Myanmar coup latest: Embassy in US decries violence against protesters - Nikkei Asia

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.

Read our in-depth coverage:

-- Myanmar suffers more deaths than in 2007 crackdown

-- Myanmar coup sparks unprecedented unity of ethnic groups

-- Myanmar's UN envoy raises stakes, stating 'coup must fail'

-- Myanmar's Suu Kyi appears in court as junta blocks comeback path

-- Myanmar sees most bloodshed since coup as junta escalates violence

-- Myanmar's infantry tied to protester deaths: Five things to know

-- Who is Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing? 5 things to know

-- Myanmar: Inside the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's government

Follow the latest developments here (Yangon time):

Friday, March 5

2:39 a.m. A clash over who represents Myanmar at the United Nations in New York after a Feb. 1 military coup was averted -- for now -- after the junta's replacement quit and the Myanmar U.N. mission confirmed that Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun remained in the job.

1:52 a.m. Myanmar's military rulers attempted to move about $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York days after seizing power, prompting U.S. officials to put a freeze on the funds, reports Reuters, citing three people familiar with the matter.

1:10 a.m. Myanmar's embassy in Washington said it was "greatly distressed" over the deaths of civilians during peaceful demonstrations against the country's military coup, according to a statement posted on the embassy's Facebook page, reports Reuters.

The embassy, following the country's permanent representative to the United Nations in breaking with the military government that seized power on Feb. 1, called on authorities in Myanmar to "fully exercise utmost restraint through minimum use of force."

12:28 a.m. The United Nations human rights investigator on Myanmar urges the Security Council -- which meets on Friday -- to impose a global arms embargo and targeted economic sanctions on the junta and refer alleged atrocities to the International Criminal Court for prosecution.

States should impose sanctions on Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, now controlled by the military and its largest source of revenue, Thomas Andrews says in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thursday, March 4

6:44 p.m. More people have died so far than in the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2007 that were largely led by monks. At least 54 people have been killed, compared to 31 in the 2007 crackdown.

6:20 p.m. The number of reported Myanmar police defections to India has jumped to 19 from three, according to Reuters, which cites a local police official. They are reported to be lower-level officers.

Meanwhile, the news agency also reports that the European Union has suspended its support for development projects in Myanmar to avoid assisting the military.

5:40 p.m. The United Nations' human rights chief says in a statement that more than 1,700 people have been arbitrarily detained since the coup began, and that arrests are escalating, according to Reuters. Michelle Bachelet says at least 54 people have been killed by the actual toll could be higher. "Myanmar's military must stop murdering and jailing protesters," she says.

5:20 p.m. Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral of a 19-year-old protester who was shot in the head in Mandalay the previous day, Reuters reports.

Images of the young woman, named Angel or Kyal Sin, quickly spread on social media, highlighting the T-shirt she was wearing at the time of her death. It read: "Everything will be OK."

Despite the optimistic shirt, she also carried a card with her blood type, a contact number and a request to donate her organs.

Reuters reports mourners filing past her open coffin, singing protest songs and raising the three-finger salute of defiance. Angel was one of 38 people killed on Wednesday, according to a United Nations tally.

"We feel so angry about their inhuman behavior and really sad at the same time," Sai Tun, 32, who attended the funeral, tells Reuters by telephone. "We'll fight dictatorship until the end. We must prevail."

4:15 p.m. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged its citizens currently in Myanmar to "consider leaving as soon as they can by commercial means while it is still possible to do so."

In a statement, a spokesperson warns against all travel to the country "in view of the rapidly escalating clashes between protesters and the Myanmar security forces and increasing number of civilian casualties."

Singaporean nationals who choose to stay in Myanmar "are strongly advised to remain indoors as far as possible and avoid unnecessary travel," and to register with the ministry online in case of emergencies.

Singapore is the top source of foreign investment into Myanmar, according to the governments of both countries.

2:06 p.m. Three policemen have fled to India's northeastern state of Mizoram and are seeking shelter in the country, according to Reuters, which cited an Indian police official. "What they said is they got instructions from the military that they cannot obey so they have run away," said Stephen Lalrinawma, police superintendent of Mizoram's Serchhip district.

