On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military seized power in an attempted coup d'etat, overthrowing the country's democratically elected government and detaining the leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Party, including its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, along with cabinet ministers, opposition parliamentarians and activists. The NLD won a landslide victory in November’s elections, securing 396 out of 476 seats, which granted it a further five years in government. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party won just 33 seats.

Trade unions and worker groups in Myanmar have condemned the attempted coup and called for the military to respect the 2020 election results and immediately release those detained. International trade unions have also expressed their solidarity with Myanmar, the union movement there and other institutions defending democracy in the country. The statements are included below.

More coverage on the situation as it unfolds in Myanmar can be found on our site here.