E-Paper
Coup for US, ‘cabinet reshuffle’ for China: Here’s how the world reacted to Myanmar crisis
The military, which ruled Myanmar for nearly five decades, again took control of the country under a state of emergency and handed power to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, on early Monday morning declared they have taken control of the country after detaining several political leaders, including state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The military alleged that the November elections, in which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) registered a massive win, were marred with irregularities. It declared a state of emergency for a year and pledged to hold fresh elections. The announcement triggered strong reactions from all over the world and US President Joe Biden even threatened to put back the sanctions that were removed by former president Barack Obama.
Here’s how the world reacted to Myanmar’s political crisis:
United States
President Joe Biden called the coup a “direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy”, urging the armed forces to respect Myanmar’s progress towards the establishment of civilian government and peaceful transfer of power. In a statement released by the White House, Biden called on the international community to press the Tatmadaw to immediately relinquish the power, release all activists and leaders, and lift all telecommunication restrictions.
“The United States is taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult hour,” the statement read, adding that the US will stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack.
India
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) gave a short and measured response to the developments unfolding in Myanmar, saying India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition. “We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely,” the ministry said.
United Kingdom
Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the military coup and called on the armed forces to respect the vote of people and release civilian leaders. In a separate statement, the UK Foreign Office said that there is a need for peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly and respecting the results of general elections.
“The UK calls on the military to respect the rule of law and human rights, and release those unlawfully detained,” the statement read.
Read | Myanmar military coup: 24 hours later, whereabouts of Aung San Suu Kyi remains unknown
China
While China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a news conference that Beijing has “noted” the developments, the state media reported the coup as "major cabinet reshuffle". Wenbin said that Beijing hopes all parties will properly their differences under the constitutional and legal framework and uphold political stability. "Myanmar military announced a major cabinet reshuffle hours after the country declared the state of emergency on Monday," reported Xinhua.
European Union
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell released a statement condemning the “unacceptable attempt to forcibly overturn” the election results, urging to settle the allegations of voting irregularities within proper legal and administrative channels. The 27-members bloc called upon the armed forces to immediately release all those who have been arrested, end the state of emergency and restore the civilian government. “We stand ready to support dialogue with all key stakeholders who wish to resolve the situation in good faith, and to return to the constitutional order,” the high representative said on the behalf of the EU. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen echoed the statement and reiterated the call for the unconditional release of all those detained.
