European Union issues warning statement to Myanmar military against dissolution of Suu Kyi's party

Brussels: The European Union has issued a statement warning the Myanmar military against the dissolution of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party that won the November elections, as such a decision would be a "blatant disregard" for the will of the people.

This comes after military-appointed commission chairman Thein Soe announced on Friday (May 21) plans to dissolve the NLD, headed by former state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, for alleged vote fraud in general elections last year.

"The EU reiterates that the elections in November faithfully represented the will of Myanmar`s people. This was confirmed by all independent domestic and international observers. No arbitrary decision by the military junta and their illegally-appointed members of the Electoral Commission can cancel that," a spokesperson for the EU external action service said in a statement on Sunday (May 23).

The EU will continue to denounce all attempts to overturn the will of the Myanmar people and to alter the outcome of the last general elections, the statement said.

"No repression or unfounded pseudo-legal proceedings can grant legitimacy to the junta`s illegal takeover of power. Only respecting the will of the people can bring Myanmar back onto its democratic path and deliver stability and sustainable development," it added.

On February 1, the Myanmar military overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency.

The military coup led to mass protests and was met by deadly violence, resulting in the killing of more than 700 people. Meanwhile, about 3,000 protesters have also been detained.