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ASEAN voices split over Myanmar military coup
Many countries across the globe have raised concerns over the apparent military coup unfolding in Myanmar, even as critics suggest the incident is a symptom of democratic backsliding in ASEAN.
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This screengrab of a broadcast by Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) on Feb. 1 shows the declaration of a one-year state of emergency in the country following the arrests of democratically elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior officials. (Agence France Presse/AFPTV)
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SEAN member states have issued statements over a spectrum of concerns in response to the military coup currently unraveling in Myanmar amid heightened concerns of democratic backsliding in the Southeast Asia region.
Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party were detained in the early hours of Monday in a coup that has raised concerns across the world.
The Myanmar armed forces, the Tatmadaw, seized power from Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government early on Monday, Reuters reported.
Indonesia, the largest democracy and the de facto leader in Southeast Asia, has called for “restraint” in a statement that lists four key points, published on Monday on its website.
In addition to expressing “concern over the recent political situation in Myanmar”, it calls for Myanmar to observe the principles of the ASEAN Charter, including rule of law, good governance, democracy and constitutional government.
“Indonesia also underscores that all electoral differences be addressed in accordance with available legal [mechanisms],” the Foreign Ministry noted in its third point. The statement closes with: “Indonesia urges all in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and put forth dialogue in finding solutions to challenges so as not to exacerbate the condition.”
Indonesia’s response refers to the junta’s threat ahead of the coup to “take action” over alleged fraud in the November 2020 election that saw Suu Kyi’s NLD secure a landslide win, claiming 83 percent of parliamentary seats and fending off pro-junta challengers.
