CALD Statement No. 2, S. 2021

CALD condemns in strongest terms the military coup d’etat in Myanmar

The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) condemns in strongest terms  the recent military takeover in Myanmar which led to the declaration of the state of emergency and subsequent detention of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior leaders of the ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).

The military chief of Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, has taken control of the country in response to an election dispute relating to the 8 November 2020 general elections. The NLD won a landslide victory in the elections with 396 out of 476 parliamentary seats, allowing the party to form the government for another five years. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) contested the results, citing irregularities in  the voter lists among other issues. On 28 January 2021, the Election Commission officially rejected allegations of voter fraud, which prompted the military to seize political power.

CALD is deeply concerned that these recent developments put Myanmar into another political stalemate — preventing economic progress, democratic reforms, ethnic conflict resolution, and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to ravage the country.

The military takeover, without a doubt, reverses the democratic gains the country has achieved  since the 2015 general elections when NLD first rose to power and Suu Kyi assumed as state counselor.

CALD is also extremely alarmed of reports of a news blackout and disruption of public communication following the coup d’etat. This is further proof that military, in its refusal to accept the free will of the people as reflected in the results of the elections, is bent on putting Myanmar under a military dictatorship again.

CALD fervently believes in free and fair elections and civilian supremacy over the military as hallmarks of democratic governance. Myanmar has been making inroads, albeit with great difficulties, in institutionalizing democratic practices and principles in the past years.  The recent military takeover puts everything into a halt, with the future of the country again hanging in the balance.

It is in this light that CALD calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations (UN) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to speak up and make a principled stand against the coup d’etat in Myanmar. Moreover, CALD appeals to China, as a responsible member of the international community, to use its significant clout over Myanmar to ensure that country returns to the democratic path which has been carefully carved out and supported by the international community and the Myanmar people in recent years.

CALD also enjoins the international community to demand for the immediate and unconditional release of  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior NLD officials. The military must focus on building the nation and sustaining democratic reforms instead of usurping power and authority that rightly belongs to their civilian counterparts.

With this military takeover, we fear that Myanmar may slide back to its dark past. The international community should not let that happen, under any circumstances.

For the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats:

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan

Chairperson

1 February  2021