Australia lambastes Myanmar’s regime, says crisis ‘threatening regional stability’
Foreign Minister Penny Wong accused Myanmar’s military regime of subjecting its people to “escalating violence, widespread human rights violations and grave human suffering” for five years.
On February 1, 2021, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s military seized power in a swift early morning coup, abruptly ending hard-won democratic reforms and plunging the country into a violent crisis.
The beginning of the historic coup was caught on camera as fitness trainer Khing Hnin Wai recorded a dance routine with several armored vehicles speeding in the background.
Dozens of democratically elected MPs were detained due to the communication blackout in the country.
The military appointed an interim president, exploiting a loophole in Myanmar’s 2008 constitution; The president immediately declared a one-year state of emergency and transferred all executive, legislative and judicial powers to General Min Aung Hlaing.
Myanmar is grappling with a civil war, widespread crime and a brutal crackdown, and Senator Wong on Sunday blamed the regime for the crisis.
“This crisis caused by the coup continues unabated,” he said in the statement.
“In 2026, an estimated 16.2 million people will need life-saving humanitarian assistance and more than 3.6 million people will be internally displaced by ongoing conflict.
“The economy has contracted significantly and international and serious organized crime is rampant, threatening regional stability.”
He also rejected the latest tightly controlled elections in Myanmar.
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won an overwhelming majority of all three votes, giving it a majority in both legislative houses.
“The recent regime elections were held amid ongoing violence and repression and without meaningful participation from opposition parties,” Senator Wong said.
“They did not meet the conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections.
“Australia has consistently condemned the regime’s brutal and ongoing atrocities against the people of Myanmar, and we will continue to prosecute the Myanmar military for its actions.”
He also called on incoming officials to implement a five-point framework supported by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“Australia stands ready to support genuine efforts to alleviate human suffering, improve economic and social conditions, and develop a sustainable solution to the ongoing crisis,” Senator Wong said.
“We stand with the people of Myanmar and share their aspirations for a better future.”
Among those detained in the coup was leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
He was initially sentenced to 33 years in prison after multiple trials on charges widely condemned as politically motivated, including corruption, election fraud and violation of state secrets.
In August 2023, the military junta granted him a partial amnesty and reduced his sentence to 27 years.
The 80-year-old man was being held in solitary confinement in a specially built facility within a prison complex in Naypyidaw.
There were rumors that he was placed under house arrest due to health issues in 2024 and 2025, but these reports have not been independently verified.
