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More than a dozen embassies are joining the UN in a chorus of international concerns over a possible coup.
More than a dozen embassies, including the United States and the European Union delegation, have urged Myanmar to “adhere to democratic standards”, joining the United Nations in a chorus of international concerns over a possible coup of state.
The appeal was made on Friday as Myanmar is roughly 10 out of nearly 50 years of military rule, with an emerging democracy ruled by a constitution drafted by the military that dictates the division of power between the civilian administration. and the generals of the country.
For weeks, the powerful army alleged irregularities November election, which Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide.
Their call for voter registration checks intensified this week, with an army spokesman refusing on Tuesday to rule out the possibility of a military takeover to deal with what he called a political crisis .
Fears grew after Army chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing – arguably Myanmar’s most powerful individual – appeared to echo the sentiment on Wednesday when he said the country’s constitution could be ” revoked ”in certain circumstances.
Newly-elected MPs are expected to start sitting in parliament on February 1, and security in the capital Naypyidaw was tight on Friday, with police guarding the roads with fences and barbed wire.
The US Embassy – with 16 countries including the former British colonial power and the EU delegation – issued a statement on Friday urging the military to “adhere to democratic standards.”
“We look forward to the peaceful convening of Parliament on February 1 and the election of the president and speakers,” he said.
“[We] oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition. “
‘Great concern’
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also expressed “great concern” over recent developments in Myanmar, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
“He
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He urges all actors to refrain from any form of incitement or provocation, to show leadership, to adhere to democratic standards and to respect the outcome of the [election]”Dujarric said in a statement.
The November polls were only the second democratic election Myanmar has seen since emerging from the curtain of a 49-year military dictatorship.
As expected, Aung San Suu Kyi – an immensely popular figure in Myanmar – and his party swept the ballot boxes, renewing their administration’s lease for five years.
But the military alleges there have been 10 million cases of electoral fraud across the country – a claim it wants to investigate and which has demanded the publication of electoral lists by the electoral commission for verification.
The commission released a defending statement on Thursday, saying the polls were free, fair and credible, and had “[reflected] the will of the people ”.
While the commission also denied allegations of electoral fraud, it recognized “loopholes” in the electoral rolls in previous elections and said it was currently investigating a total of 287 complaints.
Previously, rights groups criticized the November elections for excluding the persecuted Rohingya minority, tens of thousands of whom were forced to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh in 2017.
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