US in touch with India and Japan on coup in Myanmar: State Department official

 Terming detention of Myanmar's top civilian leers by military "a coup", a senior State Department official has said that US is in constant touch with regional allies like India and Japan on latest developments in Nay Pyi Taw as two countries have better contact with military in Souast Asian nation.

Myanmar's military on Monday took control of country for one year and detained top political figures, including de facto leer Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We have certainly been in frequent contact with our like-minded allies and partners in region. You mentioned Japan and India. We're having daily ongoing conversations with m, and we certainly appreciate that some or countries have better contact with Burmese military than we do, so we're continuing those conversations,” a senior State Department official told reporters during a conference call on Tuesday.

United States categorically said military action in Burma is a coup.

“After a careful review of facts and circumstances, we have assessed that Aung San Suu Kyi, leer of Burma’s ruling party, and Win Myint, duly elected he of government, were deposed in a military coup on February 1," State Department official said.

Myanmar was called Burma before 1989 when ruling junta, backed by armed forces, changed its name. This was done to maintain country's global im after a total crackdown on a pro-democracy movement.

We continue to call on Burmese military leership to release m ( elected leers) and all or detained civil society and political leers immediately and unconditionally, State Department official said. US has deunced in strongest possible terms Myanmar's military leers for seeking to reject will of people as expressed in democratic elections on vember 8 and for taking control of government.However, Myanmar military has justified seizure of power, saying government h failed to thoroughly investigate claims of voter fraud in polls.

"We continue to stand with people of Burma, as we have done for deces, in ir efforts to achieve democracy, freedom, peace, and development,” said US official.

This assessment, official said, triggers certain restrictions in foreign assistance to government of Myanmar and US would undertake a broer review of its assistance programmes to ensure y align with recent events.

"At same time, it will continue programmes that benefit people of Burma directly, including humanitarian assistance and democracy support programmes that benefit civil society," official said.

US is providing nearly USD 135 million in bilateral assistance to Burma in financial year 2020. w, a small portion of that is expected to fall under sanctions. return to civilian rule in 2015 h enabled Myanmar to eng with countries and businesses across globe and move beyond relying on actors in region that do t respect human rights and democratic institutions.

“ military's actions over last week, and frankly prior to that, have put that progress at grave risk. A very small circle of Burma's military leers have chosen ir own interests over will and well-being of people,” official said.

Biden ministration, official said, rejects any attempt by military to alter outcome of vember 2020 election in Burma.

“And, as President Biden has said, we will take action against those responsible, including through a careful review of our current sanctions posture as it relates to Burma’s military leers and companies associated with m. Most importantly, we will continue to stand with people of Burma,” official said.

We will be conducting a review of all our assistance programmes for Burma. I don’t have a timeline for you on that, but we’re going to be guided by our longstanding commitment to people of Burma and ir aspirations for democracy, peace, justice, and development,said official.

Calling military’s seizure of power in Myanmar a “direct assault” on its transition to democracy, US President Joe Biden on Monday h threatened to slap new sanctions on country.