Burma: Military promises to uphold constitution, obscurity of insurgency fades

The Burmese military on Saturday promised to respect the constitution in a bid to quell its commander-in-chief’s statements, which have raised fears of a coup.

Also read: Burma: The international community has warned of a coup

Tatmada [nom officiel des forces armées birmanes] Respect the current constitution […] And respect the law by upholding it, ”the military confirmed in a statement on Saturday, explaining that its commander-in-chief had been misunderstood.

“Organizations and the media misunderstood the commander-in-chief’s speech and framed it from their point of view,” the Burmese military continues.

For weeks, the powerful Burmese army has condemned a number of manipulations in the November legislative elections, which were won in 1991 by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (LND).

Tensions escalated on Tuesday as an Army spokesman ruled out the possibility of a coup.

The next day, Army Chief General Min Aung Hling – the most powerful man in the country – said the repeal of the 2008 constitution was “necessary” under certain circumstances.

His comments were translated into English and published in the journal Mywadi, Driven by the military – sent shock waves through the new democracy.

The last repeal of the Burmese constitution was in 1988, when the military restored the ruling junta after a popular uprising.

The General’s remarks on the Constitution, while not directly raising the possibility of a coup, intimidated the UN along with more than a dozen foreign diplomatic representatives, calling for dialogue between smaller political parties Aung San Suu Kyi and the military.

The military estimates that tens of millions of cases of fraud were reported at polling stations in November and is urging the Election Commission to publish voter lists for verification.

The Commission denied any fraud in it, but acknowledged that there were “loopholes” in the lists.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, which has been internationally criticized for handling the Rohingya Muslim crisis, but still adored by the majority population, won a solid victory in November.

This is the second general election since 2011, when the junta ruled the country for half a century.

The military has significant power, controlling three key ministries (Interior, Defense and Borders).

Historian and author Thant Mint-Yu says “defending the very narrow path to democracy in Myanmar is now a priority”.

“However, it is important to find a solution to the current crisis that does not harm future peace opportunities,” he told AFP.