On 1 February 2026, the Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, marked the fifth anniversary of the Myanmar military coup, describing a deepening crisis for Myanmar’s people.
The statement reaffirmed UK support for a stable future, including humanitarian assistance reaching over 1.4 million people and essential health services provided to 1.3 million people in the past year.
It also set out UK concerns about conditions on the ground, including schooling disruption and violence against women and girls, and urged steps towards a democratic and peaceful transition.
Background to the fifth anniversary
The statement marks five years since Myanmar’s military coup, which overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government and ended political freedoms for many people in Myanmar.
It describes a deepening crisis, with the UK linking ongoing instability to worsening conditions for civilians and continued political repression.
- Event marked
- Political context
- UK position
Humanitarian situation and UK support
The Foreign Secretary said the UK remains committed to supporting a stable future for the people of Myanmar, including through humanitarian assistance and essential health services.
In the past year, the UK said it has supported over 1.4 million people with humanitarian assistance and provided 1.3 million people with essential health services, and will continue to stand by those most affected.
Security, rights and regional concerns
The statement said conditions on the ground remain dire, highlighting the impact on children, and persistent violence faced by women and girls.
It also noted that crimes affecting the UK, including drug production and cyber scams, have flourished amid the crisis.
- Children’s education
- Women and girls’ safety
- Transnational crime
International response and democratic expectations
The Foreign Secretary said the recent military-run elections were neither free nor fair and that more remains to be done for the aspirations of the Myanmar people to be met.
The statement urged all parties to protect civilians and called on the military regime to end airstrikes, allow unhindered humanitarian access, release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, and engage in genuine dialogue towards a democratic and peaceful transition.
Actions set out in the UK statement
| Protect civilians | UK urged all parties to protect civilians |
| End airstrikes | UK called on the military regime to end airstrikes |
| Humanitarian access | UK called for unhindered humanitarian access |
| Political prisoners | UK called for the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi |
| Dialogue | UK called for genuine dialogue towards a democratic and peaceful transition |
Stakeholder Comments
Ministerial Comments
The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign Secretary said;
“Five years on from the military’s coup, the people of Myanmar face a deepening crisis. By overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, the will of the people was overturned and their political freedom taken away. Amidst this crisis, the UK remains committed to supporting a stable future for the people of Myanmar. In the past year we have supported over 1.4 million people with humanitarian assistance and provided 1.3 million people with essential health services.”
“We will continue to stand by those most affected. Yet conditions on the ground remain dire. Half of Myanmar’s children are now out of school, while women and girls face persistent violence. Crimes that affect us in the UK, like drug production and cyber scams, have flourished. The recent military-run elections were neither free nor fair. For the aspirations of the Myanmar people to be met, there is much that still needs to be done.”
“We continue to urge all parties to protect civilians. We call on the military regime to end its airstrikes; to allow unhindered humanitarian access; to release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to engage in genuine dialogue towards a democratic and peaceful transition. Today and always, we stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar.”
Moving Forward
The Foreign Secretary said the UK remains committed to supporting a stable future for the people of Myanmar and to standing by those most affected by the crisis. The statement set out concerns about conditions on the ground, including schooling disruption, violence against women and girls, and the growth of crimes affecting the UK.
It also reiterated calls for the protection of civilians, the end of airstrikes, unhindered humanitarian access, the release of political prisoners, and dialogue towards a democratic and peaceful transition.
Sources: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP.
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organisation delivering timely insights from global official sources. Combines AI-analysed research with human-edited accuracy and context.