12:00 p.m "Yesterday, riot police and the military cracked down with live ammunition," a male protester in Yangon tells Nikkei Asia. "Even if they crack down with live rounds or rubber bullets, no matter what, the masses will not be afraid. We will take to the streets and protest every day until we get democracy."

9:00 a.m. After the bloodiest day since the coup, defiant protesters are starting to gather in multiple places in Yangon.

3:20 a.m. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price expresses concern about the arrest of an Associated Press reporter in Myanmar.

"We are deeply concerned about the increasing attacks on and arrests of journalists," Price tells a news conference. "We call on the military to immediately release these individuals and to cease intimidation and harassment of the media and others unjustly detained merely for doing their jobs, for exercising their universal rights."

Asked what options the U.S. has for effective action against the rising violence, Price says: "We are not going to do anything that worsens the suffering, the humanitarian suffering of the Burmese people. We are not going to institute measures that would rebound on them. Our measures are going to continue to be very tightly targeted at the members of the military."

12:50 a.m. The United Nations special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, puts Wednesday's death toll higher than earlier reports.

"Today was the bloodiest day since the coup happened on the first of February," she tells a briefing, saying that 38 people were killed. More than 50 people have died since the coup started, and many more are wounded, she says.

Wednesday, March 3

10:30 p.m. At least 18 people were killed when security forces fired on protesters Wednesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a human rights group.

Others are in critical condition with injuries, and the death toll could rise, says Ko Bo Kyi, the group's joint secretary.

7:30 p.m. Supporters of Myanmar's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi are appealing to foreign governments not to recognize the military junta that ousted her in a coup last month.

The Committee of Representatives to the Union Parliament (CRPH), made up mainly of members of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, on Tuesday appointed nine acting ministers, including foreign minister. It is believed that the NLD is setting up a provisional government until the return of Suu Kyi, who was put under house arrest by the military.

3:35 p.m. Local media report that a 14-year-old boy has been shot in Myingyan, in Mandalay division, while five people are dead in Monywa, the largest city in the region of Sagaing. Photos of the deceased are posted on the Facebook page of the Monywa Gazette, showing head wounds.

3.30 p.m. Local media report that as many as nine people have been killed in Myanmar today, according to Reuters.

3:10 p.m. The death toll from today's violence has risen to four, according to Reuters, including a protester reported killed in the central town of Myingyan. The news agency speaks by telephone to Moe Myint Hein, 25, a witness who reports being wounded in the leg and says: "They opened fire on us with live bullets. One was killed, he's young, a teenage boy, shot in the head."

2:50 p.m. On top of the two deaths in Mandalay reported earlier, Reuters says one person has been killed and several wounded at a protest in Yangon, citing witnesses.

2:25 p.m. Two demonstrators were killed Wednesday at an anti-coup protest in Myanmar's second-largest city of Mandalay, Reuters reports, citing a witness and multiple local media reports.

Both died from gunshot wounds, according to the witness, who saw the bodies.

1:10 p.m. A journalist for independent media outlet Democratic Voice of Burma, Min Nyo, is the latest to be caught up in the authorities' crackdown on the media. Relatives have told reporters that he was arrested and beaten. His detention comes the same day the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand condemned the military authorities' treatment of the press.

12:30 p.m. The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand has issued a statement on the junta's detentions and prosecutions of journalists. It notes that at least 25 reporters have been arrested on the job since the coup, some of them beaten, and that at least eight remain in custody facing charges.

The statement goes on to say that colleagues in Myanmar have shown "great courage and ingenuity" in presenting a fuller picture of the situation than was possible in the past. It concludes by calling on the junta to release detained reporters and drop all charges against them.

Meanwhile, police have used tear gas and fired in the air to break up Wednesday protests in Myanmar's two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay, Reuters reports.

Reports on the ground say at least 50 protesters, and possibly many more, have been rounded up and placed in trucks in the township of Tamwe, in east-central Yangon.

