The United States has expressed shock over developments in Myanmar where Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained and said President Joe Biden has been briefed in this regard the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
“The US is alarmed by reports that Burmese military has taken steps to undermine country’s democratic transition, including arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma. President Biden has been briefed by NSA,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement.
The US urged Myanmar’s military to release all those detained and to respect the results of the election.
“The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed,” Psaki said.
Myanmar’s military has taken power for a year after declaring a state of emergency in response to its claims of election fraud, reports said.
The move came after days of escalating tension between the government and the military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election.
Ever since Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory in the second general election after decades of army rule, the military and its political factions have demanded authorities investigate its allegations of mass voting fraud.
Myanmar’s election commission last week had labeled the vote transparent and fair, and the US, United Nations and the European Union urged the military to respect the results.
Top military leaders had hinted at seizing power, even while saying they pledged to work in accordance with the law. In a statement on Sunday, Myanmar’s military — known as the Tatmadaw — denied objecting to the outcome of the election and said it “finds the process of the 2020 election unacceptable.” The constitution allows the military to take power during a state of emergency that could cause disintegration of the union or “national solidarity.”
Myanmar’s military had retained wide powers under the constitution even after a shift to democracy a decade ago, which prompted the U.S. and European Union to lift sanctions on the Southeast Asian country.
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