Aung San Suu Kyi’s party demands her release as Myanmar generals tighten grip on power

People line up outside a bank branch in Yangon, Myanmar on Monday

Credit: Reuters

Locals feared the upheaval will further hurt the economy, still reeling from the Covid-19 outbreak.

"The business has slowed due to the pandemic even up until now, and then the political conflict happened. Livelihood is not easy," said taxi driver Aung Than Tun.

Suu Kyi, 75, endured about 15 years of house arrest between 1989 and 2010 as she led the country’s democracy movement in its long struggle against the military juntas which have ruled the country for much of the past six decades.

The latest coup marks the second time the military has refused to recognise a landslide election win for the NLD, having also rejected the result of 1990 polls that were meant to pave the way for multi-party government.

Mass protests led by Buddhist monks in 2007 forced the generals to compromise and the NLD finally came to power in 2015 under a new constitution guaranteeing a major role for the military in government, including key ministries.

General Min Aung Hlaing has promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the winning party, without giving a timeframe.

Police stand guard in front of the house of Zaw Myint Maung, National League for Democracy (NLD) chief minister of Mandalay,

Credit: AFP

Consolidating its power, the new junta removed 24 ministers and named 11 replacements to oversee ministries including finance, defence, foreign affairs and interior.

Buddhist monk Shwe Nya War Sayadawa, known for his outspoken support for the NLD, was also among those arrested on Monday, his temple said. Monks are a powerful political force in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

One of the key concerns for UN diplomats is the fate of Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minority groups who have endured years of harsh treatment at the hands of the military.

A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing into Bangladesh.

About 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, including 120,000 people who are effectively confined to camps, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"So our fear is that the events may make the situation worse for them," he said.