Suu Kyi's party demands her release as Myanmar generals tighten grip on power | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Thursday
May 29, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025
Suu Kyi's party demands her release as Myanmar generals tighten grip on power

Politics

Reuters
02 February, 2021, 02:20 pm
Last modified: 02 February, 2021, 02:32 pm

Related News

  • The dirty secrets behind Myanmar's rare-earths boom
  • Malaysia PM hails 'significant' engagement on Myanmar as Southeast Asian leaders meet
  • China’s Xi meets Myanmar junta chief, pledges to help rebuild post-earthquake
  • Myanmar-bound fertiliser smuggling bid foiled in Cox's Bazar, 11 held
  • 40 Myanmar citizens, including border guards and army personnel, repatriated from Bangladesh

Suu Kyi's party demands her release as Myanmar generals tighten grip on power

The coup followed a landslide win for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in November 8 elections, a result the military has refused to accept citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud

Reuters
02 February, 2021, 02:20 pm
Last modified: 02 February, 2021, 02:32 pm
Soldiers stand guard at a Myanmar's military checkpoint on the way to the congress compound in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, February 1, 2021. Picture taken February 1, 2021. REUTERS
Soldiers stand guard at a Myanmar's military checkpoint on the way to the congress compound in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, February 1, 2021. Picture taken February 1, 2021. REUTERS

The party of Myanmar's detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi called on Tuesday for her immediate release from detention and for the junta to recognise her victory in November elections, a day after a military coup sparked global outrage.

The United States threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar's generals after they seized power and arrested Suu Kyi and dozens of her allies on dawn raids on Monday.

The Noble Peace laureate's whereabouts remained unknown more than 24 hours after her arrest and her only communication has come in the form of a statement written in anticipation of the coup calling for protests against military dictatorship.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

The UN Security Council was due to meet later on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong global response to the military's latest seizure of power in a country blighted for decades by army rule.

The coup followed a landslide win for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in November 8 elections, a result the military has refused to accept citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud.

The army handed power to General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year, crushing hopes the poverty-stricken country also known as Burma was on the path to stable democracy.

The NLD's executive committee demanded the release of all detainees "as soon as possible".

In a post on the Facebook page of senior party official May Win Myint, the committee also called for the military to acknowledge the election results and for the new parliament - which was due to meet for the first time on Monday - to be allowed to sit.

US President Joe Biden called the crisis a direct assault on Myanmar's transition to democracy and the rule of law, and said his administration would watch how other countries responded.

"We will work with our partners throughout the region and the world to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law, as well as to hold accountable those responsible for overturning Burma's democratic transition," Biden said in a statement.

The crisis in Myanmar is one of the first major tests of Biden's pledge to collaborate more with allies on international challenges, especially on China's rising influence.

The United Nations led condemnation of the coup and calls for the release of detainees, in comments largely echoed by Australia, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States.

China did not join the condemnation, saying only that it noted the events and calling on all sides to respect the constitution. Other countries in the region including neighbouring Thailand refused to comment on Myanmar's "internal affairs".

The streets of Myanmar were quiet overnight during a curfew already in place to stop the spread of coronavirus. Troops and riot police took up positions in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial centre Yangon.

By Tuesday morning, phone and internet connections were restored but usually bustling market places were quiet and the airport in the commercial hub of Yangon was closed.

Banks in Yangon reopened after halting financial services a day earlier due to poor internet connections and amid a rush to withdraw cash.

Locals feared the upheaval will further hurt the economy, still reeling from the Covid-19 outbreak.

"The business has slowed due to the pandemic even up until now, and then the political conflict happened. Livelihood is not easy," said taxi driver Aung Than Tun.

A Myanmar soldier looks on as he stands inside city hall after soldiers occupied the building, in Yangon, Myanmar February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
A Myanmar soldier looks on as he stands inside city hall after soldiers occupied the building, in Yangon, Myanmar February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

Long Struggle

Suu Kyi, 75, endured about 15 years of house arrest between 1989 and 2010 as she led the country's democracy movement in its long struggle against the military juntas which have ruled the country for much of the past six decades.

