Nepal said on Monday that it has been closely following the recent developments in Myanmar after the military in the Southeast Asian country seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi, along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy party, were detained by the military in early morning raids.

“Nepal has been closely following the recent developments in Myanmar. We believe that all parties involved will respect the will of the Myanmar people and hope that the democratic and constitutional process will be restored soon,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “We are equally concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the detained civilian leaders including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and call for their immediate release.”

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to “election fraud”, handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.

Though the world was quick to denounce the military coup in Myanmar, Nepal released it’s statement only on Monday evening.

Since Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was out of the capital throughout the day, there was a delay in issuing the statement, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official.

“It requires the prime minister’s approval for issuing statements in such a sensitive matter,” the official who did not wish to be named told the Post. “There was also a lot of pressure on the government to speak up on what was happening in Myanmar.”

On why the response is more muted, the official just said the government has come up with its position.

“We have come up with the statement, even though it’s soft,” the official told the Post.

The putsch in Myanmar on Monday comes as a grim reminder for Nepalis of a royal-military coup exactly 16 years ago.

On February 1, 2005, then king Gyanendra had assumed absolute power, declared himself the chair of the council of ministers and put political party leaders in house arrest.

Just like in Myanmar, the king had cut off telephone and internet and declared a state of emergency. The media was put under military censorship.

Earlier on Monday, the United Nations said the developments [in Myanmar] were a “serious blow to democratic reforms” and urged all leaders to refrain from violence and respect human rights. The United States, Britain, Australia and the European Union condemned the military’s coup and detentions and its declaration of a state of emergency.

India said it expresses “deep concern” over the reports of an unfolding military coup in Myanmar.

“We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

China said it “noted” what happened in Myanmar.

“We have noted what has happened in Myanmar and are in the process of further understanding the situation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing in Beijing, according to Reuters. “China is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar’s. We hope that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the constitution and legal framework and safeguard political and social stability.”