10:00 a.m. Myanmar's ousted President Win Myint faces two new charges, his lawyer Khin Maung Zaw says, according to Reuters. They include a charge of breaching the constitution, punishable by up to three years imprisonment.

Win Myint was arrested on Feb. 1 along with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as the military seized power. He is also charged with violating protocols to stop the spread of COVID-19.

9:25 a.m. A U.S. State Department spokesman has told reporters that Washington "understands" that Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar's hitherto representative at the United Nations, still holds the post despite the military government's move to fire and replace him.

"When it comes to Kyaw Moe Tun, we understand the permanent representative remains in his position," spokesman Ned Price says. Earlier, the envoy reportedly sent letters to the U.N. General Assembly president and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally claiming to be the rightful representative.

"We will continue to oppose the military coup and we will continue to support the restoration of Burma's democratically elected civilian government going forward," Price says.

8:50 a.m. Myanmar's state media says the military-appointed foreign minister attended Tuesday's meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and "exchanged views on regional and international issues," according to Reuters.

The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper makes no mention of the purpose of the special meeting, and offers few details of the discussions. It does say the Myanmar minister "apprised the meeting of voting irregularities" in last year's election -- pushing the army's claim of electoral fraud -- and explained the military government's plans.

7:00 a.m. An Associated Press journalist in Myanmar and five other members of the media are facing charges that could land them in prison for three years, AP reported earlier, citing a lawyer's comments on Tuesday. Authorities have charged AP's Thein Zaw and journalists for local outlets with violating a public order law. The six were arrested while covering protests against the coup.

Tuesday, March 2

11:23 p.m. Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations in New York formally stakes his claim as the country's legitimate representative, Reuters reports, in letters sent to the U.N. General Assembly president and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Myanmar state television announced Saturday that Kyaw Moe Tun had been fired for betraying the country.

6:17 p.m. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations call for restraint and dialogue within Myanmar to solve the crisis triggered by the military coup on Feb. 1.

Malaysia and Singapore urged the military junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi.

2:00 p.m. Myanmar police opened fire to disperse protesters in various parts of the country's commercial capital, Yangon, witnesses say. Protesters, many wearing hard hats and clutching makeshift shields, gathered behind barricades to chant slogans against military rule. "If we're oppressed, there will be an explosion. If we're hit, we'll hit back," demonstrators chanted before police moved in, firing stun grenades to scatter crowds in at least four different places in the city.

There were no reports of injuries in Yangon but four people were wounded in the northwestern town of Kale, where police fired live ammunition to disperse a crowd after protesters threw things at advancing police, according to Reuters.

1:00 p.m. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan says his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations be frank when they meet by video call on Tuesday and will tell a representative of Myanmar's military they are appalled by the violence. In a TV interview late on Monday, Balakrishnan said ASEAN would encourage dialogue between Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, and the junta. "They need to talk, and we need to help bring them together," he said.

10:54 a.m. Myanmar's ethnic groups are joining the protests against the military coup, demanding the junta return power to the elected government. Ethnic minorities have been marching every day in groups to show solidarity with protesters from the Burman ethnic majority.

3:40 a.m. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden says it will take further action against Myanmar's military leaders if civilian bloodshed continues.

"If the Burmese military continues down this path, if the Burmese military refuses to restore the democratically elected government and to cease this abhorrent violence against peaceful demonstrators, there will be additional measures forthcoming from the United States," State Department spokesman Ned Price tells a news conference.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the U.S. remains "alarmed" by the Myanmar military's violence against peaceful protesters, adding that Washington is preparing additional actions to "impose further costs on those responsible for this latest outbreak of violence and the recent coup."

"We expect to have more to share on that in the coming days," Psaki says at a regular press briefing, reiterating a similar statement by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

12:45 a.m. The U.S. intends to use its monthlong presidency of the United Nations Security Council in March to seek "more intense discussions" on Myanmar, the new American ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, tells a news conference.

"We do plan to have discussions on that during our presidency, and sooner rather than later," Thomas-Greenfield says.

