Myanmar Military Give MPs 24 Hours to Leave Naypyitaw

By San Yamin Aung 3 February 2021

YANGON — Myanmar’s military has given elected parliamentarians 24 hours to leave Naypyitaw’s government guesthouse, despite initially giving them until Feb. 6.

MPs arrived in the capital to attend the first session of the new parliament on Monday but the military staged a coup hours before the session was due to begin and confined representatives to the guesthouse.

Re-elected NLD Upper House member U Aung Kyi Nyunt said they were given 24 hours to leave and that army trucks would take them away.

The NLD had earlier arranged for parliamentarians to stay until Feb. 6. However, their removal came after demands were raised on Facebook to convene the parliamentary session in the guesthouse as they exceeded the minimum requirement for half of the representatives to hold a valid the session.

U Aung Kyi Nyunt said the MPs are preparing to leave.

“I support the civil disobedience movement. We have a plan,” he added.

Sai Thiha Kyaw, a Shan Nationalities League for Democracy Lower House parliamentarian for Mongyai Township in Shan State, has left the guesthouse.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday afternoon, the re-elected MP, who is heading back to Mongyai, said the party will meet to decide on the next steps.

“As an elected representative, I will follow my constituents’ wishes,” the Shan representative said.

The military arrested NLD leaders State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other leading NLD members, government ministers and political activists on Monday. Many are still being held in custody.

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