(VOVWORLD) - The international community continued to voice concern over the situation in Myanmar, following a the detention of civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi earlier this month.
 Soldiers guard a checkpoint in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Feb 2, 2021. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
In telephone talks on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said they were concerned about the latest developments in Myanmar. Motegi said Japan will strongly urge the Myanmar military to restrain from violence against citizens, release Suu Kyi and other detainees, and swiftly restore a democratic political system in the country. The Indonesian minister, meanwhile, stressed the importance of securing the safety of Myanmar citizens and the return to a democratic process.
The same day, Motegi talked over the phone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which the two agreed to call on the Myanmar military to release Suu Kyi and other detainees and to promptly restore democratic governance.
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he had approved an executive order for new sanctions on those responsible for the military takeover in Myanmar.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, warned that all military members engaged in human rights abuses risked prosecution.