We, and others, welcomed them as a strong endorsement of Myanmar’s desire for a democratic future. The elections in 2020, though by no means perfect, were an important step on Myanmar’s path to democracy. Our thoughts are with the people of Myanmar who have once again been robbed of their inherent democratic rights. Madam Deputy Speaker, the events of Sunday night have filled us all with a profound sense of revulsion and sadness. The reports today of the arrest of the Chair of the Union Election Commission are deeply concerning.
The Myanmar Supreme Court is hearing a case on alleged irregularities but has not yet decided whether it has jurisdiction. Any dispute regarding the election results should be resolved through peaceful and lawful mechanisms. The Commander-in-Chief has indicated that they intend to hold new elections to replace the results of those in November 2020.
#Myanmar military coup for free#
International observers, such as the Carter Centre and the Asian Network for Free Elections, found no evidence of significant irregularities in the elections.Īs such, the UK considers the election result to credibly reflect the will of the people, and that Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party are the rightful winners of the election. While there were significant concerns about the disenfranchisement of minority groups such as the Rohingya, there are no suggestions of widespread irregularities. Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy won by a landslide, and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party’s share was drastically reduced. The military’s actions follow on from their accusations of fraud during November’s elections. Only military broadcasters are still on air and phone lines and the internet remains at risk of being disconnected again. The army has taken control of the airports. The Tatmadaw has said that this state of emergency will continue for a year. The country is now under the effective control of the Commander in Chief and the military Vice President Myint Swe.Īt around 2am local time on 1 February, the Tatmadaw began detaining politicians and civil society leaders across the country, including the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint. On Sunday evening, Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, seized control of the country, declaring a state of emergency in the early hours of Monday morning.
#Myanmar military coup update#
I would like to update the House on the situation in Myanmar.