MYANMAR: International community reacts to military coup

THE arrest and detention of Myanmar’s leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, by the military this morning, has sparked a rash of reactions from the international community.

The Military seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government, and have detained other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party detained alongside.

According to a statement on a military-owned television station, the army said the detentions were carried out in response to “election fraud”, Reuters say.

Reactions to the coup have poured in from different parts of the world:

Antony Blinken, United States, Secretary of State:

“We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on Nov. 8.

“The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately.”

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:

“These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms,” Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

“All leaders must act in the greater interest of Myanmar’s democratic reform, engaging in meaningful dialogue, refraining from violence and fully respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Rohingya Community Leader, Dil Mohammed, in Dhaka:

“We Rohingya community strongly condemn this heinous attempt to kill democracy,” he told Reuters by phone.

“We urge the global community to come forward and restore democracy at any cost.”

India, Foreign Ministry Statement:

“We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely.”

Marise Payne, Australian Foreign Minister:

“The Australian Government is deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar and has detained State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.

“We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully.”

Thant Myint-U, Historian and Author:

“The doors just opened to a very different future. I have a sinking feeling that noone will really be able to control what comes next. And remember Myanmar’s a country awash in weapons, with deep divisions across ethnic and religious lines, where millions can barely feed themselves.”

John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch:

“The military junta that ruled Myanmar for decades never really stepped away from power in the first place … They never really submitted to civilian authority in the first place, so today’s events in some sense are merely revealing a political reality that already existed.

“The U.S. and other countries with sanctions regime should send a strong message today, by immediately revoking sanctions relaxations and imposing strict and directed economic sanctions on the military leadership and its enormous economic conglomerates; and pressing other key counties — including South Korea and Japan — to force businesses to divest. The Burmese junta doesn’t want to go back to being China’s vassal.”

Murray Hiebert, Southeast Asia Expert at Center For Strategic And International Studies, Washington:

“The U.S. as recently as Friday had joined other nations in urging the military not to move forward on its coup threats. China will stand by Myanmar like it did when the military kicked out the Rohingya.

“The Biden Administration has said it will support democracy and human rights. But the top military officers are already sanctioned so it’s not clear immediately clear what concretely the U.S. can do quickly,”

Amnesty International, Dep. Regional Director, Ming Yu Hah:

“The arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and other political figures is extremely alarming.

“Reports of a telecommunications blackout pose a further threat to the population at such a volatile time – especially as Myanmar battles a pandemic, and as internal conflict against armed groups puts civilians at risk in several parts of the country. It is vital that full phone and internet services be resumed immediately.”

Singapore Foreign Ministry

“Singapore expresses grave concern about the latest situation in Myanmar. We are monitoring the situation closely and hope all parties involved will exercise restraint, maintain dialogue, and work towards a positive and peaceful outcome,” the ministry said in a statement.

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, United Kingdom

Britain condemned the coup and the “impriosnement of civilians” in post on Twitter.

“The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released.”

Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary

“At this point, there are no reports of any clashes but we’ll update information and take measures as needed,” he told reporters.

“Japan believes it is important for the parties to solve problems peacefully through dialogue in accordance with the democratic process,” he added.

“The Japanese government has up to now strongly supported the democratic process in Myanmar, and oppose any reversal of that process,” said a statement released by the Foreign Ministry in the name of foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

Philippines

The Philippines is prioritising the safety of its citizens in Myanmar and sees events in the country as “an internal matter that we will not meddle with”, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said.

Cambodia

Longtime Cambodian leader Hun Sen referred to Myanmar’s military coup as the “internal affairs” of the country and declined further comment.

Foreign Ministry, Indonesia

The Indonesian foreign ministry expressed concern over the developments in Myanmar, and called for the adherence to the “principles of democracy and constitutional government”.

“Indonesia urges all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and put forth dialogue in finding solutions to challenges so as not to exacerbate the condition,” it said in a statement.

Foreign Ministry, Malaysia

The Malaysian foreign ministry called on the “Myanmar military and all relevant parties to give utmost priority to the maintenance of peace and security in Myanmar, uphold the rule of law, and resolve any electoral discrepancies through established legal mechanisms and dialogue in a peaceful manner”.

“Malaysia reaffirms the strong support for Myanmar’s democratic transition, peace process and inclusive economic development,” it added.

Compiled from BBC, Reuters, Aljazeera