Myanmar ‘coup’: Leader ‘detained’ in early morning raid amid fears of military takeover – World News

Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the Myanmar ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid thought to be the start of a military coup.

The move comes after rising tensions between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a takeover the aftermath of an election the army claims was fraudulent.

Spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders had been ‘taken’ in the early hours of the morning.

He said: “I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law.”

He added that he also expected to be detained.

Phone lines to Naypyitaw, the capital, were said to be not reachable in the early hours of Monday and a military spokesperson did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

There are reports the internet has been blocked by the military.

An NLD lawmaker, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation told Reuters that another of those detained was Han Thar Myint, a member of the party’s central executive committee.

The move comes after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

Myanmar’s military, which had declined to rule out a coup to overturn an election result it disputes from last year, previously said that it remains committed to democracy.

The new parliament was due to meet on Monday for the first time since the November election, which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, but which the military says was marred by fraud.

A group of Western countries, including the United States issued a joint statement on Friday warning against ‘any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition.’

In a statement on Sunday, the military accused the foreign diplomats of making ‘unwarranted assumptions.’

The military ‘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,’ it said in the statement, posted on Facebook.

Tanks were deployed in some streets last week and pro-military demonstrations have taken place in some cities ahead of the first gathering of parliament.

The army said on Tuesday it would ‘take action’ against the election result, and when asked if it was planning a coup, a spokesman declined to rule it out.

Under the 2008 constitution, the military has gradually relinquished power to democratic institutions but it retains privileges including control of the security forces and some ministries.

Legal complaints over the election are pending at the Supreme Court.

The election commission has rejected the military’s allegations of vote fraud, saying there were no errors big enough to affect the credibility of the vote.