Myanmar’s detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the people not to accept the military coup and must protest.
Suu Kyi’s message was published on a Facebook account from Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Monday, a few hours after the military coup.
The NLD said the statement, which was uploaded on a Facebook page used by the party during its election campaign, was written before the coup had taken place.
Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was detained in early morning raids along with other key party figures and activists.
“The actions of the military are actions to put the country back under a dictatorship,” the statement added, which carried leader Suu Kyi’s name but not her signature.
“I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military.”
The statement was issued by the party chairman Win Htein, who in a handwritten note at the bottom stressed it was authentic and reflected Suu Kyi’s wishes.
“On my life I swear, that this request to the people is Aung San Suu Kyi’s genuine statement,” wrote Win Htein, whose whereabouts are not known.
