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Aung San Suu Kyi visits health workers at a hospital in Naypyitaw, Myanmar after the country received 1.5 million Covid vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. Photo: Reuters / Thar Byaw
Shoon Naing and Poppy McPherson
The UN and the Western government have sounded the alarm about threats from the Myanmar military, which after an election that the army claims was fraudulent The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was following developments with « great concern » after the Myanmar military announced that it would take action if complaints about the elections were not dealt with. Earlier this week, an army spokesman declined to rule out the possibility of taking power.
Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the European Union, the United States and 12 other nations urged the military to « adhere to democratic norms. »
They spoke out against « any attempt to change the outcome of the elections or to impede the democratic transition in Myanmar ».Talks between the civilian government and the army failed to resolve tensions before the opening of parliament on Monday A spokesman for the ruling party said as pro-military demonstrators gathered in two cities.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory in the November 8 election. This was only the second election that international observers have classified as free and fair since the end of direct military rule in 2011.
However, the armed forces’ allegations of widespread electoral fraud disputed by the electoral commission have become the most direct confrontation to date between government and military.
The country’s constitution reserves 25 percent of the seats in parliament for the military, who called for a resolution to their complaints before Monday and refused to decide whether their representatives will appear > The Commander in Chief, Maj. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told military personnel that the Constitution should be repealed if it is not adhered to and referred to previous cases where the Charter was abolished in Myanmar.
A Western diplomat in Yangon said information about the situation is difficult to verify because « not many people speak to either site » un d refer to the army, but a coup would be a « tragic possibility ».
« The country is defined by this story, so it would be unforgivable. The people from Myanmar would consider it unforgivable, « said the diplomat.
Ms. Suu Kyi has not made a public statement on the dispute. An NLD spokesman said the members met with military leaders on Thursday but said they were « unsuccessful ».
He said that due to the NLD’s plan to amend the constitution after the vote, they had to contain military power, some tension expected.
Mr Nyunt said police battalions are stationed in the capital, Naypyitaw, where the Supreme Court should hold an initial hearing on complaints against the president and the head of the electoral commission.
Several dozen trucks loaded with protesters with placards denouncing the government and the electoral commission and praising the military circled the city yesterday but turned away from the court where the police were deployed.
NLD politician Zin Mar Aung said , the police are patrolling Parliament’s premises and caution is advised.
Win Htein, a senior member of the NLD who was imprisoned for years during the military rule is said he was prepared for his arrest.
« I am full and ready to follow you if you pick me up today, » he said.
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