Category: Asia News

Myanmar is going through worst phase of its history

Kaung Myat Hlaing had live-streamed the crackdown on Monday night by the security forces from his apartment building in the southern city of Myiek….reports Asian Lite News

A journalist working for the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) was arrested by the military after being roughed up over his reports of the crackdown last weekend in Myanmar, in which 19 people died.

Kaung Myat Hlaing had live-streamed the crackdown on Monday night by the security forces from his apartment building in the southern city of Myiek.

Later, the DVB management said on Twitter that Hlaing had been beaten up severely and taken into custody.

Myanmar’s military has intensified use of force using live rounds to quell the uprising against the junta, after failing to control the protest demonstration by using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.

Journalists have been increasingly targeted by police and soldiers as they try to report the swelling protests on the streets.

In recent days, several people have been arrested, including an Associated Press photographer in Yangon.

“DVB has no knowledge of where Hlaing was taken away, and which military authority has detained him,” the broadcaster said in a statement

Crackdown continues

.It said that Hlaing’s latest reports were on a weekend military crackdown in Myeik, as well as on Monday’s demonstrations.

Loud bangs could be heard during Hlaing’s live stream, which was hosted on DVB’s official Facebook page.

“If you are shooting like this, how will I come down?” he shouted at the security forces outside.

DVB, a well-known news organisation within Myanmar, started as an exile media outlet during the previous junta, broadcasting uncensored reports on TV and radio.

The outlet demanded on Tuesday that the military release Hlaing, as well as other journalists detained since the February 1 military coup, unconditionally.

“They are all doing their professional jobs as journalists,” it added.

Also read:Myanmar protests death toll rises to 18

Protesters gathered across the streets again after the bloodiest violence.

Since her detention, the former State Counsellor has been under house arrest in an undisclosed location..reports Asian Lite News

Myanmar’s former de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday appeared in court here via video link, marking her first public appearance since her detention and the sebsequent military coup on February 1.

Since her detention, the former State Counsellor has been under house arrest in an undisclosed location.

The report quoted Suu Kyi’s lawyers as saying that she appeared to be in “good health” and asked to see her legal team.

According to the report, she originally faced two charges of illegally importing walkie talkies and violating the South Asian nation’s natural disaster law.

However, additional charges were added on Monday, including breaching Covid-19 restrictions during the last year’s election campaign and for causing “fear and alarm”.

The case has been adjourned till March 15 and it was not immediately known of the punishments the new charges carry.

Citing the Myanmar Now news agency, the BBC report said that former President U Win Myint, who was also detained along with Suu Kyi on February 1, has been charged for incitement.

Also read:Myanmar’s UN envoy fired

In response to the coup, Myanmar has witnessed continued protests demanding the release of Suu Kyi and the other senior officials of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party and also the restoration of the democratically elected government.

On Sunday, 18 protesters lost their lives, making the deadliest day of the demonstrations.

Protests were staged on Monday, despite the military and police raming up its response against the agitating crowds, the BBC reported.

The military staged the coup on February 1 and declared a year-long state of emergency.

It handed all state power over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services General Min Aung Hlaing.

The military seized power after it had demanded the postponement of new parliamentary sessions, citing massive voting fraud in the November 8, 2020 general elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.

Myanmar’s Union Election Commission dismissed the allegation.

Also read:Myanmar protests death toll rises to 18

This surely would be the highest single-day death toll of protesters since the military seized power on February 1….reports Asian Lite News

Myanmar is currently seeing some of its biggest and bloodiest protests in years against a military coup. The UN Human Rights Office says it has “credible information” of at least 18 deaths across Myanmar on Sunday during a crackdown on anti-military protesters.

Unofficial sources say the death toll could be anywhere between 25 and 30, as quite a few protesters were reported missing. More than 30 protesters were wounded.

“The deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into the crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku. Tear gas was also reportedly used in various locations as well as flash-bang and stun grenades,” the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn the escalating violence against the protesters in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protesters,” UN Human Rights Asia spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani was quoted as saying.

This surely would be the highest single-day death toll of protesters since the military seized power on February 1.

The protesters, whose ranks have swelled by each passing day across Myanmar, are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power.

Democracy ,still a hope!

An Associated Press journalist, Thein Zaw, was taken into police custody on Saturday while covering the protests who is yet to be released. As many as 850 protesters have been arrested until the weekend and the numbers are likely to swell.

The Democratic Voice of Burma reported that as of 5 pm in Myanmar, there had been 19 confirmed deaths in nine cities, with another 10 deaths unconfirmed. The independent media company broadcasts on satellite and digital terrestrial television, as well as online.

Pictures of shell casings from live ammunition used in assault rifles were posted on social media. Reports on social media identified by name one young man believed to have been killed in Yangon. His body was shown in photos and videos lying on a pavement until other protesters were able to carry him away.

A violent crackdown also occurred in Dawei, a much smaller city in south-eastern Myanmar, where local media reported that at least three people were killed during a protest march.

Photos posted on social media showed a wounded man in the care of medical personnel, and later laid out in a bed under a blanket with flowers placed on top.

The coup reversed years of slow progress towards democracy after five decades of military rule.

Last week, the junta unleashed armed thugs, believed to be former soldiers, on the protesters to break the swelling demonstrations after riot police action using teargas, water cannons and stun grenades failed to disperse them.

Also read:Malaysia sends back Myanmar migrants

The thugs fired iron balls from slingshots and stabbed the protesters with long knives but their small numbers were soon overwhelmed by tens of thousands of protesters.

Eye-witnesses said that the police and the soldiers, who did not try stop the thugs, intervened to protect them when they were outnunbered.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) would have been installed for a second five-year term in office, but the army blocked the parliament from convening and detained her and president Win Myint, as well as other top members of Suu Kyi’s government and the NLD party.

Sunday’s violence erupted in the early morning when medical students were marching in Yangon’s streets near the Hledan Centre junction, which has become the gathering point for the protesters who then fan out to other parts of the city.

Videos and photos showed protesters running away as the police charged at them, and residents setting up makeshift roadblocks to slow their advance.

Sounds of gunfire could be heard in the streets of Yangon and there were what appeared to be smoke grenades thrown into the crowds.

“The Myanmar security forces’ clear escalation in use of lethal force in multiple towns and cities across the country in response to the mostly peaceful anti-coup protesters is outrageous and unacceptable, and must be immediately halted,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch.

“Live ammunition should not be used to control or disperse protests and lethal force can only be used to protect life or prevent serious injury. The world is watching the actions of the Myanmar military junta, and will hold them accountable,” he said.

Also read:Myanmar’s UN envoy fired