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The detention of Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and other political leaders has been strongly condemned by the United Nations leadership, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the transfer of power to the military, calling it a serious blow to the country’s democratic reforms.
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention on the eve of the opening session of the new Myanmar Parliament of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders,” a statement issued Sunday by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said.
Guterres expressed his serious concern about the declaration that all legislative, executive, and judicial powers have been transferred to the military and said that these developments are a serious blow to the democratic reforms in Myanmar.
An announcer on Myanmar’s military-owned Myawaddy TV stated on Monday morning, according to media reports, that the military had taken control of the country for a year.
In an early morning raid, Myanmar’s leader Suu Kyi and other senior ruling party figures were arrested, the spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) was quoted as saying in the media.
Guterres stressed that the general elections of November 8, 2020, give the NLD a strong mandate, reflecting the “clear will” of the people of Myanmar to continue on the hard-earned path of democratic reform.
On Monday, the new parliament is scheduled to convene.
The Secretary-General urged the military leadership, through peaceful dialogue, to respect the will of the people of Myanmar and to adhere to democratic standards, with any differences to be resolved.
“All leaders must act in the greater interest of the democratic reform of Myanmar, engage in meaningful dialogue, abstain from violence, and fully respect human rights and fundamental freedoms,” he said.
In a tweet, UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said he was deeply concerned about developments in Myanmar and called for the immediate release of political leaders detained.
Last week, Dujarric said that the UN Secretary-General was following recent developments in Myanmar with “great concern” and Guterres urged all actors to “withdraw from any form of incitement or provocation, demonstrate leadership and adhere to democratic norms” and respect the results of the general election in November.
“Through established legal mechanisms, all electoral disputes should be resolved,” the UN chief said.
After the November 2020 general election, in which the San Suu Kyi-led NLD claimed an overwhelming victory, tensions increased.
