G7 foreign ministers and the EU High Representative on Wednesday issued a joint statement in condemnation of the recent military coup in Myanmar and called for the restoration of the civilian government.
"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in condemning the military coup in Myanmar", the statement, shared by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, read.
The G7 and the EU also called for the release of Myanmar’s state counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other officials who were placed under house arrest.
"We call upon the military to immediately end the state of emergency, restore power to the democratically-elected government, to release all those unjustly detained and to respect human rights and the rule of law. The November election results must be respected and Parliament should be convened at the earliest opportunity", the statement read.
In addition, the top G7 diplomats said that restrictions on information flows imposed by the military are "deeply concerning." The G7 added that it stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and "wants to see a democratic future" in the country.
Myanmar's military launched a coup on Monday morning and detained Suu Kyi, Myint and other National League for Democracy (NLD) members. The military announced a one-year state of emergency in the country, vowing to "take action" against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election, which saw Suu Kyi’s NLD party win resoundingly. The military also said it was committed to the democratic system and vowed to hold new and fair elections after the state of emergency ends.
Global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, condemned the military coup and called for the urgent release of all detainees.