The latest coup marks the second time the military has refused to recognise a landslide election win for the NLD, having also rejected the result of 1990 polls that were meant to pave the way for multi-party government.

Mass protests led by Buddhist monks in 2007 forced the generals to compromise and the NLD finally came to power in 2015 under a new constitution guaranteeing a major role for the military in government, including key ministries.

General Min Aung Hlaing has promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the winning party, without giving a timeframe.

Consolidating its power, the new junta removed 24 ministers and named 11 replacements to oversee ministries including finance, defence, foreign affairs and interior.

Buddhist monk Shwe Nya War Sayadawa, known for his outspoken support for the NLD, was also among those arrested on Monday, his temple said. Monks are a powerful political force in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

One of the key concerns for UN diplomats is the fate of Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minority groups who have endured years of harsh treatment at the hands of the military.

A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing into Bangladesh.

About 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar's Rakhine State, including 120,000 people who are effectively confined to camps, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"So our fear is that the events may make the situation worse for them," he said.

Top News / World+Biz

Myanmar / Myanmar Army / Myanmar coup / Myanmar election / Suu Kyi / Aung San Suu Kyi / Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD)

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Representational image. Freepik
    Govt likely to trim subsidies in new budget
  • Representational Photo: Collected
    All jewellery stores across Bangladesh to shut down indefinitely from today
  • US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
    US court blocks most Trump tariffs, says president exceeded his authority

MOST VIEWED

  • Google Pay. Photo: Collected
    Google Pay likely coming to Bangladesh soon
  • IFIC Bank receives Tk6,000 cr in new deposits in six months
    IFIC Bank receives Tk6,000 cr in new deposits in six months
  • Dhaka areas at a gridlock on Wednesday, 28 May 2025. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS
    BNP, Jamaat rallies: Traffic clogs Dhaka roads, including Motijheel, Paltan, Dainik Bangla intersection
  • Abdul Awal Mintoo, chairman of National Bank Limited. Sketch: TBS
    'Regulatory support must for National Bank to restore depositors' confidence'
  • Mohammad Abdul Mannan, chairman FSIB Ltd. Sketch: TBS
    FSIB to bounce back soon
  • Mohammad Mamdudur Rashid, managing director and CEO, UCB. Sketch: TBS
    Customers’ trust and confidence fueling deposit growth at UCB

Related News

  • The dirty secrets behind Myanmar's rare-earths boom
  • Malaysia PM hails 'significant' engagement on Myanmar as Southeast Asian leaders meet
  • China’s Xi meets Myanmar junta chief, pledges to help rebuild post-earthquake
  • Myanmar-bound fertiliser smuggling bid foiled in Cox's Bazar, 11 held
  • 40 Myanmar citizens, including border guards and army personnel, repatriated from Bangladesh

Features

In recent years, the Gor-e-Shaheed Eidgah has emerged as a strong contender for the crown of the biggest Eid congregation in the country, having hosted 600,000 worshippers in 2017. Photo: TBS

Gor-e-Shaheed Boro Maath: The heart of Dinajpur

2d | Panorama
The Hili Land Port, officially opened in 1997 but with trade roots stretching back to before Partition, has grown into a cornerstone of bilateral commerce.

Dhaka-Delhi tensions ripple across Hili’s markets and livelihoods

3d | Panorama
Photo: Collected

Desk goals: Affordable ways to elevate your study setup

3d | Brands
Built on a diamond-type frame, the Hornet 2.0 is agile but grounded. PHOTO: Asif Chowdhury

Honda Hornet 2.0: Same spirit, upgraded sting

3d | Wheels

More Videos from TBS

Low Pressure over the Bay of Bengal, Signal No. 3 Issued for Sea Ports

Low Pressure over the Bay of Bengal, Signal No. 3 Issued for Sea Ports

11m | TBS Today
The fight between two brothers; Adidas vs Puma

The fight between two brothers; Adidas vs Puma

10h | Others
Trump is again keen to make Canada the 51st state

Trump is again keen to make Canada the 51st state

12h | Others
Trump's tariff strategy and Europe's investment politics, violence or negotiation?

Trump's tariff strategy and Europe's investment politics, violence or negotiation?

13h | Others
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net