Thomas-Greenfield says she was "extraordinarily moved" by Friday's speech by Myanmar's U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun.

"I think it caught all of us off guard," she says. "None of us expected to hear that."

"But the violence we're seeing happening now does not indicate that [Myanmar's military is] ready to make what I would consider an easy decision for them to make," Thomas-Greenfield says. "So we do have to ramp up the pressure."

12:20 a.m. Myanmar has still not communicated any changes in its representation at the United Nations, the spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says, three days after the envoy denounced the coup in a speech to the General Assembly.

Myanmar's U.N. mission has also yet to provide information on any changes in government, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says in a statement.

Dujarric reiterates the secretary-general's condemnation of the weekend police crackdown on street protests in Myanmar.

Monday, March 1

10:20 p.m. The Myanmar coup is "the most serious threat to ASEAN centrality that the organization has faced since its membership and role expanded following the Cold War," argues Aaron Connelly, a research fellow in Southeast Asian political change at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"How the organization handles that challenge, starting at a special meeting on 2 March, will have considerable consequences for regional diplomacy for years to come," Connelly says.

9:15 p.m. U.K. Foreign Minister Dominic Raab calls today's charges against Aung San Suu Kyi "politically motivated."

8:00 p.m. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold a special video meeting with a representative of Myanmar's military government on Tuesday, Singapore's foreign minister says.

Speaking in Singapore's legislature, Vivian Balakrishnan urged Myanmar military leaders to stop using deadly force against protesters and immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees.

Plans for the ASEAN ministers meeting follow a bloody crackdown on weekend protests that marked the highest death toll so far in the month since the coup.

Last week, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi held three way talks with her Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin and Thailand's Don Pramudwinai in Bangkok.

3:40 p.m. Malaysia's foreign minister says the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should play a more proactive role in restoring normalcy, Reuters reports.

Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says all parties "must exercise utmost restraint from the use of violence," and that Malaysia supports holding an informal ASEAN ministers meeting on the situation.

1:00 p.m. The ousted de facto leader of Myanmar's elected government, Aung San Suu Kyi, appeared on a video feed for a court hearing looking healthy, her legal team says. Meanwhile, Reuters reports witness accounts of police using stun grenades and tear gas to disperse fresh protests in Yangon. Protesters were seen placing flowers for allies killed in Sunday's violence.

9:15 a.m. IHS Markit reports a sharp decline in Myanmar's manufacturing activity in February. Its purchasing managers' index for the country plunged to 27.7 in the month, from 47.8 in January -- the steepest drop since the gauge was introduced five years ago. "Myanmar's manufacturing sector recorded an accelerated downturn in February as political uncertainty following a military-staged coup led to factory closures," the information company said in a news release.

"Output, new orders, purchasing and stocks of both inputs and finished goods all contracted at fresh record rates as demand evaporated."

8:00 a.m. Following the worst bout of violence since the coup, with at least 18 deaths reported on Sunday, protesters are gearing up for another critical day on Monday. Some were out in the streets of Yangon in the morning, erecting makeshift barricades out of tires in preparation for a renewed crackdown by the authorities. Meanwhile, ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi is due for a court hearing.

6:28 a.m. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns the "abhorrent violence" by Myanmar's security forces in Sunday's deadly crackdown against protesters. "We stand firmly with the courageous people of Burma & encourage all countries to speak with one voice in support of their will," Blinken says on Twitter after Myanmar police fired on protesters and at least 18 people were killed in the worst violence since a Feb. 1 military coup.

He says the U.S. "will continue to promote accountability for those responsible."

1:28 a.m. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns the violent crackdown in Myanmar and is disturbed by the increase in deaths and injuries, a U.N. spokesperson says.

"The use of lethal force against peaceful [protesters] and arbitrary arrests are unacceptable," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric says in a statement. "The Secretary-General urges the international community to come together and send a clear signal to the military that it must respect the will of the people of Myanmar as expressed through the election and stop the repression."

