World Bank concerned over coup in Myanmar
The World Bank has expressed concern about the safety of its staff and partners in Myanmar, where the military has staged a coup.
In a statement on Monday, the international organization said it had been a committed partner in what it called efforts to achieve broad-based sustainable growth and increased social inclusion in Myanmar.
“We remain committed to these goals,” it said, after Myanmar’s military detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of her governing party and declared a one-year emergency.
The World Bank’s website lists $900 million in lending commitments to Myanmar in 2020, and $616 million in 2017.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Myanmar,” the bank said. “We are concerned about the safety and security of people in Myanmar, including our staff and partners.”
Early on Monday morning, the Myanmarese military said it had arrested Suu Kyi and her associates over accusations of voter fraud in favor of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the November 2020 elections.
The military handed power to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and pledged to hold fresh elections and hand power to the winning party.
The military disrupted internet and telephone connections early on Monday morning.
NetBlocks, a non-governmental organization that purportedly monitors digital rights, cybersecurity, and internet governance around the world, said the national connectivity in Myanmar had fallen to 75% of ordinary levels.
NetBlocks said that “preliminary findings [indicate] a centrally ordered mechanism of disruption targeting cellular and some fixed-line services, progressing over time as operators comply.”
Myanmar was ruled by the military until 2011, when Suu Kyi ended the junta rule and introduced what were presented as reforms.
Suu Kyi had been under house arrest before.
Her party, however, cultivated close relations with the military from the beginning of its activity and formed an alliance with senior military officers.
She supported the military in a deadly campaign of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim community in the western state of Rakhine.
Suu Kyi also defended military atrocities against the Rohingya people at the United Nations (UN)’s top court in The Hague in December 2019.
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