George Soros’ Open Society fighting to get detained member out of Myanmar after coup

Authorities in Myanmar have detained the as-yet person of interest, and are reported to be looking for 11 other Open Society employees, on suspicion of funding the opposition to the military coup which occurred on Feb. 1 2021.

According to Reuters, the Society has released the following statement:

"The Open Society Foundations are deeply concerned by reports that an OSM (Open Society Myanmar) staff member has been detained in Myanmar. We call for her immediate release. We are alarmed by reports that authorities are seeking to interrogate other staff members."

The Myanmar branch of the Society has also been accused of illegal conversion of foreign currency without permission, another claim denied by them:

"Claims of financial misconduct, including that OSM acted illegally by withdrawing their own funds in local currency from the SMID bank, are false. Claims that OSM used these funds for illegal purposes are false. These funds were used for purposes fully within the objectives of OSM."

The Feb. 1 coup unseated standing leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been elected on Nov. 8 2020. Suu Kyi is currently being held in prison since the coup.

Supporters of the coup claimed widespread corruption on the part of Suu Kyi and her hangers-on. The coup's opponents say it's a blatant power grab by the military, and that the allegations of corruption are unfounded.

So far, almost 200 people have been killed in the resulting protests, mostly pro-democracy demonstrators killed at the hands of the military.