Myanmar military - The African Mirror

Mar

2021

Myanmar military frees hundreds of detained protesters, child victim buried

MYANMAR’S ruling junta yesterday freed hundreds of people arrested in its crackdown on protests against the overthrow of the elected government, while businesses in Yangon were shut and streets deserted in a strike called by anti-coup activists. Several buses full of prisoners drove out of Yangon's Insein Prison in the morning, lawyers and other witnesses said. There was no word from authorities on how many prisoners were freed. A spokesman for the military did not answer calls. "All the released are the ones arrested due to the protests, as well as night arrests or those who were out to buy…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Japan, US, India, Australia call for return of democracy in Myanmar

WORLD

JAPANESE Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said he had agreed with his U.S., Indian and Australian counterparts that democracy must be restored quickly in Myanmar. Myanmar's military has arrested civilian leaders, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and announced a year-long state of emergency, alleging that November's election was beset by fraud. The electoral commission dismissed the army's complaints. Motegi made his comment after a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne -- countries in the so-called "Quad" framework. In October, Japan hosted an in-person meeting of…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar military guarantees new election; protesters block train services

WORLD

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

Anger over arrests in Myanmar at anti-coup protests

WORLD

OPPONENTS of Myanmar's military coup sustained mass protests for an eighth straight day yesterday as continuing arrests of junta critics added to anger over the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousands marched in the business hub, Yangon, while protesters took to the streets of the capital Naypyitaw, the second city Mandalay and other towns a day after the biggest protests so far in the Southeast Asian country. "Stop kidnapping at night," was among the signs held up by protesters in Yangon in response to arrest raids in recent days. The United Nations human rights office said on…

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

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

U.N. fears for Myanmar Rohingya after coup, Security Council due to meet

WORLD

MICHELLE NICHOLS THE United Nations fears the coup in Myanmar will worsen the plight of some 600,000 Rohingya Muslims still in the country, a U.N. spokesman said as the Security Council planned to meet today on the latest developments. Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other political leaders in early morning raids. A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing into Bangladesh, where they are still stranded in refugee camps. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Myanmar military seizes power, detains elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi

WORLD

MYANMAR’s military seized power yesterday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids. The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to "election fraud", handing power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement. Suu Kyi's party said she had called on people to protest against the military takeover, quoting comments it said had been written in anticipation of…