Myanmar’s powerful military detained the country’s leader in an overnight raid, the ruling National League for Democracy said on Monday. Other senior leaders from the party have also been “taken” in an apparent coup.
“I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law,” said spokesman Myo Nyunt, revealing that the 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other leaders were now in custody.
He added that he also expected to be taken.
“With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup,” he added.
Hours later, the country’s military officials said the politicians were arrested in response to election fraud. A military-owned television said the army would be taking control of the country for one year. Former general Myint Swe, who had been serving as vice president until Monday’s coup, would now rule as acting president.
“The UEC (election commission) failed to solve huge voter lists irregularities in the multiparty general election which was held on November 8th 2020,” said a statement signed by Myint Swe.
The statement said “other party organizations” were “harming the stability of the state.”
“As the situation must be resolved according to the law, a state of emergency is declared.”
Source : DW News
