Despite arresting Myanmar’s key leadership figures, the armed force of Myanmar – the Tatmadaw – has strongly urged some diplomatic missions and high commissions in the country, to not make any unwarranted assumptions about the situation. They demand ‘business as usual’ from foreign missions, while a year-long emergency was announced
@Kunal_Chonkar
New Delhi: Myanmar’s military has seized control of the nation, after placing the National League for Democracy (NLD) Chairperson and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest before dawn on 1 February. All authority has been given to the top army commander and a one-year state of emergency has been declared, read an official statement released on a military-run television station.
In addition, Yangon Region’s Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein, Kayin State’s Chief Minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint, Rakhine State’s Chief Minister Nyi Pu, Shan State’s Minister of Planning and Finance Soe Nyunt Lwin, and three others including the party Chairman in Kayah State have also been detained by the military forces.
The NLD won the 2020 election, and the first session of the Pyithu Hluttaw (House of Representatives) was scheduled to hold its first session today when the election results are set to take effect, and the Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities) session is scheduled to begin on 2 February. Alleging that there were ‘strategic and deliberate errors’ made in the voter list featuring millions of citizens during the election process, the military and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) continued to pressurize the President and the Union Election Commission (UEC) to provide a solution.
However, political tensions arose after Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun from the Tatmadaw True News Information Team, while addressing a press conference directed that ‘one could not assume there would be no coup.’ Demonstrations in support of the military and against the UEC have been held in Yangon since 29 January, with protest leaders calling on the military to act decisively. International media is still trying to confirm the arrests with party spokespersons and family members.
Speaking to national media, NLD spokesman Dr. Myo Nyunt said he could not say with certainty as he had not received any precise information so far, but that the party would face it in accordance with the law. “I would like to ask the people to respond with calm and in accordance with the law, and not do anything impulsively,” Dr. Myo Nyunt said.
Reports added that telephone and internet lines have been disrupted in Naypyidaw, with no possibilities of confirming further developments or arrests. The following names of suspected arrests were made public by several national media sources in Myanmar. The list includes – Min Thway Thit, Mya Aye, Han Thar Myint, Shwetaung Township NLD Chairman Nyunt Wai, and some other NLD Hluttaw members as well.
170 Groups Issued Joint Statement Rejecting Changes to Election Results
Meanwhile, on 30 January, more than 170 pro-democracy groups across the nation, including the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, had issued a joint statement voicing that they do not accept any changes to the election results, with threats of a coup.
The statement said that ‘the current situation is one heading from the underlying 2020 election reasons toward an unstable political landscape with coup threats, and that such a landscape could have deleterious effects on the domestic peace process and Myanmar’s democratic transition.’ It added that ‘to prevent these deleterious effects the people’s expression of their desire for democracy in the 2020 election needs to be respected, and the groups reject and oppose any coup, which will undermine the democratic transition and the peace process, as well as any threat of a coup.’
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U Jimmy from the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society said, “The first point is that we do not accept changes to the election results. When we say the people who must be respected, we are calling for recognition of the election results. The second point is that we are giving notice that, with regard to things like talk of a coup and whatnot, which will bring suffering and deleterious effects to the country, we do not accept even a threat of it.”
Khun Bedu, Chairman of the Kayan National Party said the joint statement was issued out of concern for the current situation. “We do not know for certain whether there will be a coup. This is our position toward a situation that all of our close partner organizations are worried about. Our main position is that we wish for the transition to be smoother than it is. We are also reminding or asking all forces in this country to exercise good judgment about this, so we issued this statement,” he added.
The statement was issued by about 170 pro-democracy groups from all walks of life, including the Former Political Prisoners Society, the Movement for Democracy Current Forces, the University Teachers’ Associations Network, the Disabled People’s Development Organization, We the Farmers Organization, the Kayan National Party, the All Myanmar Trade Unions Network, the Myanmar Writers Union, the Myanmar Poets Union, the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, the Paung Ku Organization, the Future Light Center, the Path of Flowers group, the Salween Institute, the Arakan Women Development Organization, and the Peace for Youth group.
Military-Controlled TV Station Announces State of Emergency For One Year
A state of emergency was announced via Myawady TV after Vice President U Myint Swe took over as acting President. The aired statement read that ‘the state of emergency will be applied across the country, is declared in accordance with Section 417 of Constitution, and will last for one year, according to the announcement.’
It added that ‘the huge errors on the voter lists, failing to resolve the problems with the voter lists, refusing to postpone the meetings of the Amyotha Hluttaw and the Pyithu Hluttaw, and the announcement of a schedule of Hluttaw proceedings all constitute actions to obtain the state’s sovereign power via an unjust use of force in violation of Section 417 of the Constitution. This type of action also damages the unity of the national ethnic groups.’
It further claimed ‘protests against the UEC were held in towns and cities, and counter demonstrations by other parties and individuals were also held with acts of instigation, including the hoisting of flags. Given that this situation profoundly impedes the tranquility of the nation and, if appropriate action is not taken, this will create obstacles on the road to democracy. As such, to resolve this matter in accordance with the law, a state of emergency is hereby declared in accordance with Section 417 of the 2008 Constitution. As per the announcement ‘in accordance to the stipulated in Section 418 (A), the state’s legislative, administrative, and judicial powers are handed over to the Commander in Chief of the Defense Services to execute the necessary tasks, including verification of voter lists.’
Military Urges Diplomatic Missions Against ‘Unwarranted Assumptions’ on Election
The armed force of Myanmar – the Tatmadaw – has strongly urged some diplomatic missions and high commissions in the country, to not make any unwarranted assumptions about the situation. It said that ‘the international community should not be endorsing the next steps of the political process on a business-as-usual basis, without understanding the actual events, and without any examination of these numbers and lists.’
The Tatmadaw is the one pressing for adherence to democratic norms, and requesting the UEC and NLD-led government to make public the official and final data from the UEC. However, to date, they have not, thus the Tatmadaw categorically denies it is impeding Myanmar’s democratic transition. Defending their actions they claimed that ‘we would kindly point out that it was the military who set the country on this path of democratic transition since it drew up the 2008 Constitution, which laid out the roadmap for orderly reform and graduate transition to a democracy.’
The Tatmadaw pointed that it finds the process of the 2020 election unacceptable, with over 10.5 million cases of potential fraud, such as non-existent voters. It questioned foreign missions – would any of the countries whose missions issued the statement (on election) accept such massive fraud?
Thus, the Tatmadaw said that ‘clearly, some diplomatic missions in Myanmar have released a statement without proper knowledge of what has actually happened, and we urge you to reconsider the facts, review the data, and the implications of this statement. The Tatmadaw will do everything possible to adhere to the democratic norms of free and fair elections, as set out by the 2008 Constitution, lasting peace, and inclusive well-being and prosperity for the people of Myanmar.’
