Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), the largest network of individual Lawmakers with over 1200 Members in 136 countries in all regions of the world, strongly condemns the coup d’état that took place today in Myanmar.

PGA joins the statements issued by representatives of democratic States, including former PGA member and current Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, who urged the Myanmar military "to respect the rule of law" and "release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully.”

As affirmed today by the High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell:

This is a clear violation of the country’s constitution and an attempt by the military to overturn the will of the Myanmar people and their strong attachment to democracy, as expressed in the November 2020 general election. President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and all others who have been arrested must be immediately and unconditionally released. The European Union calls for the immediate restoration of the legitimate civilian government in Myanmar, and the swift opening of parliament with the participation of all elected representatives, as foreseen by the constitution.

The Parliament of Myanmar was expected to hold its first session since the 8 November 2020 general elections, in which the National League for Democracy won 83 percent of available seats in Parliament. Although the leadership of the Military did not accept the results and contested them as fraudulent, they were validated by the Supreme Court. The Military has also shut down internet access and phone services in major cities, which are known measures by autocratic regimes to prevent access to and sharing of information and participation of citizens. Through its Democratic Renewal Campaign and International Law and Human Rights Program, the global PGA network calls for the prompt restoration of elected institutions, which should pave the way for a systemic reform that encompasses an effective separation of powers within the Myanmar legal system.

As democratic elected Parliamentarians who defend the principles and values of democracy, we decry the coup d’état by the Military in Myanmar. These actions, carried out by the Tatmadaw, disregard the will of the Burmese people who have duly elected their leaders and representatives through an electoral process in November 2020. The Military must respect democracy and let the Burmese Parliament proceed with its work.

Therefore, we call on Mr. Min Aung Hlaing for the immediate release of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior figures and civil society representatives deprived of their liberty following this coup and urge the authorities to guarantee freedom of speech and information as it is a fundamental human right. Authorities in Myanmar must also abide by this and other international human rights standards to protect their citizens regardless of their ethnicity, gender, race, and religious background. In that vein, they should put a halt to the atrocities being perpetrated against the Rohingya and other persecuted communities. Founding Members of PGA’s Parliamentary Rapid Response Team (PARRT):

• Hon. Rozaina Adam, MP (Maldives)
• Dep. Raymonde Lawson Boe-Allah, MP (Togo)
• Dip. Soledad Buendía (Ecuador)
• Dr. Hannah Neumann MP (Germany)
• Mr. Anders Österberg, MP (Sweden)
• Hon. Dorcas Sibanda, MP (Zimbabwe)
• Hon. Kasthuri Patto, MP (Malaysia)
• Hon. Syed Naveed Qamar, MP (Pakistan)
• Ms. Anita Vandenbeld MP (Canada)

PGA further calls for a comprehensive institutional reform that shall secure durable guarantees of civilian oversight over the security sector and the end of any discriminatory or violent State-policies against minorities and vulnerable groups. PGA also reiterates its call for the end of all mass atrocities that victimized the Rohingya populations as a precondition for their eventual repatriation from Bangladesh and/or from other neighboring countries. PGA reinforces that it is an imperative under International Law to effectively investigate, prosecute and adjudicate any international crime that may fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) or competent national courts, regarding which there is no immunity for the perpetrators of such crimes. Democracy, human rights, and justice go hand-in-hand, and must reinforce each other.