyas.
Thant Myint-U, a Myanmar historian, told the New York Timesm that the doors in the country were just opening to a “different, almost certainly darker future.”
“Myanmar is a country already at war with itself, overrun with weapons, with millions barely able to feed themselves, deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines,” he said. He continued, “I’m not sure anyone will be able to determine what comes next.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report