G7 Countries Convey Condemnation Of Myanmar Coup

Military personnel stand guard at checkpoints on the road leading to the Parliament building complex in the capital of Naypritaw, Myanmar (Source: Reuters, Antara)

JAKARTA - Group of Seven (G7) condemned the coup in Myanmar. The condemnation was conveyed through a joint statement of the foreign ministers of each country: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States (US), as well as by involving the High Representative of the European Union.

"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States as well as the High Representatives of the European Union, are united in condemning the coup in Myanmar," said a written statement from the British Embassy received in Jakarta on Wednesday. , February 3.

"We are deeply concerned about the detention of political leaders and civil society activists, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, as well as the targeting of the media."

The group also called on the Myanmar military to immediately end the state of emergency and respect the applicable law and human rights. "We call on the military to immediately end the state of emergency, return power to a legitimate and democratically elected government ...," it wrote.

"... to release all those who have been unjustly detained and to respect human rights and the rule of law. The results of the November elections must be respected and Parliament must return to hearings as soon as possible."

The G7 also urged that access to humanitarian aid be opened as widely as possible to help the most vulnerable people. They also highlighted military restrictions on the flow of information that were "very concerning."

"The G7 Foreign Ministers reminded us of the 2019 communique which restated our commitment to Myanmar's democratic transition, peace and accountability for human rights violations and violations."

As previously reported, the Myanmar military attempted to take power against the democratically elected government by detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and a number of leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the raid early Monday.

The Myanmar army, known as the Tatmadaw, took power on Monday, February 1 and toppled elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup against Myanmar's civilian government was carried out by the military following protests over allegations of election fraud last year whose case was dismissed by Myanmar's election commission.

The whereabouts of Aung San Suu Kyi, following his arrest in a coup staged by the military on Monday, February 1, remains unknown. The whereabouts and conditions of Myanmar's elected leader have not been made public since he was detained in the capital Naypyidaw by the military.