Aung San Suu Kyi - The African Mirror

Mar

2021

A Myanmar doctor’s journey from a remote village to leading a revolution

POPPY McPHERSON ON the night Myanmar's army seized power, Dr Sasa was in the capital, Naypyitaw, expecting to take a job in Aung San Suu Kyi's cabinet after running a successful election campaign for her party in his native Chin state. But as troops fanned out across the city in the early hours of February 1, detaining Suu Kyi along with most of her government and declaring a return to junta rule, the doctor turned politician fled disguised as a taxi driver, not wanting, in his words, "to be captured like a rat in a box". Since then, Sasa, who…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Fears of ‘digital dictatorship’ as Myanmar deploys AI

WORLD

RINA CHANDRAN PROTESTERS in Myanmar fear they are being tracked with Chinese facial recognition technology, as spiralling violence and street surveillance spark fears of a "digital dictatorship" to replace ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Human rights groups say the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to check on citizens' movements poses a "serious threat" to their liberty. More than 200 people have been killed since Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi was overthrown in a Feb. 1 coup, triggering mass protests that security forces have struggled to suppress with increasingly violent tactics. Security forces have focused on stamping out dissent in cities…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Pope’s desperate plea for peace in Myanmar

WORLD

MYANMAR’S most powerful Buddhist monks' association called on the junta to end violence against protesters and accused an "armed minority" of torture and killing innocent civilians since last month's coup, according to local media. In its most forthright condemnation of the military's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations, the government-appointed organisation also said in a draft statement its members intended to halt activities, in an apparent protest. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee planned to release a final statement after consulting the religious affairs minister on Thursday, the Myanmar Now news portal said, citing a monk who attended a meeting of…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar families hold funerals for crackdown victims as activists defy security crackdown

WORLD

THE families of dozens of people killed in demonstrations against military rule in Myanmar attended their funerals yesterday as more protesters defied the security forces and at least one man was shot dead. The political and economic crisis over the February 1 overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government could also force the poor into hunger as food and fuel prices rise, the United Nations food agency said. Security forces shot dead at least 20 people on Monday after 74 were killed a day earlier, including many in a suburb of Yangon where Chinese-financed factories were torched, according to…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Security forces fire on Myanmar protests after deadliest day since coup

WORLD

MYANMAR security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators yesterday, killing six people, media and witnesses said, a day after dozens of protesters were shot dead and attackers torched several Chinese-financed factories in the city of Yangon. Supporters of detained democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi marched again, including in the second city of Mandalay and in the central towns of Myingyan and Aunglan, where police opened fire, witnesses and media reported. "One girl got shot in the head and a boy got shot in the face," an 18-year-old protester in Myingyan told Reuters by telephone. "I'm now hiding." The Myanmar Now…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

17 die in Myanmar’s Bloody Sunday

WORLD

SECURITY forces killed at least 14 protesters in a poor, industrial suburb of Myanmar's main city yesterday and at least three people in other parts of the country, according to local media. State television said a policeman had also been killed in one of the bloodiest days of protests against the February 1 coup. China's embassy called on Myanmar to protect its property and citizens after saying two Chinese-financed garment factories were set ablaze by unknown attackers. Protests are now in their sixth week since the coup toppled elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and plunged the Southeast Asian country…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

At least 12 killed in protests in Myanmar; civilian vice-president vows resistance to junta

WORLD

MYANMAR security forces killed at least 12 people, witnesses and media reported, as the acting leader of a civilian parallel government vowed in a first public address on Saturday to pursue a "revolution" to overturn the February 1 military coup. Five people were shot dead and several injured when police opened fire on a sit-in protest in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city, witnesses told Reuters. Another person was killed in the central town of Pyay and two died in police firing in the commercial capital Yangon, where three were also killed overnight, domestic media reported. "They are acting like they are…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar security forces surround, arrest protesters; U.S. calls for withdrawal

WORLD

MYANMAR security forces fired tear gas and surrounded hundreds of anti-junta protesters at two places in Yangon yesterday, witnesses said, prompting the U.S. Embassy to call for their withdrawal. In New York, the U.N. Security Council failed to agree on a statement that would have condemned the coup in Myanmar, called for restraint by the military and threatened to consider "further measures". Talks on the statement would likely continue, diplomats said, after China, Russia, India and Vietnam all suggested amendments late on Tuesday to a British draft, including removal of the reference to a coup and the threat to consider…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Unions call for total strike in Myanmar; Suu Kyi party official dies in custody

WORLD

MYANMAR’S major trade unions called on members to shut down the economy from today to back a campaign against last month's coup, raising pressure on the junta as its forces cracked down on protesters and occupied hospitals in the main city Yangon. Witnesses reported sounds of gunfire or stun grenades in several areas of the commercial capital after nightfall, as soldiers set up camp in hospitals and university compounds, local media reported. It was not clear whether anyone was hurt. The move came after some of the largest nationwide protests since the February 1 coup and an alliance of nine…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar police open fire, kill one protester

WORLD

POLICE in Myanmar yesterday opened fire on protesters against last month's military coup, killing one man, as international condemnation rained down on the junta ahead of a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the crisis. The violence took place as the military lost a tussle over leadership of its U.N. mission in New York and the United States announced new sanctions targeting military conglomerates after the deaths of dozens of civilian protesters. Activists demanding the restoration of the elected government of veteran democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi held more demonstrations in several towns and cities, with a crowd…