UN chief calls for rally against Myanmar’s military

The United Nation’s secretary general, António Guterres, appeals to the international community to ensure that the military takeover in Myanmar fails.

On Wednesday, Guterres said that the United Nations would act on empowering major international nations to put pressure on Myanmar to ensure the failure of the military coup. While having an online discussion with The Washington Post, the UN chief said “It is absolutely unacceptable after elections — elections that I believe took place normally. And after a large period of transition, it is absolutely unacceptable to reverse the result of the elections and the will of the people.”

“We’ll do everything we can to mobilize all the key actors of the international community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails,” he said according to a report filed by the BBC.

The United Nation’s Security Council had earlier met on Tuesday to agree on a joint statement against the military takeover but failed to do so after China did not support it. Being one of five permanent members of the council, China has the power of veto which allows the country to unilaterally stop an official action, especially the enactment of legislation or resolution.

This urge to gather the leading nations comes after Myanmar’s military seized power over Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in a military coup on Monday. The Nobel laureate was detained along with other leaders of her party in early morning raids.

The coup took place after days of conflict between the military and the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), which dominated the November elections. Myanmar’s military, The Tatmadaw, claimed widespread electoral fraud and refused to recognize the results.

Charges have been filed against Aung San Suu Kyi by the Myanmar police for illegally importing communications equipment and she is to be detained until Feb. 15 for investigations, as per a police document obtained by Reuters.

Thousands of people have come out in protest calling for the release of the leader and the freedom of democracy in Myanmar. A group of protesters were seen waving banners and chanting anti-coup slogans in Myanmar’s second city of Mandalay on Thursday, according to images acquired by Reuters.

Protests were also witnessed in Tokyo as Burmese demonstrators gathered outside Japan’s foreign ministry on Wednesday demanding that Tokyo join its allies in taking a stronger stand against the military coup in Myanmar.