US condemns Myanmar coup, warns of action

The United States on January 31 urged Myanmar’s military to release detained officials, including de facto leader Ang San Suu Kyi and warned of response from Washington over the apparent coup.

Suu Kyi and the country’s president were taken into custody after weeks of rising tensions between the military and the civilian government over allegations of fraud in November’s elections. The military also declared one-year emergency in the country.

“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,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

We “urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today,” she said.

The military last week signaled it could seize power to settle its claims of irregularities in the polls, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won easily.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by the military until democratic reforms began in 2011.

The military said on Monday it was handing power to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing because of “election fraud”. Soldiers are on the streets of the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, and the main city, Yangon.

Ms Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy (NLD) has issued a statement on her behalf saying “I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military”, reports Reuters news agency.

In hours after the arrests, communications networks in Myanmar were restricted, with several mobile phone networks down.