YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Thousands were rallying in Yangon Wednesday to protest against the military coup despite a build-up of troops and fears of violence escalating. “Today is the day we have to fight till the end. We need to show our unity and strength to end the military rule. People need to come out on the streets,” a 21-year-old university student told AFP. UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said he feared the situation was […]
Tag: Myanmar
Suu Kyi hit with second charge as Myanmar junta tightens grip
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with another charge on Tuesday, after the military imposed a second straight overnight internet shutdown in an attempt to grind down an anti-coup uprising. In the two weeks since the generals ousted Suu Kyi and put the civilian leader under house arrest in the administrative capital Naypyidaw, big cities and isolated village communities alike have been in open revolt. The military […]
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi to face court this week: lawyer
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi will appear in court via video conference this week over charges brought against her by the new military junta, her lawyer said Monday. Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing has justified the February 1 coup by alleging widespread voter fraud in November’s elections, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept. Two days after the putsch, the 75-year-old Nobel laureate was hit […]
Myanmar junta cuts internet as troops fire to break up protest
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar cut internet service and deployed troops around the country on Monday in signs of a feared crackdown on anti-coup protests, hours after security forces fired to disperse a demonstration in the country’s north. The junta has escalated efforts to quell a burgeoning civil disobedience campaign which is demanding a return of the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Monday’s internet shutdown and a request from the United Nations for […]
Myanmar protesters block arrests as UN demands Suu Kyi’s release
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Opposition to Myanmar’s new military regime intensified on Saturday as spontaneous neighbourhood watch groups mobilised to thwart arrests of anti-coup activists and the UN demanded the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The army takeover that brought a decade-old democracy to an end last week has unleashed a storm of anger and defiance, with huge daily protests bringing urban centres around the country to a standstill. Since taking Suu […]
Myanmar grants amnesty to more than 23,000 prisoners
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s military regime ordered the release of more than 23,000 prisoners on Friday, following a week of fresh arrests targeting allies of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and election officials. Mass amnesties to empty the country’s overcrowded prison system are common on significant local dates. Friday was a public holiday in Myanmar. “The State Administration Council… has remitted the punishment of 23,314 prisoners from the respective prisons, jails and […]
PHL calls on Myanmar to restore status quo ante
(Eagle News) — The Philippines has called on Myanmar to restore the status quo ante as the military there stepped up its campaign following its coup that ousted the civilian leadership. “The Philippines has been supportive of Myanmar’s progress towards a fuller democracy, cognizant of the Army’s role in preserving its territorial integrity and national security, as well as the unifying role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the history of the country and […]
Myanmar military raids Suu Kyi’s party offices as US, UN slam violence
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s military raided the Yangon headquarters of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s party late Tuesday, officials said, as the United States joined the UN in “strongly” condemning violence against protesters demanding a return to democracy. The latest assault on Myanmar’s civilian leadership came as anger at last week’s coup and the detention of Suu Kyi by the generals has driven hundreds of thousands of people into the streets, defying a […]
New Zealand suspends Myanmar political, military ties after coup
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand announced the suspension of high-level military and political contacts with Myanmar Tuesday, the first major international move to isolate the country’s ruling junta following a coup. Unveiling the measures, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for the international community to “strongly condemn what we’re seeing happen in Myanmar”. “After years of working hard to build a democracy in Myanmar, I think every New Zealander would be devastated to see […]
Military rule will be different this time: Myanmar coup leader
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s army chief on Monday insisted military rule would be different this time, as martial law was declared across swathes of the country after massive protests against the new junta. Orders covering parts of Yangon, Mandalay and other areas banned people from protesting or gathering in groups of more than five, and imposing an 8:00 pm to 4:00 am curfew. New junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing, wearing a green military […]
More than 1,000 protest in Yangon against Myanmar coup: AFP
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Thousands of people joined anti-coup protests across Myanmar on Monday as workers went on a nationwide strike, demanding the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the return of democracy. In the commercial capital, Yangon, more than 1,000 people gathered at a park by mid-morning, helping to kick off a third straight day of rallies following last week’s coup. “This is a work day, but we aren’t going to […]
UN has first contact with Myanmar military since coup
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The United Nations has had its first contact with the military in Myanmar since it launched a coup this week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday, repeating calls for civilian leaders to be freed. “Our special envoy today had a first contact in which she expressed clearly our position to the deputy military commander,” Guterres told reporters, referring to Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener. Burgener was also in contact with other […]





