Thailand unlikely to join ASEAN in pressuring Myanmar junta to stop bloodshed

Thaiger

Ann Carter

Monday, April 5, 2021

Thailand’s government is unlikely to join other members of ASEAN in calling for Myanmar’s junta to stop the bloodshed. Fears over receiving a flood of refugees across the Burmese border and damages to its military ties may be of more importance to the Kingdom, despite the government’s recent claims that it is “gravely concerned” over the situation in Myanmar.

If Thailand refuses to join increasing calls for Myanmar’s junta to step down, it could, however, place it in a unique position as a mediator. Political scientist, Panitan Wattanayagorn, at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, told Reuters that Thailand may be in a unique position to act as a mediator if it doesn’t join sides with the ASEAN community.

Total Must Maintain Myanmar Output to Protect Workers, CEO Says

Bloomberg

James Regan
4 April 2021, 

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CEO says Total employees at risk of forced labor or prison

French oil major is halting Myanmar gas well drilling campaign


Anti-coup protesters shout slogans towards approaching security forces as smoke rises from burning car tires in Yangon, Myanmar on March 28. Source: Getty Images

French oil major Total SE must continue to produce gas in Myanmar and pay taxes to the military junta to protect staff from forced labor and maintain electricity supplies, Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said in an op-ed in Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

Amid calls not to provide funds to the military, which ousted Myanmar’s parliament on Feb. 1, Total is scrapping plans to develop gas off the west coast and halting its gas well drilling campaign, Pouyanne said. He added that Total would donate the equivalent of the taxes owed to human rights associations.

ASEAN leaders to meet over Myanmar, chair Brunei says

REUTERS
Reuters Staff

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Brunei, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, on Monday threw its support behind a regional leaders’ meeting to discuss developments in Myanmar and said it has asked officials to prepare for a meeting in Jakarta.

FILE PHOTO: Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah attends the opening session of the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines, November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Myanmar has been in crisis since a Feb. 1 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Activists say at least 557 people have since been killed in a crackdown by security forces on protests and strikes across the country, where the junta has restricted internet access.

Indonesia has led efforts by members of ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, to encourage a negotiated solution, despite a longstanding policy of not commenting on each other’s domestic problems.

Why Myanmar’s massacres shame the world

ZAWYA

SECURITY|
By Yossi Mekelberg, Arab News
03 APRIL, 2021

To a large extent we have arrived at this point due to the past failures of the international community to hold Myanmar’s military accountable for their crimes

Members of the armed forces stand guard during a protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar March 27, 2021.REUTERS/Stringer

When representatives of all UN member states met in 2005 for the World Summit, billed at the time as the “largest gathering of world leaders in history,” and passed a resolution that set out the parameters for the Responsibility to Protect populations (R2P) from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, there was an air of togetherness and optimism that the journey toward eradicating these horrific phenomena had begun.

At least 550 people killed by Myanmar's military since February coup, says advocacy group

CNN
By Sandi Sidhu and Salai TZ, CNN
April 4, 2021

UN envoy says a 'bloodbath is imminent' in Myanmar 04:51

(CNN)At least 550 people have been killed by Myanmar's military in the aftermath of a coup which overthrew the elected government on February 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), an advocacy group based in neighboring Thailand.

Security officials have responded to dissent with a brutal crackdown and detained thousands, including at least 11 people arrested in Myanmar's biggest city Yangon Friday, minutes after being interviewed by CNN journalists.

The CNN team visited the Ten Miles bazaar in Yangon's Insein township, where they interviewed a number of local residents. Among the interviewees were two women who raised the three-finger protest salute.

U.N. Warns: A Bloodbath In Myanmar Is Imminent

Forbes

Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab
Contributor Policy

On March 31, 2021, U.N. Special Envoy on Myanmar, Ms. Schraner Burgener, called upon the U.N. Security Council to “consider all available tools to take collective action and do what is right, what the people of Myanmar deserve and prevent a multi-dimensional catastrophe in the heart of Asia.” She stressed that “the ground situation will only worsen,” meaning “a bloodbath is imminent.”

This screengrab provided via AFPTV video footage taken on April 1, 2021, shows protesters, wearing ... [+] AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

This highly concerning warning is supported by data. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), total number of people killed stands at 550 since February 1, 2021, with at least 46 children. The youngest victims is a seven year-old girl, Khin Myo Chit. In addition, more than 2,750 people have been detained, including 38 sentenced. The AAPP further reports attacks and looting in villages and central Gant Gaw town in Magwe Region. “The perpetrators looted kitchen knives, money, mobile phones and jewelry. Over ten thousand residents hence fled into the forest. Number of villagers fleeing homes across Burma is rapidly increasing.” They further warn that on April 1, 2021, “junta forces ordered internet providers to shut down all wireless broadband services until further notice. Alongside the 47 nightly internet cut and 18 days of a mobile data shutdown. As a result, only a small percentage of individuals can access the internet in Burma. These oppressive measures intend to even further disrupt internal communication and silence the voice of the people.” The timing of the internet shutdown should not be seen as a coincidence. The atrocities are likely to continue when Myanmar is in the “dark.”

