In a televised address, the military announced that power had been transferred to the commander in chief of the armed forces and declared a national state of emergency for a year.
According to a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), de facto leader Suu Kyi and several state ministers are being held in the capital, Naypyidaw.
The two agencies have sought to share power since the 2015 elections, the first openly contested poll in Myanmar since the end of military rule. That power-sharing relationship now appears to be over after Monday’s coup d’état.
Here’s what you need to know about the situation.
Who is Suu Kyi? What is Myanmar’s political system?
Despite the start of some democratic reforms and the installation of a quasi-civilian government led by General Thein Sein in 2011, Myanmar’s military was reluctant to relinquish their power. The ruling junta drafted a constitution in 2008 that ensured that the military would continue to exercise significant political and economic influence regardless of future governments.
Under this constitution, the military is allocated a quarter of the seats in parliament and retains control over important ministries such as internal affairs and defense. The military also has a right of veto over any attempts to amend the constitution.
Within this framework, Suu Kyi and the NLD first formed a government in 2015. She was elected under the title of state adviser – which was invented as a loophole, as the military’s constitution prevented her from becoming president.
Genocide allegations against the Rohingya
After her victory in 2015, Suu Kyi’s tenure was soon marred by difficulties in making real progress in the peace process aimed at ending the country’s many ethical civil wars.
What caused the coup?
Monday’s crackdown is centered around the parliamentary elections in November.
The military also repeatedly contested the election results. It claims, without providing evidence, that there are more than 10.5 million cases of “potential fraud, such as non-existent voters” and called on the election committee to release final voting data.
The election commission has denied that there is widespread voter fraud.
On Monday it became clear that the army had seized power by a coup d’état.
What is the situation on the spot? What’s next?
Myanmar’s first vice president and former General Myint Swe was appointed acting president of the country on Monday. The whereabouts of Suu Kyi and the other detained officials and ministers are unknown.
In its televised address, the military said it had detained Suu Kyi and other political leaders for not taking action for groundless electoral fraud and declared a state of emergency for a year. Power was turned over to Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who will investigate voting irregularities, according to the announcement.
In a statement later on Monday, Min Aung Hlaing’s office said elections will not take place until after the election commission has been “reconstituted” and voter rolls examined.
“There will be free and fair multi-party general elections and then the responsibilities of the state will be transferred to the winning party that conforms to the norms and standards of democracy,” the statement said.
It’s hard to say what will come next, especially since access to the Internet and news has been widespread across the country – which can affect people’s ability to get information or organize responses through social media.
Netblocks, which monitors internet outages around the world, said real-time network data showed a major drop in connectivity in the early hours of Monday morning. At one point, the only operational TV channel was Myawaddy TV, a Myanmar military-owned television network.
According to a statement from the Myanmar Bank Association, banks across the country were also temporarily closed and operations halted until the internet connection improves.
What have world leaders said?
World leaders and international organizations were quick to speak of alarm and concern.
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation, the White House said in a statement. The statement added that the US “opposes any attempt to change the outcome of recent elections or hinder Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.”
Other countries, including India, Japan, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, have also released statements calling for de-escalation and the release of those detained.
Australia on Monday called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other senior leaders detained by the military.
In a statement, Marise Payne, the Foreign Minister, said: “The Australian government is deeply concerned about reports that the Myanmar military is trying to seize control of Myanmar again.”
“We call on the military to respect the rule of law, resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms, and immediately release all civilian leaders and others who have been unlawfully detained,” the statement said.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern, saying in a statement that it urged “all parties in Myanmar to exercise restraint and initiate a dialogue to find solutions to challenges so as not to aggravate the situation. “.
Meanwhile, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said they are “learning more about the situation” and that China is “a friendly neighbor of Myanmar, and we hope all parties in Myanmar will properly deal with their disputes within it. constitutional and legal framework and will maintain political and social stability. “
“The actions of the military show a deep disregard for the November democratic elections and the right of the people of Myanmar to choose their own government,” Brad Adams, Asia director of the international NGO Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. . “We urge concerned governments to speak out strongly against the actions of the military and consider targeted sanctions against those responsible.”