The Diplomat
The Spanish government yesterday strongly condemned, as did the rest of the international community, the military coup d’état perpetrated by the army in Myanmar.
The Burmese Army announced yesterday, through military television, that it had seized power and declared a state of emergency for a period of one year after arresting the country’s State Counselor (and de facto head of government), Aung San Suu Kyi, along with the President, Win Myint, and other senior government officials. The military uprising took place in the midst of a tense atmosphere due to the army’s criticism of the results of last November’s general elections, in which the National League for Democracy won.
“Spain condemns the coup d’état in Myanmar”, said President of Government Pedro Sánchez via his Twitter account. “We call for the immediate release of all those detained and the reestablishment of the democratic process”, he continued. “The Constitution and the electoral results must be respected”, he added.
For its part, the Foreign Affairs Ministry “strongly” condemned the coup and made “an appeal for the immediate release of the elected officials arrested early this morning”. “Electoral disputes must be resolved peacefully and through the legally provided channels”, Arancha Gonzalez Laya’s department continued via Twitter. “The November 8 elections allowed the democratic will of the people of Myanmar to be expressed and their results must be respected”, it concluded.
The coup was rejected by the international community as a whole. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “strongly” condemned the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the country and EU High Representative Josep Borrell demanded “the immediate release of all detainees”.
For his part, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, issued a statement in which he described the coup as a “direct assault on the country’s transition, democracy and the rule of law” and assured that Washington “will defend democracy wherever it is under attack”. Likewise, the new US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made “an appeal to Myanmar’s military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and to respect the will of the people of Myanmar as expressed in democratic elections”.
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin maintained a more measured tone during his daily press briefing, expressing his wish that “all parties manage their differences within the legal and constitutional framework, and maintain political and social stability.”
