Myanmar Military Detains Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other top government figures have been detained “by the military,” a spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy told CNN on Monday.
“State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures are currently detained in (the capital city of) Naypyidaw,” spokesman Myo Nyunt said.
The spokesman mentioned that the military had detained several ministers from large states in Myanmar. “The military seems to take control of the capital now,” spokesman Myo Nyunt said.
The move comes after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military. Reuters reported this tension comes in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.
The NLD claimed victory after an election in November 2020. The election is the country’s second democratic ballot since the end of military rule in 2015.
Myanmar Human Rights NGOs Protest Online
Human rights non-government organisation Burma Rights UK posted on their Twitter account the detention of Suu Kyi’s was “devastating.”
“This action requires the strongest international response. The military needs to understand. They have made a major miscalculation in thinking they can get away with this,” the group said.
Majority of the people in Myanmar regard Aung San Suu Kyi as a hero of democracy. Firstly, she is the daughter of assassinated independence icon, Suu Kyi. Secondly, she also spent two decades under house arrest.
She has been Myanmar’s de facto leader since her party won a landslide victory in 2015. Since then she has held the position of state counsellor.
In recent years, her international reputation has suffered. This is primarily due to her uncaring handling of the genocide against Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya population.
Myanmar denies the charges and has long claimed to have been targeting terrorists. Above all, Myanmar continues to have a disappointing human rights record.
