Myanmar's Suu Kyi Detained & Emergency Declared
The military detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the governing party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and took control over Myanmar on Monday 1st February.
Myanmar was under strong military rule for almost 49 year. Aung San Suu Kyi is the most famous & strongest political leader in Myanmar. Between 1989 and 2010 she was placed under house arrest by the Myanmar military many times. She was under house arrest for almost 15 years. This is because she was constantly advocating for peace and democracy in Myanmar. Suu Kyi even won a Nobel Peace Prize. Then in 2015 she contested the elections and won the. She was the head of the National League for Democracy (NLD). The NLD formed the government and Win Myint became the president. NLD again contested the elections in November and won with a massive majority but the country's powerful military alleged fraud. The Election Commission was also asked to release voter lists. The stand-off between the government and the army increased last week when General Min Aung Hlaing, the chief of the military, said that the "Myanmar’s constitution can be changed under certain circumstances."
On 1st February, the military took control of Myanmar and arrested the president Win Myint, Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD). It is not clear where they are being held. A year-long emergency has also been declared in the nation. Myo Nyunt, the spokesperson for NLD confirmed that the leaders have been arrested. Nyunt said, “I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law.” Panic and uncertainty took over Myanmar and it became very difficult to communicate with people living in the capital city of Naypyidaw. Soldiers were deployed in the main city of Yangon. International & domestic TV channels were stopped. Internet & phone services were disconnected. Banks were forced to close. The military even announced replacement for various ministers.
Before she was arrested, Sui Kyi wrote a letter to her supporters saying that if the military took control of Myanmar, their country would go back to dictatorship. People from all over the world are shocked by what is happening in Myanmar. The Australian government urged the military to release civilian leaders. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, “The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.”
