Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the people of Myanmar “face a deepening crisis”, five years after the country’s democratically-elected government was overthrown by the military.
The coup, which deposed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as the country’s elected leader, took place on 1 February 2021.
It meant “the will of the people was overturned and their political freedom taken away”, Ms Cooper said in a statement on Sunday, five years on from the event.
“Amidst this crisis, the UK remains committed to supporting a stable future for the people of Myanmar,” the statement said.
“In the past year we have supported over 1.4 million people with humanitarian assistance and provided 1.3 million people with essential health services. We will continue to stand by those most affected.
“Yet conditions on the ground remain dire. Half of Myanmar’s children are now out of school, while women and girls face persistent violence.
“Crimes that affect us in the UK, like drug production and cyber scams, have flourished. The recent military-run elections were neither free nor fair.
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“We continue to urge all parties to protect civilians.”
The foreign secretary concluded: “We call on the military regime to end its airstrikes; to allow unhindered humanitarian access; to release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi; and to engage in genuine dialogue towards a democratic and peaceful transition.
“Today and always, we stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar.”
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been in political turmoil since the coup, with the crushing of pro-democracy protests sparking a nationwide rebellion.
Around 3.6 million people have been displaced, according to the UN.
On Friday, Myanmar state media reported the country’s military-backed party had completed a sweeping victory in the country’s three-phase general election, following the final round of voting in late January.
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A new president is expected to be elected in March.
Large parts of the country’s population, including minorities such as the ethnic Rohingya, were not allowed to vote on the grounds that they were not citizens or were overseas after being displaced, the UN’s human rights office said.
At least 170 people were killed by airstrikes during the election period, which began with the first ballot on 28 December, and about 400 arrested.
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“Many people chose either to vote or not to vote purely out of fear,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said.
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Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was dissolved along with dozens of other parties, and some others declined to take part, drawing condemnation from critics who say the process was designed to entrench military rule.
Under Myanmar’s political system, the military is also guaranteed 25% of parliamentary seats, ensuring continued
control even after power is formally transferred to a civilian-led administration.
