Myanmar’s military has seized power and declared a state of emergency for one year following days of escalating tension over the result of November’s parliamentary elections. Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s de facto leader, President Win Myint and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party have been detained in the capital, Naypyidaw, on Monday. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has expressed “huge irregularities” in November’s vote. The power grab came as Parliament – in which the military is given 25 percent of the seats – was set to open in Myanmar. Much remains unclear about the implications of the military seizing back power 10 years after agreeing to a civilian transition.
