Buddhist Burma (Myanmar)'s dictatorial military has confirmed it has taken control of the country after it arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and other political leaders in the early hours.
The coup comes after tensions rose between the civilian government and the military following a disputed election [mirroring the corruption seen in the U.S., except that after losing Burma's version of Trump, General Than Shwe, is taking the Capitol and imposing its will].
Aung San Suu Kyi, 2011 |
In November's election, Ms. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won enough seats to form a government. But the army alleges the vote was fraudulent, just as Trump claims about the national Democrats in the U.S.
The newly-elected lower house of parliament was due to convene for the first time on Monday, but the military was calling for a postponement.
The military said it was handing power to Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing.
The sites of Naypyitaw, dictators' new capital |
Mobile internet data connections and some phone services have been disrupted in major cities, while the state broadcaster MRTV says it is having technical issues and is off air.
The BBC's South East Asia Correspondent Jonathan Head says that under the constitution the military has significant powers to declare a "state of emergency," just as Trump called for Washington D.C., but detaining political leaders like Ms. Suu Kyi is a provocative and very risky move, one which may well be strongly opposed, the BBC correspondent says.
NLD Spokesman Myo Nyunt told the Reuters news agency by phone that Ms. Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other leaders had been "taken" in the early hours of the morning.
"I want to tell our people not to respond rashly, and I want them to act according to the law," Nyunt said, adding he also expected to be detained.
Soldiers also visited the homes of chief ministers in several regions and took them away, family members said.
What happened in the election?
Dictator Don Trump |
But the military has disputed the result, filing complaints at the Supreme Court against the president and the chair of the electoral commission.
Fears of a coup rose after the military recently threatened to "take action" over the fraud it alleges. The election commission has rejected these allegations.
Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Burma's great independence hero, General Aung San. He was assassinated when she was only 2-years-old, just before Burma gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948 [when George Orwell, who lived and wrote about British Burma, composing his classic novel 1984 but inverting the last two digits of the year he finished it]. More
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