In a televised speech, the army announced that power had been handed over to the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and that it was declaring a state of national emergency for a year.
De facto leader Suu Kyi and several state ministers are being detained in the capital Naypyidaw, according to a spokesman for the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Both bodies have been trying to share power since the 2015 elections, the first openly contested vote in Myanmar since the end of the military regime. This power-sharing relationship now appears to have ended after Monday’s coup.
Here’s what you need to know about the situation.
Who is Suu Kyi? What is the political system in Myanmar?
However, despite embarking on some democratic reforms and installing a quasi-civilian government under General Thein Sein in 2011, the Myanmar military was unwilling to give up its power. The governing board drafted a constitution in 2008 that guaranteed that the military would continue to exercise significant political and economic influence, regardless of future administrations.
Under this constitution, the military receives a quarter of seats in parliament and maintains control of key ministries, such as home affairs and defense. The military also has veto power in any attempt to amend the constitution.
It is within this structure that Suu Kyi and the NLD formed a government for the first time in 2015. She was elected to the post with the title of state councilor – which was invented as a loophole, since the constitution prepared by the military forbade her to become president.
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After his victory in 2015, Suu Kyi’s mandate was quickly hampered by difficulties in making real progress with the peace process aimed at ending the country’s many ethical civil wars.
What triggered the coup?
Monday’s crackdown revolves around the November parliamentary election.
The military has also repeatedly contested the election results. It claims, without providing evidence, that there are more than 10.5 million cases of “potential fraud, such as non-existent voters” and called on the electoral commission to publicly release the final voting data.
The electoral commission denied that there was widespread electoral fraud.
On Monday, it was clear that the military had taken power in a coup.
What is the situation on the ground? What is the next?
Myanmar’s first vice president and former general Myint Swe was sworn in as the country’s interim president on Monday. The whereabouts of Suu Kyi and other detained officials and ministers are unknown.
In its television speech, the army said it had arrested Suu Kyi and other political leaders for failing to take action against unfounded electoral fraud and declared a state of emergency for a year. Power was transferred to Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who will conduct an investigation into electoral irregularities, according to the announcement.
In a statement on Monday, Min Aung Hlaing’s office said the elections will take place only after the electoral commission has been “reconstituted” and voter lists have been investigated.
“A free and fair multiparty general election will be held and then the responsibilities of the state will be handed over to the winning party, fulfilling the norms and standards of democracy,” the statement said.
It is difficult to say what will come next, especially as there has been a widespread disruption to access to the Internet and news across the country – which can affect people’s ability to obtain information or organize any response via social media.
Netblocks, which monitors internet blackouts worldwide, said real-time network data showed a huge drop in connectivity in the early hours of Monday morning. At one point, the only operational TV channel was the Myawaddy TV network owned by the Myanmar military.
Banks across the country were also temporarily closed, with operations interrupted until the Internet connection improves, according to a statement from the Myanmar Banking Association.
What did world leaders say?
World leaders and international organizations were quick to express alarm and concern.
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation, the White House said in a statement. The statement added that the United States “is opposed to any attempt to alter the outcome of the recent elections or prevent Myanmar’s democratic transition and will take action against those responsible if those measures are not reversed.”
Other countries, including India, Japan, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, also issued statements calling for a reduction in the escalation and the release of detainees.
Australia on Monday called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other key leaders being detained by the military.
In a statement, Marise Payne, the Foreign Minister, said: “The Australian government is deeply concerned about reports that the Myanmar military is once again trying to take control of Myanmar.”
“We ask the military to respect the rule of law, resolve disputes through legal mechanisms and immediately release all civilian and other leaders who have been illegally detained,” the statement said.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern, saying in a statement that it urged “all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and dialogue to find solutions to the challenges in order not to make the situation worse”.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that they are “learning more about the situation” and that China is “a close friend of Myanmar, and we hope that all parties in Myanmar will deal with adequately with their differences according to the constitutional and legal framework and maintain political and social stability. “
“The military’s actions show total disdain for the democratic elections held in November and the right of the people of Myanmar to choose their own government,” Brad Adams, director of the international NGO Human Rights Watch for Asia, said in a statement. “We urge concerned governments to speak out strongly against military action and to consider specific sanctions against those responsible.”