February 1, 2021
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) Myanmar’s military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.
An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said the military would take control of the country for one year. It said the seizure was necessary because the government had not acted on the military’s claims of fraud in November’s elections in which Suu Kyi’s ruling party won a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs and because it allowed the election to go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.
The election commission rejected the claims last week, stating there was no evidence to support them.
The military takeover came on what was to be the first day of the new parliament following the elections. A later announcement on Myawaddy TV said the military would hold an election after the one-year emergency ends and would turn over power to the winner.
What’s happening now
Telecommunications in Myanmar came to a near halt in the morning and early afternoon. In the capital, internet and phone access appeared to be blocked. Many people elsewhere in the country who could still access the internet found their social media accounts had been temporarily suspended.
Myanmar s military takes power in coup, detains Suu Kyi roanoke.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from roanoke.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Aung San Suu Kyi is feeling well and taking walks in the grounds of her home after she was detained by the army as part of Myanmar coup - as world leaders demand her release
Aung San Suu Kyi, the de-facto leader of Myanmar, has been arrested along with the country s president
She is feeling well and taking walks around her official residence where she is being held, spokesperson said
Arrests were carried out by the military early Monday as generals staged a coup against the government
Comes after Suu Kyi s party won last year s election by a landslide, leading to fears among military leaders that she would try to reform the constitution to remove their grip on power
Why the military is taking control in Myanmar, explained MarketWatch 2/1/2021
ASSOCIATED PRESS
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Myanmar’s military has staged a coup, detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior politicians and taken control of the country under a one-year state of emergency. Here are some possible reasons why the military has taken over now.
The constitution
The announcement on military-owned Myawaddy TV cited Article 417 of the country’s constitution, which allows the military to take over in times of emergency. The announcer said the coronavirus crisis and the government’s failure to postpone November elections during the pandemic were reasons for the emergency.