Sunday, Feb. 28

11:00 p.m. Violence by Myanmar's military against civilian protesters in towns and cities across the country escalated on Sunday as security forces used live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas against mostly peaceful civilians protesting the Feb. 1 military takeover.

By mid-afternoon, at least 18 had been fatally shot, according to the United Nations human rights office, and scores injured by military or police forces in several towns and cities, including the southern town of Dawei, Bago near Yangon, and Mandalay, in the west, where one death was reported.

In Mandalay, several thousand people took to the streets on Sunday morning, and violent clashes were reported between police and crowds. Violence between security forces and protesters was also reported in ethnic-dominated areas including Hpa-an and Myawaddy in Kayin state, Lashio and Taunggyi in Shan state, Myitkyina in Kachin state and Mawlamyine in Mon state.

2:30 p.m. Police fire rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds in Myaynigone, central Yangon, where large scale protests have been taking place. A man who was shot in four different places said: "I am wounded, but I will be out again to protest." Soldiers have also been seen on the streets of Myanmar's former capital and largest city.

12: 00 p.m. A man brought to a hospital in Yangon with a bullet wound to the chest has died after police opened fire, a doctor tells Reuters on condition of anonymity. The Mizzima media outlet has also reported the man's death.

11:15 a.m. Police gunfire in Dawei has killed one and wounded several, politician Kyaw Min Htike tells Reuters from the southern town. Dawei Watch, a media outlet, also reports that one person was killed and more than a dozen wounded.

10:00 a.m. A state-run newspaper says about 500 people were detained on Saturday.

8:50 a.m. More than 1,000 defiant protesters start to march in downtown Yangon. Many hold placards promoting the "Milk Tea Alliance," a loose but growing international movement driven by young and tech-savvy democracy activists in Thailand, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Witnesses say police have started cracking down in multiple locations in the city.

4:07 a.m. Myanmar's United Nations envoy in New York strikes a defiant tone, vowing to fight after the junta fired him for urging countries to use "any means necessary" to reverse the coup.

"I decided to fight back as long as I can," Kyaw Moe Tun tells Reuters.

The U.N. does not officially recognize the junta as Myanmar's new government as it has received no official notification of any change, says a U.N. official, and so Kyaw Moe Tun remains Myanmar's U.N. ambassador, for now. "We have not received any communication concerning changes to the representation of Myanmar at the United Nations in New York," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric says.

Christine Schraner Burgener, the U.N. special envoy on Myanmar, warned the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Friday that no country should recognize or legitimize the junta.

If the junta, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, tries to seek international recognition by installing a new U.N. envoy, it could set off a fight at the world body that could culminate with a vote at the General Assembly.

Saturday, Feb. 27

10:30 p.m. Myanmar's U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun has been fired, state television reports, a day after he urged the United Nations to use "any means necessary" to reverse the military coup.

Kyaw Moe Tun had told the U.N. General Assembly he was speaking on behalf of the ousted civilian government of Suu Kyi, the country's de facto leader who's National League for Democracy sweep elections in November.

State television, MRTV, reports he had "betrayed the country and spoken for an unofficial organization which doesn't represent the country and had abused the power and responsibilities of an ambassador."

Kyaw Moe Tun had called on the international community to recognize a small group of elected NLD members who have been acting as a government in exile.

10:00 p.m. Confusion surrounds the condition of the woman shot in Monwya, as multiple media outlets corrected earlier reports saying she was dead. They now say the woman is alive but seriously injured.

8:20 p.m. Calls for a large-scale Sunday protest have been spreading on social media. Activists are urging unity under the banner of the international "Milk Tea Alliance," a loose coalition of mainly young and tech-savvy democracy advocates in Thailand, Hong Kong and elsewhere. The goal is to spark a second general strike in Myanmar, after the first on Feb. 22, when huge crowds took to the streets and businesses shut their doors.

3:30 p.m. Three domestic news outlets report that a woman was shot and killed in the central town of Monwya. Earlier, a protester in the town said police had fired water cannon as they surrounded a crowd. In Yangon, despite a police presence, people came out to chant and sing, then scatter into side streets as police advanced, firing tear gas, setting off stun grenades and firing guns into the air, witnesses say.

