Ex-Myanmar president says army tried to force him to cede power hours before coup

FILE PHOTO: Myanmar's president Win Myint reviews the honor guard during his welcome ceremony at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand June 14, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/Pool

(Reuters) - Myanmar's deposed president testified on Tuesday that the military tried to force him to relinquish power hours before its Feb. 1 coup, warning him he could be seriously harmed if he refused, according to his lawyer.

The testimony of Win Myint, his first public comments since he was overthrown, challenges the military's insistence that no coup took place, and that power had been lawfully transferred to the generals by an acting president.