Myanmar's military junta has reportedly killed at least 43 children since coup

abc News

Morgan Winsor
2 April 2021,


"This is a nightmare scenario unfolding."

LONDON -- At least 43 children have been reportedly killed by armed forces in Myanmar in the two months since the military junta seized power, according to international humanitarian group Save the Children, which described the situation as "a nightmare scenario unfolding."

"We are shocked that children continue to be among the targets of these fatal attacks, despite repeated calls to protect children from harm," Save the Children said in a statement Wednesday. "It is clear that Myanmar is no longer a safe place for children."

Overall, at least 543 people -- adults and children -- have been killed by authorities since the Feb. 1 coup, though the actual number of fatalities is likely much higher, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a human rights organization based in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon.

MORE: US orders some diplomats to evacuate Myanmar amid deadly crackdown on protesters

Stop ‘widespread violence’ against children in Myanmar, UN officials urge

UN News
Peace and Security
2 April 2021

Unsplash/Justin Min,The Sule pagoda in downtown Yangon, the commercial hub of Myanmar.

Senior United Nations officials on Thursday strongly condemned the ongoing violence by Myanmar’s security forces against civilians, including children, as the members of the Security Council expressed alarm at the rapidly deteriorating situation in the country.

Hundreds of civilians, including at least 44 children (as of 31 March) have been killed in the crackdown across the country, including a 7-year-old girl, who was shot while in her home. Countless more have been seriously injured, since the military coup on 1 February.

Myanmar Soldiers, Aiming to Silence Protests, Target Journalists

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Richard C. Paddock
April 2, 2021

Covering a protest battle in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday. Three photojournalists have been shot and wounded while taking photographs of the anti-coup demonstrations.Credit...The New York Times

Ten days after seizing power in Myanmar, the generals issued their first command to journalists: Stop using the words “coup,” “regime” and “junta” to describe the military’s takeover of the government. Few reporters heeded the Orwellian directive, and the junta embraced a new goal — crushing all free expression.

Since then, the regime has arrested at least 56 journalists, outlawed online news outlets known for hard-edge reporting and crippled communications by cutting off mobile data service. Three photojournalists have been shot and wounded while taking photographs of the anti-coup demonstrations.

India: Rising detentions spark panic among Rohingya

AA

Ahmad Adil 

NEW DELHI

01.04.2021

4 more Rohingya held by authorities in Indian capital, community says more than 12 detained over past week

At least four Rohingya refugees were detained in New Delhi on Wednesday for not having “proper documents,” giving rise to further apprehensions among community members living in India’s capital.

“There were four of them and they were sent to the Foreigner Regional Registration Office,” Rajendra Prasad Meena, a senior police officer, told Anadolu Agency, without sharing any further details.

Another cop, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also gave a short response, saying the Rohingya refugees were detained because they did not have “valid documents.”

Fire in market at Rohingya camp in Bangladesh kills 3

AA

Md. Kamruzzaman 

DHAKA, Bangladesh

02.04.2021

At least 7 shops have been gutted, says fire service official

FILE PHOTO

At least three Rohingya refugees were killed and seven shops were gutted when a fire broke out early Friday in a market at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar, in the second such incident in the past 10 days, according to official sources.

“We have recovered three bodies from inside the gutted shops,” Md Abdullah, deputy assistant director of Cox's Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defense, told Anadolu Agency.

UN security council must act to stop 'bloodbath' in Myanmar, says envoy

The Guardian

A reporter in Myanmar, and agencies
Thu 1 Apr 2021

Alternative civilian government proposes ‘federal democracy charter’, amid fears of civil war



Karen villagers fleeing to Thailand as a result of airstrikes launched by Myanmar’s military. Photograph: Royal Thai Army Handout/EPA

Myanmar protesters have burned a copy of the country’s military-drafted constitution as the UN envoy monitoring the crisis warned the security council of the risk of civil war and an imminent “bloodbath” if the junta is allowed to continue violently repressing a pro-democracy movement.

“I appeal to this council to consider all available tools to take collective action and do what is right, what the people of Myanmar deserve, and prevent a multidimensional catastrophe in the heart of Asia,” the special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, told the closed-door session.

Blinken orders most State Department staff out of Myanmar

Washington Examiner

Washington Examiner

Joel Gehrke, Foreign Affairs Reporter 

March 30, 2021

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is ordering most State Department personnel in Myanmar to leave the country after more than 100 people were killed by the regime during protests against the military junta.

“The actions that we’ve seen by the Burmese military in terms of its attacks on civilians are reprehensible,” Blinken told reporters Tuesday, using the name for the nation that military officials discarded in a previous seizure of power. “Some people simply caught in the crossfire, others just expressing peacefully their views ... This follows a series of other attacks and, indeed, increasingly disturbing and even horrifying violence.”

