UK condemns military coup in Myanmar

British premier demands release of civilian leaders, calls respects for people's vote

By Rabia Iclal Turan

ANKARA (AA) - The UK condemned a military coup in Myanmar on Monday as the South Asian country's military seized power and detained senior figures.

"I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter.

He added: "The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released."

- Coup in Myanmar

Myanmar's military announced Monday that it had seized power and would rule the country for at least a year.

The military declared a state of emergency, detaining State Counsellor Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint and other senior members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party just hours before the scheduled start of the first session of the new parliament.

It claimed that it had taken over due to "voter fraud" in the Nov. 8 elections that resulted in the dominance of Suu Kyi's NLD party in parliament. Critics say the military used these allegations to justify the coup.

Kaynak:

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