I condemn the takeover of power and the subsequent arrests made by the military in Myanmar in the strongest possible terms. These actions by the military jeopardise the progress made so far towards democratic change in Myanmar. I call on the military to release the arrested members of the Government and Parliament without delay, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, to lift the state of emergency and to allow the country’s democratically legitimated, constitutional institutions to resume their work.

Together with its EU partners, Germany reaffirms its support for the further democratisation of Myanmar and the civilian government’s efforts to promote peace, human rights and economic development in Myanmar. I expect Myanmar’s military leadership to respect the democratic will of its people and to recognise the results of the elections held on 8 November 2020.