'I urge people not to accept this': Aung San Suu Kyi says in response to Myanmar's military coup

Protest.

Lean Jinghui | February 01, 2021, 06:44 PM

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Aung San Suu Kyi has called on the public to protest and not accept the "military coup" that took place on Feb. 1.

According to Reuters, the statement was released on the verified Facebook page of Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, on behalf of Suu Kyi, who is currently detained.

"Unjustified"

Suu Kyi was "taken" along with other party leaders and activists in the early morning, after days of tension with military junta.

She has been the de facto leader of Myanmar since 2015, after winning Myanmar's first democratic election against Myanmar's army.

According to CNA, the statement said that the military's actions were "unjustified" as it went against the constitution and the will of voters.

The actions of the military are actions to put the country back under a dictatorship.

I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military.

It has not been possible to confirm who posted the statement, given that NLD members were not answering phone calls.

However, in a handwritten note at the bottom of the statement, NLD chairman Win Htein has stressed it is authentic and reflects Suu Kyi’s wishes.

Win Htein, who could not be reached by Reuters, wrote:

On my life I swear, that this request to the people is Aung San Suu Kyi's genuine statement.

#save_Myanmar

Myanmar's netizens have taken to social media platforms to express support for Suu Kyi, and report the situation on the ground.

Mobile internet data connections and some phone services, for example, were disrupted in major cities, and still are.

https://twitter.com/Thirithant7/status/1356160936084598786

Some netizens expressed their fear of the future, while others implored for the international community to help in calling attention to Myanmar's situation.

https://twitter.com/BHFamilyMM/status/1356151241663946756

Activists from Thailand, which borders Myanmar, have also started rallying to protest against the military coup, in solidarity with Myanmar's current situation.

Top image via Wikimedia