ASEAN leaders have urged the head of Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to end the violent crackdown in the country at the summit…reports Asian Lite News
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Sunday said that India welcomed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) initiative on Myanmar and will continue to play a constructive and meaningful role aimed at resolving the current situation in Myanmar, in response to media queries on the initiative on Myanmar agreed to at the ASEAN Summit held on Saturday.
“We welcome the ASEAN initiative on Myanmar agreed to at the ASEAN Summit held on April 24. Our diplomatic engagement with Myanmar will be aimed at strengthening these efforts,” said Bagchi.
“India, as a friend of the people of Myanmar, will continue to play a constructive and meaningful role aimed at resolving the current situation in Myanmar. India’s support to the democratic process in Myanmar remains steadfast,” added Bagchi.
ASEAN leaders have urged the head of Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who took power in a coup on February 1, to end the violent crackdown in the country at the summit.
The 10-member ASEAN had reached a consensus on five points.
This includes: there shall be an “immediate cessation of violence” and restraint by all parties; all parties shall commence “constructive dialogue” toward “a peaceful solution in the interests of the people”; a special envoy of the ASEAN chair shall mediate the dialogue; ASEAN shall provide humanitarian assistance, and the special envoy and delegation shall visit Myanmar to meet with all parties.
This meeting was held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the first in-person gathering of the bloc’s leaders since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The host, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, said after the meeting that “inclusive dialogue must start,” while echoing the call to release political prisoners. “We need to appoint a special ASEAN envoy to push for dialogues involving all parties in Myanmar.”
As of April 24, 748 people have been confirmed to be killed since the military takeover in Myanmar, according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
On February 1, the Myanmar military overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency. The coup triggered mass protests and was met by deadly violence. (ANI)
The Myanmar military chief avoided giving any straight commitment but reportedly promised his forces will try to control the violent response to the extent possible….reports Subir Bhaumik
Some internal memos of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) indicate that the troops are under orders to ruthlessly stamp out protests and kill anyone opposing the law enforcers by force.
The revelations comes when Tatmadaw chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is meeting ASEAN leaders in Jakarta, when they pushed Gen Hlaing to commit his forces will not kill protesters and control military brutalities.
The Myanmar military chief avoided giving any straight commitment but reportedly promised his forces will try to control the violent response to the extent possible.
A demonstrator stacks bags on a street as a barricade during a demonstration against the military coup and the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar(ians)
But internal Taymadaw memos accessed by top diplomatic sources and made available to some mediapersons gives a different story.
“You must annihilate them when you face them,” reads an instruction dated April 11, because “rioters (the military’s euphemism for anti-regime protesters) have gone from peaceful demonstration to the level of armed conflict.”
“Officers at all levels have to follow these instructions strictly,” the memo originating from the army headquarters said.
This seems to legitimise the brutal April 12 massacre of 82 people in one day in Bago, a city north of Yangon.
Soldiers and police indiscriminately fired live ammunition on protesters and even used rifle grenades to destroy roadblocks fortified with sandbags by agitators.
Another high-level memo was distributed from army headquarters to all military formations two days after the Bago massacre on April 14.
It reads : “All the emergency security forces must be weaponized fully and systematically” as “riots may extend to your control area,” citing ongoing protests in “every township in Sagaing, Mandalay, Yangon and Bago regions and in Mon State.”
The formation of the armed insurgent group Federal Army, first reported by IANS , seems to have unnerved the Tatmadaw.
Myanmar refugees staged a protest against China’s support to the new military rule in Myanmar at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday 03rd March, 2021. (Photo: IANS)
The Federal Army wants to organise retaliatory attacks against Tatmadaw officers and military informers. Their first batch of recruits are reportedly receiving military training in bases of some ethnic rebel armies.
The military junta has been condemned worldwide for brutal atrocities against their own citizens and using unacceptable levels of force agsinst largely peaceful protests.
“Murderer-in-chief”
Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has been dubbed “murderer-in-chief” by many people online, as his troops have killed more than 700 people so far.
The regime justifies its use of force to stop what it dubs as “rioting”.
