Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been remanded in custody for two weeks, according to her party's spokesperson, two days after the country's powerful armed forces seized control in a coup. Suu Kyi, who was the country's de facto leader under the title state counselor, was issued with an arrest warrant for breaching the country's import and export laws. National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesperson Kyi Toe, posted on his Facebook account Wednesday that Suu Kyi will be detained until Feb. 15. "According to reliable information, a 14-day arrest warrant was issued against Daw Aung San Su Kyi under the Import and Export Law," he said. Deposed President Win Myint was also remanded in custody under the country's Disaster Management Law, Kyi Toe said. Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint were arrested in pre-dawn raids on Monday hours before the military declared that power had been handed to the commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing over unfounded allegations of election fraud. A state of emergency was declared for one year. Numerous senior lawmakers and officials in the ruling National League for Democracy Party (NLD) were also detained, with some 400 kept at a guest house in the capital. Cementing its rule, the new ruling junta removed 24 ministers and deputies from government and named 11 of its own allies as replacements who will assume their roles in a new administration. The sudden seizure of power came as the new parliament was due to open and after months of increasing friction between the civilian government and the powerful military, known as the Tatmadaw, over alleged election irregularities. Suu Kyi's party, the NLD claimed an overwhelming victory in the November 2020 elections, only the second since the end of military rule, taking 83% of the vote, which granted it another five years in government. The country's election commission has repeatedly denied mass voter fraud took place. — Courtesy CNN
