On Tuesday, the military junta in Myanmar guaranteed that it will hold an election and hand over power, denied that the ouster of an elected government was a coup or that its leaders had been arrested, and accused demonstrators of violence and coercion.
According to Reuters, the junta’s defence of its Feb. 1 takeover of power and detention of government chief Aug San Suu Kyi and others came as demonstrators took to the streets again and as China denied reports that it had helped with the coup circulating on social media.
He mentioned in the two-hour-long news conference that ‘we’re guaranteeing’ that ‘the election would take place’
The conference was broadcast live by the military from the capital, Naypyitaw, via Facebook, a forum it had blocked.
Asked about the arrest of Nobel prize winner Suu Kyi and President Zaw Min Tun, Zaw Min Tun rejected the suggestion that they were in custody, saying that they were in their homes for their safety while the law was taking its course.
The military, however, did not make date certain for a new election and moreover has imposed a state of emergency for one year. Zaw Min Tun said the military would not hold power for long.
Myanmar’s foreign policy he claimed would not change. It continued to open for business and deals would be maintained.
The military hopes that its reassurances will stifle the daily campaign against its rule and the overthrowing of Suu Kyi and her government.
A civil disobedience movement has brought strikes as the demonstrations were held in numerous towns and cities across the country, which are paralyzing many functions of government, the foreign news agency mentioned.
The turmoil has reinforced memories of bloody outbreaks of opposition to nearly 50 years of direct military rule that came to an end when the military started a process of withdrawal from politics in 2011.
