The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the arrest of the civilian government authorities and taking over the control of the country by the military in Myanmar.
In a statement released by the spokesperson of the Secretary-General, he voiced grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military. He said these developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar.
Endorsing the results of the Nov. 8 Union Elections, the Secretary-General urged the military leadership to respect the will of the people of Myanmar and adhere to democratic norms. He urged to resolve any differences through peaceful dialogue.
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also condemned the Myanmar coup and imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi. He said that the vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released.
The US also expressed alarm at the arrest of the civilian leaders in Myanmar. A statement issued by the White House said that the US is monitoring the situation closely. The US has urged the military to release the detained leaders. The US has said that it opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of the recent elections and warned that it will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.
India has also voiced its concern over the developments in Myanmar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. It said that rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld.
In the meanwhile, Reuters reported that all the banks in Myanmar are shut temporarily due to the unstable system and slow internet. A US embassy linked official website has said that all airports in Myanmar are closed.
In an early morning development on Sunday, the Myanmar military Tatmadaw arrested the civilian head of government Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, Chief Ministers of regions and states and other senior leaders of the ruling party National League for Democracy (NLD) hours before the newly elected parliament was to hold its first session.
The Tatmadaw announced that the country has been put under emergency for one year and all powers are transferred to the Army Chief General Min Aung Hlaing.