The Estonia-Myanmar Parliamentary Group of the Riigikogu, the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia, condemns the military coup d’état in Myanmar, in which President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and several leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and civil society activists were detained. We consider their arrest illegal and call for their immediate release.

We call on Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services of Myanmar General Min Aung Hlaing to respect the results of the November 2020 general elections. We demand that the newly elected members of the Parliament were allowed to convene and work peacefully. We recall that after the adoption of the Constitution in 2008 and holding of free elections in 2011, Myanmar decided to move towards democracy and the rule of law. Above all, it means respecting the Constitution and the election results.

We strongly condemn the violence of the Myanmar power structures against their own citizens who protest against the military coup d’état and for democracy. We demand investigation of the cases of violence and punishing of perpetrators. We demand ensuring the right of the citizens to hold peaceful demonstrations, and peaceful management of the demonstrations held in the cities of Myanmar. 

We underline that the democratic will of the people must be respected, and we believe that the people have steadfastly shown their will both at the elections and by demonstrating against the military coup d’état. We emphasise that the numerous ethnic minorities of Myanmar also demand an internationally accepted democratic system, which includes ending the decades-long civil wars by political solutions. The equality, security and dignity of all nationalities in Myanmar must be guaranteed.

The Estonia-Myanmar Parliamentary Group of the Riigikogu calls on Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services of Myanmar General Min Aung Hlaing to return the power to the representatives of the people. Estonia hopes that soon it will be possible to have relations and to cooperate with a free and democratising Myanmar and its people.

For more information, please contact:
Valdo Randpere
Chairman of Estonia-Myanmar Parliamentary Group
Phone +372 6316689
[email protected]