NIKKEI ASIA
Nikkei staff writersFebruary 22, 2021
Military supporters confront residents in Yangon; ASEAN eyes 'informal' talks
A protester in Mandalay holds a placard with the face of Myanmar's military commander in chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. © AP
YANGON/BANGKOK -- On Feb. 1, Myanmar's military detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in the country's first coup since 1988, bringing an end to a decade of civilian rule.
The Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy had won a landslide in a general election last November. But the military has claimed the election was marred by fraud.
For all our coverage, visit our Myanmar Coup page.
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Follow the latest developments here (Yangon time):
Friday, Feb. 26
1:00 a.m. Japan is considering halting new official development aid to Myanmar for the foreseeable future, Nikkei reports, amid growing global outcry over the Feb. 1 coup and subsequent deadly crackdown on protesters in the Southeast Asian country.
Separately, the World Bank has stopped payments for projects in Myanmar on withdrawal requests that were made after the coup, Reuters reports, citing a letter to the finance ministry.
Thursday, Feb. 25
10:15 p.m. U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces further sanctions on figures in Myanmar's military government, including armed forces commander in chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.
This second round of sanctions is directed at six members of the State Administration Council, which took over government powers after the Feb. 1 coup.
"The commander in chief, as chair of the SAC and head of the Tatmadaw (military), is being sanctioned for his involvement in overseeing and directing serious human rights violations since the coup," according to a U.K. Foreign Office press release, adding that the other five figures "share responsibility for the violations."
In addition, the U.K. Department for International Trade aims to "to ensure that U.K. companies in Myanmar are not trading with military-owned businesses, while protecting the important role that trade plays in poverty reduction and economic development."
Raab says, "My message to the people of Myanmar is simple: the UK is working closely with our international partners to support your right to democracy and freedom of expression."
9:40 p.m. "Myanmar's coup is a disaster for Myanmar, but it also is a signifier of the continuing regression of democracy region-wide in Southeast Asia," writes Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank.
"The region, which once had made significant progress toward democratization, has backslid badly in recent years, with regression in former bright spots including Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as Cambodia and now Myanmar," Kurlantzick argues.
7:40 p.m. Toyota Motor has decided to postpone the opening of a new plant in Myanmar amid heightened political uncertainty following the Feb. 1 coup, Nikkei Asia has learned.
2:30 p.m. Here are more scenes from Yangon, where supporters of the military took to the streets earlier on Thursday, with some reports of violence against anti-coup residents.
A military supporter points a sharp object as he confronts anti-coup residents during a rally for the armed forces in Yangon on Feb. 25. © Reuters
Supporters of Myanmar’s military carry banners and flags through the streets of Yangon. © Reuters
Military supporters use slingshots against pro-democracy Yangon residents during a rally in support of the armed forces on Feb. 25. © Reuters
1:00 p.m. The foreign ministers of Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia intend to arrange an informal ASEAN gathering in August, a Thai spokesman says, explaining the results of Wednesday's trilateral talks in Bangkok.
"We agreed to hold an informal ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in August this year and the [ASEAN] foreign ministers will discuss about the meeting further," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tanee Sangrat says. "Thailand and Indonesia agreed together that Myanmar is an important member of the ASEAN family and ASEAN can be a platform to constructively provide solutions for Myanmar and other members by adhering to the ASEAN Charter."
Tanee also details a Wednesday phone call between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who doubles as defense minister. The spokesman says they discussed the importance of ASEAN finding a peaceful solution, with Austin stressing Thailand's role in the bloc.
Meanwhile, Myanmar military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun tells Nikkei Asia that the meeting with the Thai and Indonesian foreign ministers was "so good" and "confirmed that ASEAN will maintain a non-interference policy."
Zaw Min Tun also says that Aung San Suu Kyi's State Counselor Office was abolished last Friday.
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Video Here
11:00 a.m. A crowd of military supporters marched through Yangon earlier on Thursday morning, toward the landmark Sule Pagoda. Residents showed their displeasure by banging pots and pans, to which the military supporters responded by firing slingshots. Footage posted on social media showed scattered violence, including what appeared to be military backers beating and even stabbing bystanders. Some were detained by residents and reportedly found to be former soldiers themselves, based on their ID cards.
10:40 a.m. Facebook has banned Myanmar's military from using its platforms with immediate effect. "Events since the February 1 coup, including deadly violence, have precipitated a need for this ban," the social media giant says in a blog post. "We believe the risks of allowing the Tatmadaw (Myanmar's army) on Facebook and Instagram are too great."
The post adds that all military-linked "commercial entities" would also be banned from advertising. On the other hand, Facebook says the ban "does not cover government ministries and agencies engaged in the provision of essential public services," such as the health and education ministries. Facebook had already removed the Tatmadaw's main page.
4:20 a.m. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price expresses concern about the deportations by Malaysia.
"We continue to urge all countries in the region contemplating returning Burmese migrants back to Burma to halt those repatriations until the [United Nations Refugee Agency] can assess whether these migrants have any protection concerns before being sent back to Burma, noting that the Burmese military has a long documented history of human rights abuses against members of religious and ethnic minority groups," Price tells a news conference.
4:00 a.m. London-based NetBlocks, the self-described "Internet's Observatory," reports decreased internet access in Myanmar.
Confirmed: #Myanmar is under post-coup digital curfew for the 11th consecutive night as the military imposes an internet shutdown from 1 am local time.
Real-time network data show national connectivity at 14% of ordinary levels; incident ongoing
Link : Here
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