Editorial: Release Aung San Suu Kyi

February 8 , 2021

The military coup in Myanmar undid overnight the decade-long people’s effort to democratize the country. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de facto leader, President Win Myint and other leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested. Governments everywhere, particularly in the US and Europe, promptly denounced the actions, demanding that martial law be lifted and will be imposing strict sanctions.

Komeito Chief Representative Natsuo Yamaguchi issued a statement calling for the immediate release of Ms. Suu Kyi and NLD executives, urging all parties to resolve the crisis through dialogue rather than resort to violence. The Japanese government has made a similar call.