Reports: Military coup in Myanmar, Suu Kyi detained

Reports says a military coup has taken place in Myanmar and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest. Online news portal Myanmar w cited unidentified sources about arrest of Suu Kyi and her party's chairperson early Monday and did t have furr details.

All communications to Naypyitaw appeared to have been cut and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party could t be reached. Myanmar lawmakers were to gar Monday in capital Naypyitaw for first session of Parliament since last year's election, with tension lingering over recent comments by military that were widely seen as threatening a coup.

Suu Kyi captured 396 out of 476 seats in in combined lower and upper houses of Parliament, far above 322 needed to secure a majority. But army-drafted constitution of 2008 grants military 25% of total seats, eugh to block constitutional changes. Several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.

75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far country's most dominant politician, and became country's leer after leing a deces-long nviolent struggle against military rule. military, kwn as Tatmaw, charged that re was massive voting fraud in election, though it has failed to provide proof. state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Amid bickering over allegations, military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporter's question, declined to rule out possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying military would “follow laws in accordance with constitution.” Using similar langu, Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that constitution could be revoked if laws were t being properly enforced. ding to concern was unusual deployment of armored vehicles in streets of several large cities.

On Saturday, however, military denied it h threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position and taking general's words out of context. On Sunday, it reiterated its denial, this time blaming unspecified foreign embassies of misinterpreting military's position and calling on m “t to make unwarranted assumptions about situation.” U.S. officials at National Security Council and State Department said y were aware of reports but could t confirm a coup and detentions h taken place. 

(Im Credits: AP)