Myanmar protests
It refers to sporadic use of Molotov cocktails and air guns by protesters to justify violent repression, but the reality is different.
Citizens say the regime’s brutal repression has prompted some protesters to take up crude weapons such as homemade firebombs or rudimentary hunting rifles to hit back, though the protests across the country have been largely peaceful.
Most civilians deaths so far took place prior to the “annihilate them” order, but diplomats fear this shoot-to-kill “instruction” could further worsen .
The Tatmadaw has also recalled some battle-hardened commanders to the cities from remote battlefields in ethnic areas to quell the peaceful protests.
Vice Senior General Soe Win along with hardline regional commanders and Lieutenant General Than Hlaing, the Deputy Home Affairs Minister, are behind the brutal massacres.
Myanmar protestors flood streets in Mandalay despite army crack down
Both commamders are now on EU and US sanctions lists.
Respected Burmese journal ‘Irrawaddy’ says that top Tatmadaw commanders , motivated by a mixture of deeply entrenched economic interests, a desire for political power and a misplaced sense of patriotism, are feeding rank-and-file soldiers and their families a steady diet of intimidation and propaganda, using psychological warfare tactics to keep them in line and hold the institution together.
The military on April 16 issued a warning to its field units that “foreign as well as domestic media are criticizing economic, political, social, religious and human rights issues of our government.”
It extorted “all responsible persons at all level of forces to prohibit troops and families from listening to the media and explain to them at least twice a week that such broadcasts are lies.”
Long before the order was issued, senior commanders had already banned mid-ranking officers from using Facebook, the country’s most popular social media platform.
That was meant to isolate them from the outside world and daily events in Myanmar.
Security guards are seen at the entrance of the City Hall in Yangon, Myanmar
On April 17, the military’s high command instructed all units “not to allow strangers to come into the military camps or surrounding areas.”
In the ethnic states, the army headquartets told field formations on April 12 that “ceasefire armed groups are not officially organised by the State” and emphasized that the Myanmar military “is the only legal armed force” and “has to work for democracy and development with full strength.”
It further stated that the military “really wants peace and its main role is defending the country.”
The message ends with the exhortation that “the above opinion must be explained to all the troops.”
General Min Aung Hlaing has attended a summit of the South East Asian regional body Asean in Indonesia…reports Asian Lite News
The head of the Myanmar military on Saturday met international leaders on his first known foreign trip since the army took power in a coup on February 1.
General Min Aung Hlaing has attended a summit of the South East Asian regional body Asean in Indonesia, in which the leaders of other Southeast Asian nations expressed concern about the army’s killing of hundreds of pro-democracy protesters.
The military seized power after claiming there had been voter fraud in the 2020 General Election.
Since then, more than 700 people have been killed in protests against the military government.
ASEAN leaders meeting(Twitter)
The talks in the Indonesian capital Jakarta will be the first international effort to address the crisis. Leaders and foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) will take part.
Despite the risk of massive refugee flows or even civil war, the 10 members of Asean have been divided over whether to even hold a meeting. There are clear signs of splits between governments that want to take action and those that don’t.
Asean appears divided along geographical lines, with the “mainland” countries – those physically closest to China – more opposed to intervention in Myanmar, while the “maritime” countries – those furthest from China – are more in favour of taking action.
Among the latter group, it is host Indonesia that has been pushing hardest for a collective response to the crisis.
But persuading the other nine countries to take a unified stance will be just as much a challenge as persuading the Myanmar junta to de-escalate the crisis.
ASEAN leaders meeting(Twitter)
While the bloc prides itself on its ability to persuade rather than coerce, that ability is much weaker if the organisation is not united.
Thailand’s Prime Minister as well as the President of the Philippines have said that they would only send their foreign ministers.
The bloc’s other members include Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, host Indonesia and Myanmar itself.
There have been calls for Myanmar, also known as Burma, to be expelled from Asean but the members historically do not get involved in each other’s internal affairs.
