02/01/2021

Military coup in Myanmar

Call for release of detainees – Criticism of Aung San Suu Kyi (Press Release)

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has condemned the military coup in Myanmar, calling for the immediate release of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi as well as all other detained political figures. "Myanmar is facing a dangerous step backwards, repeating its history. After ten years of tentative democratization, the army is now forcibly turning back time – and the country is threatened with a restoration of the decades-long military dictatorship," stated Ulrich Delius, the STP's Director.

“This constitutes a disaster for the multi-ethnic state, as it also means that there will be no peace in the nationality areas and the genocide against the Rohingya will continue. It is a disaster that was only waiting to happen. The former icon of democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, had tried in vain to appease the military forces. Since 2015/2016, she has been a compliant tool of the military and its genocide strategy in the persecution of the Rohingya. All over the world, she represented and justified the cruel strategy of the military leadership, which has now imprisoned her again. She is no longer an icon of democracy," said Delius. But of course, her imprisonment is unlawful and must be ended immediately.

The democratization process under Aung San Suu Kyi has been disappointing in many respects. In recent years, the military dictatorship introduced arbitrary restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of the press, based on old laws. Peace efforts in the nationality areas have not made any progress, although Aung San Su Kyi had declared this to be a top priority. 

Now, Myanmar is threatened with a return to the dark days of military dictatorship before 2011. "We are very concerned that China in particular will benefit from the overthrow – allowing a continuation of its policy of plundering raw materials in the nationality areas, which it has practiced for years under the military dictatorship," Delius warned.