EU Council Condemns Military Coup In Myanmar, Says Ready To Sanction Perpetrators

The European Union strongly condemns the military coup in Myanmar and is considering sanctions against the individuals responsible for the ousting of the country's civilian government, the EU Council said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2021) The European Union strongly condemns the military coup in Myanmar and is considering sanctions against the individuals responsible for the ousting of the country's civilian government, the EU Council said on Monday.

"The European Union stands with the people of Myanmar/Burma. The Council condemns in the strongest terms the military coup carried out in the country on 1 February 2021. The European Union calls for de-escalation of the current crisis through an immediate end to the state of emergency, the restoration of the legitimate civilian government and the opening of the newly elected parliament," the council said in a statement published on its website.

The EU Council added that it was ready to impose sanctions against the individuals responsible for the military coup.

"In response to the military coup, the European Union stands ready to adopt restrictive measures targeting those directly responsible. All other tools at the disposal of the European Union and its Member States will be kept under review. The European Union will seek to avoid measures which could adversely affect the people of Myanmar/Burma, especially the most vulnerable," the council said.

On February 1, Myanmar's military seized power, announcing a one-year state of emergency and vowing to take action against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election, which was won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party. The military said it was committed to the democratic system and vowed to hold new and fair elections after the state of emergency ended.