Monday, 1 February 2021
The Network of Social Democracy in Asia (SocDem Asia), the network of social democratic and progressive political parties in Asia condemns the military coup in Myanmar. This is a brazen attack on the people’s will. We call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all civilian political leaders that have been detained by the military.
We reiterate our solidarity with the people of Myanmar and our support for the democratic process in Myanmar. The people of Myanmar have already spoken last November 8 and have given their overwhelming support for civilian rule and the continuation of the process of democratization. The leaders of the military coup must respect the popular will.
We also urge fellow progressives and democrats across the region to condemn this military coup and call for the restoration of civilian rule. We must understand that this and similar efforts to supplant democracy with authoritarianism anywhere in the region threatens our own countries’ movements for democracy and emboldens our own authoritarians.