The United Nations Security Council has expressed its “deep concern” at the military coup in Myanmar and has called for the release of all detainees, including State Counsellor Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who was detained on Monday.
“The members of the Security Council emphasized the need for the continued support of the democratic transition in Myanmar,” the 15-member council said in a joint statement.
“They stressed the need to fully uphold democratic institutions and processes, refrain from violence, and fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.”
Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi is under house arrest at her home in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, where, police said, she will be detained until February 15.
The elected civilian leader of the southeast Asian nation faces two years in prison if found guilty of charges that include the possession of unlawful communication devices.
Police who raided Suu Kyi’s home claimed to have found four walkie talkies that were being used by her bodyguards without the required authorization.
The Security Council also called on the military to release Myanmar’s President Win Myint, who was arrested under the country’s Disaster Management Law.
The president is alleged to have breached the country’s Covid-19 restrictions after he and his family waved to supporters led by a local official in Naypyidaw in September, as they campaigned ahead of the November elections.
The military took control of Myanmar on Monday after alleging fraud in the elections that saw Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party secure a landslide victory.
Activist groups have said that over 140 people have been detained since the coup.Military leaders, led by armed forces chief Min Aung Hlaing, announced on Thursday that they had banned Facebook in Myanmar in order to maintain “stability.”
Facebook users across the country have reportedly tried to organize opposition to the coup via the platform, and there have been sporadic protests in the larger cities of Mandalay and Yangon.
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