Three Rohingya people killed, 10 injured in Kutupalong camp fire

NEWAGE

Staff Correspondent
Apr 02,2021

At least three Rohingya men were burnt to death and 10 others injured in a fire at a market adjacent to Kutupalong Rohingya camp under Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar on early Friday.

The deceased were identified as Arman Ullah, 20, Faridul Islam, and Muhammad Ayas. They all are employees of a shop owned by one Syed Mosfata, officials said

2,495 Rohingyas off to Bhasan Char in sixth phase

Prothom Alo

Prothom Alo English Desk
31 Mar 2021,

First batch of Rohingyas arrives at Bhasan Char, NoakhaliProthom Alo file photo

Nearly 2,500 Rohingyas are being relocated from the camps in Cox’s Bazar to Bhasan Char island in the sixth phase.

Cox’s Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Shah Rezwan Hayat said 47 buses carrying the Rohingyas have reached Chattogram.

Rohingyas willing to go to Bhasan Char were brought to the temporary transit point at Ukhiya Degree College ground and given necessary items including food, water and medicine.

Rohingya Majhis (leaders) said many forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals are now willing to move to Bhasan Char after learning about the facilities and quality of life there.

Defusing Myanmar Requires More Than Western Sanctions

Bloomberg
Clara Ferreira Marques
1 April 2021,

The junta’s violence has killed hundreds of protesters and put insurgent groups on a war footing. Time is running out to avert a cataclysm.

Protesters prepare Molotov cocktails.Source: Getty Images

Myanmar has long been a textbook example of sanctions failure. Years of isolation battered the population but didn’t loosen the grip of the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known. When they ceded ground a decade ago, they did so on their own terms — and even that, as February’s coup proved, was all too easily reversed.

US orders some diplomats to leave Myanmar as unrest grows

AP
March 30, 2021

Anti-coup protesters stand beside a burning tire as they fortify their position against the military during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar on Tuesday March 30, 2021. Thailand’s prime minister denied Tuesday that his country’s security forces have sent villagers back to Myanmar who fled from military airstrikes and said his government is ready to shelter anyone who is escaping fighting.(AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Tuesday ordered non-essential U.S. diplomats and their families to leave Myanmar, as a deadly government crackdown on demonstrators protesting last month’s coup intensifies.

The department said in a brief statement it would require non-emergency U.S. government employees and their dependents to depart the country in an upgrade of its previous instructions from Feb. 14 that had allowed them to leave voluntarily. The department also reiterated an earlier warning for Americans not to travel to Myanmar, also known as Burma.

The rebels who will and won’t fight Myanmar’s coup

ASIA TIMES

DAVID SCOTT MATHIESON
MARCH 31, 2021

Karen and Kachin rebels have launched attacks but other ethnic armed groups are lying in wait or even quietly collaborating with the coup makers

A Karen fighter holds a rocket launcher while standing guard at Oo Kray Kee village in Kayin state near the Thai-Myanmar border in a file photo. Photo: AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul

Myanmar’s multi-sided civil war, now more clearly than ever a war waged by the military against all segments and ethnicities of society, saw its bloodiest day on March 27’s Armed Forces Day.

Notably absent to this theater of the absurd were senior officials from Myanmar’s ethnic armed organizations (EAO), who boycotted the event and have issued stern statements of opposition to the February 1 coup and the new State Administration Council’s (SAC) murderous rule.

Many are now calling on the nation’s various EAOs to escalate their attacks against the military, or Tatmadaw, and alleviate pressure on and express solidarity with the many unarmed urban opponents of the coup.

Thousands of People Are Fleeing Into Thailand Following Air Strikes in Myanmar

TIMES 

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

MARCH 29, 2021 

In this photo released by the Free Burma Rangers, Karen villagers gather in the forests as they hide from military airstrikes in the Deh Bu Noh area of the Papun district, north Karen state, Myanmar, Sunday, March 28, 2021.Free Burma Rangers via AP

YANGON, Myanmar — Thai authorities along the country’s border with Myanmar are bracing Monday for a possible influx of more ethnic Karen villagers fleeing new airstrikes by the Myanmar military.

Myanmar aircraft carried out three strikes overnight Sunday, according to Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian relief agency that delivers medical and other assistance to villagers. The strikes severely injured one child but caused no apparent fatalities, a member of the agency said.

Thailand braces for refugees as thousands flee Myanmar airstrikes

THE HILL

JUSTINE COLEMAN - 

03/29/21

Thailand is bracing itself for thousands of refugees who are fleeing Myanmar after its military launched several airstrikes near its border in recent days, further escalating the military crackdown after the coup.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said on Monday that his government is getting ready for a potential flood of refugees amid the recent strike attacks, The Associated Press reported.

“We don’t want to have mass migration into our territory, but we will consider human rights, too,” Prayut said.