The Burmese military detained Senior State Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior ruling party officials on February 1 and announced that Myanmar Defense Force Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing would take over the country for the next year.
In response, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday that after careful checks, the U.S. officially deemed the Burmese military’s move a military coup. This will trigger a review of U.S. aid to the Burmese government.
New State Department spokesman Ned Price held his first regular press conference after taking office Tuesday. The coup in Burma was the focus of attention during the press conference. The State Department condemned the Burmese military for its involvement in the coup and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained elected political leaders.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “After reviewing all the facts, it is our assessment that the February 1 action by the Burmese military to depose duly elected government leaders constitutes a military coup. The United States will continue to work closely with partners in the region and around the world to support respect for democracy and the rule of law in Burma, and to hold accountable those who overthrew Burma’s democratic excesses.”
Under U.S. law, a finding that the Burmese military was involved in the coup would automatically limit U.S. assistance to the Burmese government. U.S. officials, however, said they will continue to promote democracy programs and provide humanitarian assistance to people in need, including the Rohingya minority.
In the case of Burma, I think it’s absolutely not in our interest, nor in the interest of like-minded partners, for the Burmese military to take a military coup,” Price said. You will also find that it is not in the interests of China. So our first concern, of course, is to restore the leadership of the democratically elected leaders of Burma.”
The U.S. State Department did not comment specifically on China’s influence over Burma.
Some analysts say China’s failure to condemn the coup and its milder tone than any other country, and Beijing‘s government’s indication that China is a friendly neighbor to Burma, is because China does not want to see a pro-U.S. democratic government on its own border.
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