11:30 a.m. With police moving decisively against opponents of military rule, festivallike peaceful protests are no longer taking place in Yangon. The police have cracked down on assemblies in places such as Hledan and Myinigone, central Yangon, where major protests were happening. Since the coup on Feb. 1, 728 people have been arrested, according to Myanmar-based human rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Friday, Feb. 26

11:30 p.m. Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations, who was appointed by the ousted government, urges the General Assembly to use "any means necessary to take action against the Myanmar military and to provide safety and security for the people of Myanmar."

"We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people and to restore the democracy," Kyaw Moe Tun says in New York.

5:35 p.m. At least nine asylum seekers and two unaccompanied children were among a group of Myanmar nationals deported by Malaysia this week, despite a court order halting the action, Reuters reported, citing rights groups.

4:45 p.m. A Japanese journalist, Yuki Kitazumi, told a Nikkei reporter via a messaging app that he had been released from detention after being taken into custody earlier on Friday in Yangon. He was arrested while reporting on street demonstrations in Myanmar's largest city.

4:15 p.m. The Singapore Exchange issues a list of queries to developer Emerging Towns & Cities over its project in Myanmar after a rights group criticized the company for doing business with the military. Singapore is the biggest source of foreign investment into Myanmar, according to the governments of both countries.

2:10 p.m. Police in Yangon have detained a Japanese journalist who was covering street protests, according to his colleague. This marks the first detention of a foreign reporter since the coup. The Japanese Embassy in the city says it is working to confirm the facts.

3:30 a.m. Rather than isolate Myanmar, Association of Southeast Asian leaders have shown a willingness to work with the country to restore the democratic process, writes Thai international affairs scholar Kavi Chongkittavorn in commentary for Nikkei Asia.

"If they fail, it will greatly damage ASEAN's credibility -- and centrality -- in the eyes of the international community. More than that, it will dash international hopes for any kind of mediation process to resolve the crisis," he writes. "While ASEAN's charter lacks any provision for expelling a member country, the 10-nation grouping has some leverage." Read more.

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.

The plant was scheduled to open this month.

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.

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.

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.

Wednesday, Feb. 24

11:15 p.m. The United Nations Human Rights Special Procedures -- experts independent of any U.N. member state government -- have denounced Malaysia's deportation decision.

"The Malaysian authorities in defiance of the court order breached the principle of non-refoulement ... which absolutely prohibits the collective deportation of migrants without an objective risk assessment being conducted in each individual case," experts say.

"The failure to ensure due process safeguards for all migrants including through case-by-case risk assessments and adequate protection measures on an individual basis, heightened their vulnerabilities and risk of exploitation and other violations upon return," they say.

9:00 p.m. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has met with her Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin in Bangkok, as Jakarta steps up its push for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations-led resolution of the crisis in Myanmar.

Marsudi traveled to the Thai capital after canceling a planned trip to the Burmese capital of Naypyitaw.

Indonesia faces the difficult task of uniting the 10-nation ASEAN bloc behind its efforts, starting with holding a ministerial meeting on the crisis.

"Thailand has conveyed its agreement, and so far ASEAN countries have expressed their commitment to support a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers," Marsudi tells reporters.

4:00 p.m. Human rights groups and some Malaysian lawmakers are calling on the government to explain why it deported over 1,000 Myanmar nationals despite a court order to wait, arguing the move could amount to contempt of court, Reuters reports. The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday had granted a stay on the deportation of 1,200 detainees, pending an application by Amnesty International and Asylum Access.

But hours later, the authorities sent 1,086 people back on three Myanmar navy ships."We believe that the government owes an explanation to the people of Malaysia as to why they chose to defy the court order," Amnesty's Malaysia director Katrina Maliamauv tells reporters. The court has reportedly extended the stay order barring 114 remaining detainees from being deported for the time being.

12:53 p.m. Myanmar's foreign minister arrives in Thailand for the junta's first diplomatic talks since the military seized power in a coup, Reuters reports.