The United Nation’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the Asean summit to resolve the crisis and prevent “possible grave humanitarian implications beyond Myanmar’s borders,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
A demonstrator stacks bags on a street as a barricade during a demonstration against the military coup and the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar(ians)
The UN special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, will be in Jakarta for meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
Mass protests have been taking place across Myanmar since the military seized control and declared a year-long state of emergency.
The armed forces claim there had been widespread fraud during a General Election late last year which had returned elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party (NLD) to power.
The military promised instead that it would hold “free and fair” elections once the state of emergency is over.
In the past few weeks, the military has been increasing its use of force against protesters – with one incident earlier this month in the city of Bago seeing more than 80 people killed.
Witnesses told local media that soldiers had used heavy weapons and had shot at anything that moved.
Death toll in Myanmar's anti-coup protests tops 500
The individuals “are all responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law” in Myanmar, and for “repressive decisions and serious human rights violations”, said the Council of EU…reports Asian Lite News
The European Union (EU) has imposed fresh sanctions on 10 individuals and two companies in Myanmar for their alleged involvement in the February 1 military coup.
The individuals “are all responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law” in Myanmar, and for “repressive decisions and serious human rights violations”, the Council of the EU said in a statement on Monday following a virtual meeting of the bloc’s Foreign Ministers.
In the statement, it said the two entities, Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC), were large conglomerates “owned and controlled by the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), and provide revenue for it”.
A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, along with other officials from the National League for Democracy (NLD), were detained by the military on February 1.
A demonstrator stacks bags on a street as a barricade during a demonstration against the military coup and the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar(ians)
The military had claimed that there was massive voting fraud in the country’s November 2020 general elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.
The February coup has prompted widespread protests, to which soldiers have responded with a violent crackdown on the population.
Nearly 2,850 have been arrested, and at least 598 have been killed, including 48 children, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a non-profit organization.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for a summit of the 10-member Asean bloc last month, after hundreds were killed in a military crackdown on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar…reports Asian Lite News
Leaders of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) are expected to meet in the Indonesian capital Jakarta next week to discuss the political crisis in Myanmar following the February 1 military coup, an official source said on Friday.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for a summit of the 10-member Asean bloc last month, after hundreds were killed in a military crackdown on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar, reports dpa news agency.
The summit is to be held in person in Jakarta on April 24, said the source close to the Indonesian President.
A demonstrator stacks bags on a street as a barricade during a demonstration against the military coup and the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar(ians)
“All the 10 countries are expected to be represented,” the source added.
More than 700 people have been killed by Myanmar’s security forces since protests broke out after the coup that deposed former de facto leader Aung San Su Kyi’s civilian government, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Myanmar human rights group based in Thailand.
Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (C) arrives for the plenary session of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei/IANS)
President Win Myint, who was also taken into custody in the wake of the military takeover, had made the same demand….reports Asian Lite News
Myanmar’s former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted and detained following the February 1 coup, has again demanded a face-to-face meeting with her lawyers at a court hearing held online.
So far, the judiciary has refused, dpa news agency reported on Monday.
President Win Myint, who was also taken into custody in the wake of the military takeover, had made the same demand, according to Min Min Soe, a lawyer on Suu Kyi’s defence team.
“We were able to see them both at the trial via video link, and they looked healthy,” the lawyer said.
Exactly where Suu Kyi and Win Myint are being held remains unclear.
Another charge of violating Covid-19 restrictions has also been brought against the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Min Min Soe said, but exact details remained unclear.
Suu Kyi faces already one case in connection with these regulations.
The judiciary accuses the 75-year-old of several offences, including violations of foreign trade laws in connection with radio equipment found in her house.
Most recently, the military junta brought a case for an alleged violation of a state secrets law that dates back to colonial times.
The charge carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
A Myanmar police officer
The most serious charge so far is that of “incitement to sedition”.
At the end of March, Suu Kyi was allowed to speak briefly with Min Min Soe via video link. Since the coup, however, she has had no personal access to her defence lawyers.
The next hearing is scheduled for April, her lawyer said.
The coup has prompted widespread protests, to which soldiers have responded with a violent crackdown on the population.
