The Students For Liberty community is saddened to observe the events that happened today in Myanmar, where the military forces, known as the Tatmadaw, staged a coup and announced a yearlong state of emergency. The announcement was made on the military’s TV station, declaring that power had been handed over to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing.
The Union Solidarity and Development Party, backed by the military, had lost to the National League for Democracy during the country’s elections last November. The military has alleged widespread election fraud, but their claims were deemed unfounded by an independent election commission. The National League of Democracy won 396 out of 476 parliamentary seats.
The military arrested several senior democratic leaders of the country, including party leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. The military forces have cut off access to banks, phone services, food markets, domestic and international TV channels, as well as the internet.
The last coup in Myanmar took place in 1962, which kept the Burma Socialist Programme Party in power for 26 years. The military’s recent actions have put the country back under a dictatorship.
Students For Liberty calls for the immediate release of all those who have been detained in Myanmar. We stand with the people of Myanmar in their quest for liberty and the peaceful transition of power. As an organization that honors free and fair elections, we condemn the actions taken by Myanmar’s military forces and express our deepest sympathies to those who have suffered from this takeover.
We are committed to spreading the ideas of liberty in every country on earth, and we are proud of our brave leaders in Myanmar who fearlessly advocate for pro-liberty values.
Please join us in spreading the word by sharing this statement with your network and using the hashtag #SaveMyanmar.
