Myanmar Army declares state of emergency and takes control

Until now Vice President Myint Swe assumes the presidency and the head of the Armed Forces, Min Aung Hlaing, will control the authorities.

The Burmese Army declared a state of emergency on Monday (02.01.2021) and took political control of the country for a year after detaining several members of the Government, according to a television channel controlled by the Armed Forces.

Until now Vice President Myint Swe - who was appointed to office by the military thanks to the powers reserved for them by the current Constitution - assumes the presidency; while Army Chief Min Aung Hlaing will control the authorities, the Myawaddy News channel noted.

The military seizure of power comes hours after the arrest of the Executive, including the de facto leader, the State Councilor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the until now president, Win Myint, in addition to others. politicians and activists.

US threatens to respond after arrests

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement that "the United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of the recent elections or impede the democratic transition in Burma, and we will take action against those responsible if they are. measures are not reversed. "

"We urge the military and all parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and release those who were arrested today," added the spokeswoman for the new US president, Joe Biden.

Australia calls for release of "illegally" detained leaders

For her part, the Australian Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, expressed in a statement Canberra's support for the democratic transition in Burma, which began in 2011 after almost half a century of military dictatorship, and urged the military command to respect the rule of law and resolve disputes through legal mechanisms. "We strongly support the peaceful convening of the National Assembly, in line with the results of the November 2020 general elections," reaffirmed Payne.

UN chief "strongly condemns" arrest of Burmese leaders

The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterrez, "strongly" condemned the arrests and stated that "these events are a severe blow to the democratic reforms in Burma."

For this Monday the opening of the new Parliament that emerged in those elections was scheduled, which for the opposition Party of Solidarity and Development of the Union (USDP), the old government formation created by the previous military junta before dissolving, were developed between alleged irregularities.

The Burmese Army declared a state of emergency on Monday by taking political control of the country for a year after detaining several members of the government, according to the military-controlled television channel.

The hitherto vice president, Myint Swe, who was appointed to the post by the military thanks to the powers reserved for them by the current Constitution, assumes the presidency; while the head of the Armed Forces, Min Aung Hlaing, will control the authorities, said the Myawaddy News channel.

The takeover of military power comes a few hours after the arrest of the Executive, including its de facto leader, State Councilor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the president, Win Myint, as well as others until today. politicians and activists, reported a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy (LND) party.

Telephone and communication lines have been cut from early in the morning throughout the country, while the only means of communication that is broadcasting is the military channel.

Burma's parliament was scheduled to hold the first session of the legislature on Monday after the November 2020 elections, when the NLD, a formation of Suu Kyi, achieved a landslide victory.

The rumors of a coup d'état had intensified since last Tuesday the military spokesman Zaw Min Tun refused to rule out the seizure of power by the Army after denouncing alleged irregularities in the legislative elections on November 8.

The powerful Burmese Army, which ruled the country between 1962 and 2011, when a controlled transition to democracy began, finally rejected that possibility on Saturday and guaranteed in a statement its commitment to uphold the Constitution.

Suu Kyi's landslide electoral victory demonstrated her great popularity in Burma, despite her bad international reputation for policies against the Rohingya minority, many of whom are denied citizenship and vote, among other rights. .

The alleged irregularities were first denounced by the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the former government formation created by the previous military junta before dissolving.

The Electoral Commission has denied electoral fraud in the November elections, won with an overwhelming majority by the National League for Democracy to win 83 percent of the 476 seats in the Legislature.

The USDP was the big loser of the elections, winning only 33 seats, and it has refused to accept the results, even asking for new elections organized by the Army to be held.

The military, who wrote the current Constitution in a roadmap to achieve a "disciplined democracy", already had great powers in the country, having 25 percent of the seats in Parliament and the influential ministries of the Interior, Borders and Defense. EFE