Nearly 2,850 have been arrested, and at least 598 have been killed, including 48 children, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit organization.
A demonstrator stacks bags on a street as a barricade during a demonstration against the military coup and the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar(ians)
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was taken into custody by the military in the February coup after her party won an election by a landslide…reports Asian Lite News
The Myanmar military’s spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the one-year state of emergency imposed by the junta during its February 1 coup could be extended, thereby pushing back potential elections.
He did not give a clear timeline for elections, but said the state of emergency could be extended for six months or more, in excerpts from an interview with CNN published late Thursday, reports dpa news agency.
He said a free and fair vote would have to be held within two years under the country’s constitution, but also told the broadcaster “the standard of democracy in Myanmar will not be the same as from Western counties”.
A Myanmar police officer
Zaw Min Tun also said there is “solid evidence” of the voter fraud which the army has used to justify seizing power, but did not present any proof to CNN.
Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained by the military in the February coup after her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won an election by a landslide.
The military’s actions have prompted widespread protests, to which soldiers have responded with a violent crackdown on the population.
Death toll in Myanmar’s anti-coup protests tops 500
Nearly 2,850 have been arrested, and at least 598 have been killed, including 48 children, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit organization.
Zaw Min Tun said the security forces were using “minimum force” against protesters.
“There will be deaths when they are cracking down (on) the riots, but we are not shooting around without discipline,” he said.
A demonstrator stacks bags on a street as a barricade during a demonstration against the military coup and the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar(ians)
Threats, pressure and using sanctions against the acting authorities in Myanmar are futile and extremely dangerous,sadi Russian foreign ministry…reports Asian Lite News
Russia on Tuesday warned against imposing sanctions on Myanmar, as the military junta continues its bloody crackdown on protests in the country since the February 1 coup.
Threats, pressure and using sanctions against the acting authorities in Myanmar are futile and extremely dangerous, dpa news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying to Interfax media outlet.
Such policies “only contribute to setting the parties against each other”, the Ministry said, adding that it would drive people into civil war.
The US, the UK, the European Union and Canada have already hit the military with a raft of sanctions.
Myanmar protests
The military seized control of the Southeast Asian country after the November 2002 general elections which former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide.
Since the coup, the military junta has violently cracked down on protests and at least 564 people have been killed, including 46 children, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit organization.
Nearly 2,700 people are in detention, the organization said.
Last week, the UN Security Council called on the military to exercise restraint, while Washington said it was working on reacting to the military violence with more sanctions.
Russia called on the military not to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs.
At the same time, Moscow wants to continue its military cooperation, it said.
Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin attended a military parade in Myanmar just over a week ago.A
NetBlocks, an advocacy group that tracks internet disruptions and shutdowns, has also confirmed the restrictions..reports Asian Lite News
Myanmar’s military regime has shut down broadband Internet service as protests over the coup continue in the country, according to a report from The Washington Post.
NetBlocks, an advocacy group that tracks internet disruptions and shutdowns, has also confirmed the restrictions, The Verge reported.
“Confirmed: Internet has been cut in #Myanmar from 1 am Thursday local time, the 46th consecutive night of military-imposed shutdowns,” NetBlocks said in a tweet.
The move comes two months after the military seized control of the South Asian nation following escalated tensions between the government and the army that erupted after civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won a clear majority in the November 2020 elections.
“Fixed wireless will not be turned on in morning. Confirmed. No Ananda/MMNet/Ooreddoo/etc. With mobile data already off, only fixed-line will remain. Order is temporary but open-ended. Everyone should be making whatever plans are possible,” Free Expression Myanmar, a campaign by a group of human rights defenders said in a tweet on Thursday.
Suu Kyi was arrested following the coup and has since then been imprisoned.
The military has violently cracked down on the ensuing protests.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit, at least 543 people have been killed by military forces since the coup.
The victims include more than 40 children, according to the NGO Save the Children.
Peaceful protests continue in cities throughout the country including in the regions of Mandalay, Magway, Bago and Sagaing and Kayah state.
