The Chin Youth Network (CYN) condemned the coup d’etat staged by the Burma Army on Monday, February 1, in a statement issued the following day, after the Tatmadaw—as they’re locally called—took over the country and declared a state of emergency after refusing to concede to the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) landslide victory during Burma’s recent election.
“We reject any acts of violence and threats by the military to control the country by military force,” the statement said. “We strongly condemn the military coup that damages democracy and human rights” in Burma.
CYN called for the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior NLD leaders arrested by the Tatmadaw, while calling for political matters to be resolved through dialogue.
It urged all stakeholders, including ethnic parties, ethnic armed organizations, political parties from central Burma, civil society organizations and Burma Army to convene for negotiations as soon as possible.
On the same day as the military takeover, the Chin State Youth Affairs Committee issued a statement demanding that democratic values be upheld and for election results and the desires of those who cast ballots during Burma’s 2020 general election on November 8 to be respected.
The youth committee strongly condemned Burma Army’s detainment of President Win Myint , State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the chief ministers of states and regions, parliamentarian speakers and political activists.
The Burma Army demanded a re-run of the election after claiming to find over 10 million fraudulent ballots. After it was denied by the Union Election Commission, which found no evidence supporting the Tatmadaw’s accusations of widespread election fraud, NLD leaders were arrested in the early morning before the first session of parliament could be held to validate the election results.