Hundreds of Myanmar lawmakers underneath home arrest after coup, Suu Kyi detained

Image Source : AP Myanmar’s navy stand guard at a checkpoint manned with an armored autos blocking a highway resulting in the parliament constructing Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Hundreds of members of Myanmar’s Parliament remained confined inside their authorities housing within the nation’s capital on Tuesday, a day after the navy staged a coup and detained senior politicians together with Nobel laureate and de facto chief Aung San Suu Kyi. 
 
Hundreds of members of Myanmar’s Parliament have been underneath home arrest Tuesday, confined to their authorities housing advanced and guarded by troopers a day after the navy seized energy in a coup and detained senior politicians together with the nation’s de facto chief Aung San Suu Kyi.
One of the detained lawmakers stated he and about 400 others spent a sleepless evening, anxious they could be taken away, however have been in any other case OK. They have been in a position to converse with each other contained in the compound and talk to the surface by cellphone, however weren’t allowed to depart the housing advanced in Naypyitaw, the capital. He stated Suu Kyi was not being held with them.
“We had to stay awake and be alert,” the lawmaker instructed The Associated Press on situation of anonymity out of concern for his security. He stated police have been contained in the advanced, the place members of Suu Kyi’s get together and varied smaller events have been being held, and troopers have been outdoors it.
The coup got here the morning lawmakers had gathered within the capital for the opening of a brand new parliamentary session. The navy stated the seizure was obligatory partially as a result of the federal government had not acted on the navy’s claims of fraud in November’s elections — wherein Suu Kyi’s ruling get together received a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs — and claimed the takeover was authorized underneath the structure. But the transfer was extensively condemned overseas.
READ MORE: Myanmar coup: Military says will maintain elections as quickly as potential
The coup highlights the extent to which the generals have in the end maintained management in Myanmar, regardless of greater than a decade of speak about democratic reforms. Western international locations had greeted the transfer towards democracy enthusiastically, eradicating sanctions that they had in place for years.
The takeover now presents a check for the worldwide group. U.S. President Joe Biden known as the navy’s actions “a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the rule of law” and threatened new sanctions. The U.N. Security Council is anticipated to satisfy concerning the navy’s actions on Tuesday.
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy get together launched a press release Tuesday calling for the navy to honor the outcomes of the election and launch all of these detained — as have the leaders of many different international locations.
“The commander-in-chief seizing the power of the nation is against the constitution and it also neglects the sovereign power of people,” the get together stated in a press release on one in every of its Facebook pages.
An announcement learn on military-owned Myawaddy TV on Monday stated Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing can be answerable for the nation for one 12 months. Later within the day, his workplace introduced a brand new Cabinet composed of present and former generals and former advisers to a earlier authorities headed by former Gen. Thein Sein.
It wasn’t but clear how Myanmar’s individuals will react to the seizure. On Tuesday in Yangon, the nation’s greatest metropolis, the streets have been quieter than ordinary, however markets have been open, road distributors have been nonetheless cooking meals and taxis and buses have been nonetheless operating.

There have been no outward indicators of heavy safety — however an unease has set in. People have been eradicating the as soon as ubiquitous crimson flags of Suu Kyi’s get together from their properties and companies.
In 1988 and 2007, public uprisings towards the navy led to bloodshed.
Bo Bo Oo, a National League for Democracy lawmaker and former political prisoner, stated the get together was not at the moment planning road protests, however is exploring authorized choices in an effort to take energy again from the navy.
“We are working to settle the problem peacefully,” he stated. “Right now we are not planning for a big protest. But we have to practice some form of civil disobedience.”
He stated he believed he might be arrested at any time.
“For many years the Burmese people have worked hard for democracy. It’s been such a long journey,” he stated, utilizing an alternate title for Myanmar’s individuals. “And now this is one of the worst moments in our country’s history.”
The takeover additionally marks a stunning fall from energy for Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who had lived underneath home arrest for years as she tried to push her nation towards democracy after which grew to become its de facto chief after her get together received elections in 2015.
Suu Kyi had been a fierce critic of the military throughout her years in detention. But after her shift from democracy icon to politician, she labored with the generals, who regardless of permitting elections maintained management of key ministries and assured themselves sufficient seats in Parliament to have veto energy over any constitutional adjustments.
While the 75-year-old has remained common at house, Suu Kyi’s deference to the generals — going as far as to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that the United States and others have labeled genocide — has left her repute tarnished overseas.
READ MORE: UN Security Council to debate state of affairs in Myanmar following navy coup
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