UK, EU Call For UN Human Rights Council Special Meeting Over Myanmar Coup - London

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2021) The United Kingdom and the European Union have issued a joint call for the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold a special session to discuss the recent military coup in Myanmar, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday.

"Today, the UK & EU have called for a Special Session of the #UN Human Rights Council on Myanmar on Thursday," Raab said in a Twitter post.

The foreign secretary said that both London and Brussels condemn the recent coup and the detention of leading political figures, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

Myanmar's military launched the coup one week ago, declaring a year-long state of emergency in the process. The armed forces have claimed that Myanmar's November 8 general election, which saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party win by a landslide, was subject to widespread voter fraud.

Access to the internet and social media have been severely restricted following the overthrow of the government, and tens of thousands of people on Monday took to the streets for the third consecutive day of widespread protests against the coup.