Blinken condemns Myanmar military, calls for restoration of democratic govt

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday (local time) condemned the Myanmar military for staging a coup and called on them to relinquish power and restore the democratically-elected government in the country.

In a press statement, Blinken said: "We join partners, allies, and others across the world in condemning the military's actions. We stand with the duly elected representatives of the people of Burma and all those peacefully protesting this takeover. The military regime should relinquish power, restore the democratically-elected government, release all those unjustly detained, lift telecommunications and social media restrictions, and refrain from violence."

He also informed that the US has designated six current and former military officers who led the coup, as well as four members of the newly established State Administrative Council and three business entities that are owned or controlled by the military.

"These designations specifically target current or former members of the military who played a leading role in the overthrow of Burma's democratically-elected government. They do not target the economy or people of Burma, and we have gone to great lengths to ensure we do not add to the humtarian plight of the Burmese people," he said.

The State Secretary sends a clear message of support to the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of democracy and human rights.

"We have been clear: this was a coup, and we will not sit idly by. This coup attempts to reject the will of the people of Burma as expressed during the November 2020 election," said Blinken.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden had signed an executive order blocking US properties and funds to Myanmar. He also ordered a redirection of USD 42.4 million of assistance away from the country.

Myanmar's military launched a coup on February 1 and detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint and other National League for Democracy (NLD) members, after alleging voter fraud in the November elections that saw the NLD securing a resounding victory.

( With inputs from ANI )