financetom
World
financetom
/
World
/
Military coup in Myanmar, Suu Kyi detained: Reports
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Military coup in Myanmar, Suu Kyi detained: Reports
Jan 31, 2021 10:40 PM

Reports say a military coup has taken place in Myanmar and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest. Online news portal Myanmar Now cited unidentified sources about the arrest of Suu Kyi and her party’s chairperson early Monday and did not have further details.

All communications to Naypyitaw appeared to have been cut and Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party could not be reached. Myanmar lawmakers were to gather Monday in the capital Naypyitaw for the first session of Parliament since last year’s election, with tension lingering over recent comments by the military that were widely seen as threatening a coup.

Suu Kyi captured 396 out of 476 seats in the combined lower and upper houses of Parliament, far above the 322 needed to secure a majority. But the army-drafted constitution of 2008 grants the military 25 percent of the total seats, enough to block constitutional changes. Several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees. The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far the country’s most dominant politician and became the country’s leader after leading a decades-long nonviolent struggle against military rule.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, charged that there was massive voting fraud in the election, though it has failed to provide proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations. Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporter’s question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.

Using similar language, Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities. On Saturday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position and taking the general’s words out of context.

On Sunday, it reiterated its denial, this time blaming unspecified foreign embassies of misinterpreting the military’s position and calling on them not to make unwarranted assumptions about the situation. U.S. officials at the National Security Council and the State Department said they were aware of the reports but could not confirm a coup and detentions had taken place.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
MORNING BID EUROPE-There's a Gulf between market hopes and reality
MORNING BID EUROPE-There's a Gulf between market hopes and reality
Apr 8, 2026
April 9 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. It's the day after and reality is intruding into market hopes of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. Asian stocks and Wall St futures are off, though they hold most of yesterday's celebratory gains, and the dollar flat. Treasuries failed to...
Foreign investors pour $18.65 billion into Japanese stocks on return after three weeks
Foreign investors pour $18.65 billion into Japanese stocks on return after three weeks
Apr 8, 2026
April 9 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks witnessed a huge influx of foreign funds in the week through April 4, a turnaround from three successive weeks of selling, with investor sentiment stabilizing ahead of a ceasefire in the Iran war. Foreigners invested a net 2.96 trillion yen ($18.65 billion) into Japanese stocks in the week, reversing nearly two-thirds of the 4.45...
Morning Bid: There's a Gulf between market hopes and reality
Morning Bid: There's a Gulf between market hopes and reality
Apr 8, 2026
April 9 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. It's the day after and reality is intruding into market hopes of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. Asian stocks and Wall St futures are off, though they hold most of yesterday's celebratory gains, and the dollar flat. Treasuries failed to...
GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks in sober mood as oil rises on Middle East truce doubts
GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks in sober mood as oil rises on Middle East truce doubts
Apr 8, 2026
(Adds Trump comments, updates prices) * Ceasefire strained as Iran claims Strait of Hormuz closed * Oil prices bounce after Wednesday's steep slide * Nikkei eases, S&P and EU share futures dip * Dollar steadies, awaiting US core price data By Wayne Cole SYDNEY, April 9 (Reuters) - Asian share markets were in a sober mood on Thursday as cracks...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved