Aung San Suu Kyi - The African Mirror

Feb

2021

Myanmar military guarantees new election; protesters block train services

MYANMAR’S military junta guaranteed today that it would hold an election and hand over power, denied its ouster of an elected government was a coup or that its leaders were detained, and accused protesters of violence and intimidation. The junta's justification of its February 1 seizure of power and arrest of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others came as protesters again took to the streets and after a U.N. envoy warned the army of "severe consequences" for any harsh response to the demonstrations. "Our objective is to hold an election and hand power to the winning party," Brigadier…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Smaller protests in Myanmar as junta deploys more troops, armoured vehicles

WORLD

PROTESTERS in Myanmar kept up demands yesterday for the release of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and an end to military rule despite the deployment of armoured vehicles and more soldiers on the streets. Suu Kyi, detained since a February 1 coup against her elected government, had been expected to face a court in connection with charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios, but a judge said her remand lasted until Wednesday, her lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, said. The coup and arrest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi and hundreds of others have sparked the biggest protests…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar police fire rubber bullets, wounding three, as hundreds of thousands protest

WORLD

SUPPORTERS of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi clashed with police yesterday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the military junta's call to halt mass gatherings. The United Nations human rights office said more than 350 people, including officials, activists and monks, have been arrested in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup, including some who face criminal charges on "dubious grounds". The U.N. rights investigator for Myanmar told a special session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that there were "growing reports, photographic evidence" that security forces have used live ammunition against protesters,…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

‘It was her spirit’: Myanmar teen shot by police was determined to protest coup

WORLD

MYANMAR teenager Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing was supposed to be celebrating her 20th birthday today. Instead, she is fighting for her life in a hospital in the capital Naypyitaw after she was shot in the head when police cracked down on a protest against the military coup. Myanmar's army seized power on February 1 and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ending a long transition towards democracy and bringing tens of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets. The shooting of the teenager - the first known serious casualty of the protests - has roused anger across the nation and…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Protests rock Myanmar for fifth day, West condemns security response

WORLD

PROTESTE took to the streets of Myanmar for a fifth day today, vowing to keep up demonstrations against last week's military coup even after a woman was shot and critically wounded during clashes the previous day. The United States and United Nations condemned yesterday's use of force against the protesters who are demanding the reversal of the February 1 coup and the release of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD). "We cannot stay quiet," youth leader Esther Ze Naw told Reuters. "If there is blood shed during our peaceful protests,…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar police fire to disperse protest, four hurt, one critical

WORLD

MYANMAR police used force yesterday to disperse protests against military rule and one woman was in critical condition and not expected to survive after being shot in the head with a bullet, a doctor said. Police fired guns, mostly into the air, and used water cannon and rubber bullets to try to clear protesters in the capital Naypyitaw, and four people were taken to hospital with what doctors initially said they believed were wounds caused by rubber bullets. One of them, a woman, had what was most likely a fatal head wound, said a doctor who declined to be identified.…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar general repeats pledge of new election

WORLD

MYANMAR's military leader yesterday said his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a televised address, his first to the country since last Monday's military takeover. He repeated claims that last November's election, won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, had been fraudulent. But in the capital Naypyitaw, crowds of protesters chanted anti-coup slogans and told police they should…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Protests sweep Myanmar to oppose coup, support Suu Kyi

WORLD

TENS of thousands of people rallied across Myanmar yesterday to denounce last week's coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in the biggest protests since the 2007 Saffron Revolution that helped lead to democratic reforms. In a second day of widespread protests, crowds in the biggest city, Yangon, sported red shirts, red flags and red balloons, the colour of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party (NLD). "We don't want military dictatorship! We want democracy!" they chanted. Yesterday afternoon, the junta ended a day-long blockade of the internet that had further inflamed anger since the…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar military detains first foreign national since coup

WORLD

SEAN Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, said in a message to Reuters yesterday he was being detained, the first known arrest of a foreign national since the February 1 military coup that overthrew the government. "I guess you will soon hear of it, but I am being detained," Turnell said. "Being charged with something, but not sure what. I am fine and strong, and not guilty of anything," he said, with a smile emoji. It was not subsequently possible to contact him. Myanmar army generals, who seized power alleging fraud in a November 8…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Former Suu Kyi ally says no betrayal in taking Myanmar junta job

WORLD

A one-time ally of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday that she was no traitor for accepting a ministerial post with the junta that overthrew the elected leader this week. Social welfare minister Thet Thet Khine told Reuters the new military government was inclusive and committed to democracy in one of the first interviews that any member of the new government has given since the coup on Monday. "The fact the armed forces say they will continue to act according to the law, we have to welcome it gladly," she said. "I am not betraying the country." Thet Thet…