NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other leaders had been "taken" in the early hours of the morning.
Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Monday (February 1) as the Myanmar army staged a coup. The amrmy also declared a year-long emergency
NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other leaders had been "taken" in the early hours of the morning.
"I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law," he said, adding that he expected to be arrested himself.
Phone lines to Naypyidaw, the capital, were not reachable in the early hours of February 1. Parliament had been due to start sitting there on Monday after a November election the NLD had won in a landslide.
1. Why did the military coup take place?
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The move came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.
In the November elections, with more than 80% of the vote, Suu Kyi's party National League for Democracy (NLD) won the elctions by a ladslide
The military-backed opposition began making accusations of fraud after the results were declared.
According to BBC, the allegation was repeated in a signed statement released by the acting president to justify the imposition of the emergency.
Now Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained
Myanmar's election commission has rejected the military's allegations of vote fraud, saying there were no errors big enough to affect the credibility of the vote.
2. San Suu Kyi came to power in 2015
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Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 landslide election win that followed decades of house arrest in a struggle for democracy that turned her into an international icon.
3. How much power does the military have in Myanmar?
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The constitution reserves 25 percent of seats in the parliament for the military and control of three key ministries in Suu Kyi's administration.
4. Flights suspended, airports closed during emergency
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Following the major military coup, Myanmar’s government on Monday said it has suspended all passenger flights.
The US Embassy in Myanmar said on its Facebook page that the road to the international airport in Yangon, the country’s s biggest city, had been closed on Monday.
“Reports indicate that all airports in Myanmar are closed,” the embassy tweeted.
5. Myanmar has long history with military regimes
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Myanmar had to go through almost 50 years of rule under oppressive military regimes before democratic rule.
6. India responds to Myanmar's state of emergency
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India has expressed its "deep concern" in the aftermath of the coup in Myanmar by the military of the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs in its release said that it has "noted the developments" in Myanmar, reminding that New Delhi has "always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar."
The statement further said, "We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld."
7. Why did San Suu Kyi win the Nobel Peace Prize?
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Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar (Burma) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights, protesting aginst the oppressive military rule.
