Myanmar crisis: Aung San Suu Kyi's aide arrested after calling military coup 'unwise'

Detained Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s key aide has also been arrested on February 5, days after the coup sparked outrage and calls by international leaders for generals to relinquish power. Win Htein’s arrest came after Suu Kyi and Myanmar President Win Myint were detained on February 1 as military seized leaders of civilian government and granted chief Min Aung Hlaing control of the country. Suu Kyi, the Nobel Laureate is currently facing a jail term of up to three years after the coup ended Southeast Asian nation’s 10 years of nascent democracy after decades of junta rule.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) said through its verified Facebook page that Win Htein had left Naypyidaw to go to Yangon on February 4 and was arrested from his daughter’s house at midnight. He is currently being held in a Naypyidaw police station and is also considered Suu Kyi’s right-hand man. Ahead of his arrest, he told an English-language media that the military coup was “not wise” and that its leaders “have taken [Myanmar] in the wrong direction”.

“Everyone in the country should oppose as much as they can the actions they are seeking to take us back to zero by destroying our government,” he told Frontier Myanmar in the coup’s aftermath.

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India On Humanitarian Assistance To Myanmar

India on February 4 had said it will continue providing COVID-19-related medical assistance to Myanmar despite the recent military coup in the country. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India has extended assistance to Myanmar in its fight against COVID-19 and will continue to do so in the future. MEA spokesperson added that New Delhi is closely monitoring the situation in Burma and is also engaged on the issue as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. 

"We remain committed to continuing our humanitarian support for the people in Myanmar in mitigating health and economic impact of the pandemic. India and Myanmar are neighbours with close cultural and people-to-people ties, bolstered by trade, economic, security and defence-related exchanges. We are therefore monitoring developments in that country closely. We are also engaged on the issue as a member of the UN Security Council," Srivastava said. 

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Image credits: The Associated Press