Representatives of the National League for Democracy (NLD) that won their respective constituencies in the 2020 General Election had signed an oath on February 4 at the Nay Pyi Taw Sipin Housing Estate (2).
Seventy MPs, those that did not return home, pledged that they will protect and respect the constitution by following the laws, that they will be loyal to the country and its citizens, that they will work toward the unity of all ethnic races and for enduring sovereign reign.
"The NLD won a landslide victory in the 2020 election. Then the military coup happened and the parliament was shut down. Since we are elected MPs, we can call for Hluttaw where we gather. This morning, we organized it and pledge for the votes of the people. We swear an oath that we will be going through the coming five years as an MP.
No matter who disrupts it, the results will remain the same," said MP Daw Phyu Phyu Thin.
MPs that opted to return home will be signing the same pledge online.
MP Kyaw Soe Lin said that any charges aimed at MPs will have to be dealth with through the election commission. He said that all of them swore an oath as elected MPs in the Union Parliament and that they will work toward a similar pledge taking for all MPs across states and regions.
In regards to the military coup, Phyu Phyu Thin says,"We totally do not accept the military coup. It is a rigged system, set up to oppress the people by threatening with weapons. We have a president. We have a State Counselor. We cannot accept the attempt to charge both of them on silly claims. We will strive to get rid of military dictatorship from Myanmar. We MPs will stand with the people to eradicate military dictatorship."
On February 1, the military closed off the Nay Pyi Taw Sipin Guest House (2) around 4am in the morning, preventing MPs from attending the first convening of the 3rd parliamentary sessions. Phone and internet lines were also cut off.
MPs were slowly allowed to leave starting from the evening of February 2 but most decided to remain at the guest houses until February 6 as per the decision from the NLD's central executive committee. The military had since warned to leave within 24 hours on 3 February.