The trilateral project, conceived in 2002, is a 1360 km transnational highway connecting Moreh in India, Bagan in Myanmar and Mae Sot in Thailand. Though there have been delays in execution, the project, that is expected to boost trade and people to people connectivity besides other things, is likely to be completed in the next couple of years, reports Mahua Venkatesh
Bangladesh is likely to finally join the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project. The issue was discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Dhaka last week as both India and Bangladesh have decided to remain engaged with Myanmar notwithstanding its internal political dynamics. The project will provide Bangladesh direct connectivity with the south east Asian nations which is expected to boost its trade.
Sources said that the project also gives India along with other nations an opportunity to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative while enhancing connectivity for the landlocked northeastern states of the country.
Sources said that though the project implementation is underway as per plan, there could be some delays as it stretches across geographical boundaries.
“There are two aspects to this project. First Bangladesh gets to connect with Myanmar on a positive note as it is part of the BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in South Asia and Myanmar and Thailand in Southeast Asia) connectivity projects. Dhaka is already part of BIMSTEC. Second, this gives an opportunity to counter China’s plans of infrastructure connectivity,” said Joyeeta Bhattacharjee, senior fellow Observer Research Foundation.
Modi meets Hasina(IANS)
Bhattacharjee added that withdrawal from engaging with Myanmar is not the solution. “Our position to leverage and influence will remain intact only when we engage though many voices have come up to suggest that we must withdraw,” she added.
Read also: PM opening new bridge to cement India Bangladesh ties
The project also assumes importance as it gives a further push into the Indo-Pacific geopolitical dynamics.
“Bangladesh joining this project was almost a given. The benefits of this mini-quad cooperation go far beyond logistics and trade efficiencies. It has strategic implications – which shows India’s seriousness in moving from simply Look East to Act East,” Sandip Ghose, political analyst said, adding that the project would also bring in the northeastern states into the mainstream, while pushing development in that region.
An article published in the Diplomat, Dhaka’s interest in the trilateral project with India, Myanmar, and Thailand along with the BBIN connectivity can be useful for both India and Bangladesh. “It will facilitate the development of India’s much-neglected Northeast region, which brings for New Delhi both economic and strategic benefits,” it said.
As India looks to intensify its Act East policy under the Narendra Modi government, it could even look at extending the highway through other countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
“Vietnam will be quite excited about such a proposal, but it is unclear how Cambodia and Laos will respond, given their deep economic and strategic engagement with China,” the article said, adding that Vietnam, their close strategic partner, has had difficulties in these relationships in recent times because of China.
“The focus will be on improving connectivity in the region including the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) so that there is easy mobility within the region,” an official said.
Bangladesh is likely to finally join the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project(IANS)
Importance of the trilateral highway project
The trilateral project, conceived in 2002, is a 1360 km transnational highway connecting Moreh in India, Bagan in Myanmar and Mae Sot in Thailand. Though there have been delays in execution, the project, that is expected to boost trade and people to people connectivity besides other things, is likely to be completed in the next couple of years.
Sources said that the trilateral highway could feed into a much larger undertaking, in the end, connecting landlocked Bhutan with Da Nang in Vietnam.
The key to this massive undertaking is the 19.2 kilometer Dhubri-Phulbari bridge over the Brahmaputra. the gigantic effort will merge two parallel initiatives – the trilateral high New Delhi-led India-Myanmar- Thailand trilateral highway and the East-West, Economic Corridor (EWEC) marshalled by Japan in partnership with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The joint foray is a fusion of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ strategy.
With Mae Sot as the junction, the 1,450-km EWEC route passes through Thailand’s Province of the Mukhandan – the gateway to Laos, which is connected by the 1.6 km-long Second Thai-Lao friendship bridge over the Mekong, built with Japanese assistance. From Savannakhet in Laos, the next stop in the corridor, the passage heads east towards Da Nang, 486 km away. On the way, the Japanese have also been involved in constructing the 6.28-km Hai Van tunnel, the longest in Southeast Asia, which links Hue, a city in Central Vietnam, with Da Nang.
