Human rights activists Sunday condemned the arrest of Honduran President Mauel Zelaya by the country's military.

The apparent coup prompted criticism by Human Rights Watch, which called Zelaya's ousting a "breach of democracy in Honduras" and called for the Organization of American States to act quickly to push for the re-establishment of democracy in Honduras.

"The OAS has a key role to play now. It must rapidly find a multilateral solution to this breach of democracy in Honduras," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for the international rights group. "To allow this coup to stand would be a huge step back from the progress that the region has made toward democracy in recent decades."

Military troops arrested Zelaya before a proposed referendum on presidential term limits.

Soldiers surrounded the president's house and then took Zelaya to an airbase, the newspaper El Heraldo reported on its Web site.

Zelaya wanted to seek a second term next year. By law, the Honduran leader, elected in 2006, is limited to one term in office.

Zelaya told a Spanish newspaper last week he suspected a military coup was in the making. The president's prediction came amid controversy over his firing of the head of the Honduran armed forces.

U.S. President Barack Obama expressed concern Sunday about the arrest of Honduran leader.

"I am deeply concerned by reports coming out of Honduras regarding the detention and expulsion of President Mel Zelaya," Obama said in a statement released by the White House just hours after the Honduran leader's detainment.