“We condemn the Tatmadaw’s apparent coup d’état and its complete disregard for the rule of law. We urge the Tatmadaw to stand down, respect the results of the 2020 general election, immediately allow the elected Parliament to convene, and respect human rights.”
President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other leaders of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were detained during raids in Naypyidaw. A number of activists were detained in Yangon. Shortly after, the Tatmadaw announced that power had been handed over to Vice-President and retired general Myint Swe.
“For over a decade, FIDH and its member organizations’ calls to dismantle Myanmar military’s system of impunity have been set aside in favor of diplomatic and economic engagement. Now it is abundantly clear that a comprehensive international response targeting the military’s interests, including its economic holdings, must be urgently established to reverse these deplorable developments.”
The Parliament that was elected in the 8 November 2020 general election was scheduled to convene in Naypyidaw today to begin the process of picking the country’s leaders for the next five years. The NLD won the election by a landslide – an outcome that the Tatmadaw and its proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) falsely claimed was the result of widespread fraud and irregularities.
| Press contacts FIDH: Ms. Eva Canan, (English, French) - Tel: +33648059157 (Paris) ALTSEAN-Burma: Ms. Debbie Stothard (English) - Tel: +66816861652 (Bangkok) |