9:30 a.m. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry issues a statement saying Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will not travel to Myanmar to hold talks with Myanmar's military leaders. "Been having rounds of phone communications with several ASEAN FM colleagues for the last few days, inc. FM Philippines, Viet Nam, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos on developments in #ASEAN," Marsudi said in a tweet.

8:00 a.m. Protesters gather in Yangon, the 19th day since large-scale street demonstrations started on Feb. 6. Ethnic minority groups, as well as youth, are out in the streets in various parts of the city, including Hledan district in the heart of the second-largest city in the country.

3:35 a.m. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne says she has discussed the situation in Myanmar with Philippine counterpart Teodoro Locsin.

Tuesday, Feb. 23

11:30 p.m. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is set to visit Myanmar on Thursday for what appears to be the first in-person meeting between the new military government and a Southeast Asian official, Reuters reports, citing a leaked government document.

Reuters says a Myanmar official confirmed that the Ministry of Transport letter was authentic.

Separately, Indonesia's foreign ministry earlier denied a protest-inducing report that was planning to hold Myanmar's military junta to its promise of new elections. The junta claims last November's election results were ridden with voter fraud.

9:15 p.m. Some scenes from today's protest outside the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok.

8:40 p.m. Even as street protests continue, some major supermarkets and shopping centers have reopened, as have garment factories.

"I have to earn a living, so I can't take part in protests every day, but we closed yesterday," a restaurant owner says, referring to Monday's general strike.

Government offices and banks remain in effect closed as their workers take part in the civil disobedience movement.

Meanwhile, military leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was quoted in state media as telling his ruling council to "put its energy into reviving the country's ailing economy."

5:00 p.m. Malaysia's immigration department says it has carried out a repatriation program involving 1,086 Myanmar nationals, despite an earlier court order to stay the deportation. Department Director-General Khairul Dzaimee Daud said in a statement the people were sent back on three Myanmar navy ships and did not include ethnic Rohingya refugees or asylum-seekers.

2:30 p.m. Members of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi's party, say that their complaint to the police about a Feb. 9 raid on their headquarters was not taken seriously.

They say police have "accepted" their complaint, but not acted on it. As such, the NLD will bring the case to "a higher level of police authority," they say.

2:21 p.m. The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven rich countries say the use of violence against people protesting against the coup in Myanmar is unacceptable and perpetrators must be held to account.

"We condemn the intimidation and oppression of those opposing the coup. ... We remain united in condemning the coup in Myanmar," the foreign ministers say in a joint statement, adding, "We call again for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained arbitrarily, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint."

1:40 p.m. A Malaysian court allows a temporary stay of deportation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals scheduled to be sent back to their strife-torn homeland, after rights groups petitioned, saying deportation could endanger their lives.

1:00 p.m. A sign at a shop selling phones in Yangon reads, "We won't sell products to people who do not participate in CDM [the Civil Disobedience Movement]."

According to the store manager, this shop was kept closed on Monday. "All shops in downtown closed, and we are also one of them," he said, explaining the reason for the shop's closure was "to allow the employees to do what they wanted yesterday," indicating the shop encouraged its staffers to join the protests.

12:00 p.m. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi says Myanmar's transition to democracy after this month's coup should follow the wishes of its people. "The inclusive democratic transition should be pursued according to the wishes of the Myanmar people. Any way forward is the means to this end," Retno said in a message sent to Reuters by her office.

11:30 a.m. Groups gather in front of the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon to protest against Indonesia's plan for new elections. On Monday, Reuters reported that Indonesia is pushing for the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations to agree on an action plan over the coup that would hold the junta to its promise of conducting elections, with monitors to ensure they are fair and inclusive, but not seek the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lei Wah, a 29-year-old office staffer who came to the embassy to protest, said: "I'm upset with the plan. We don't need to redo the election. If we hold one, it means we agree with the junta. The election was already held in November, and we accepted it."

10:30 a.m. Witnesses say the crowd at Sule Pagoda Road, the main street in downtown Yangon, is smaller than yesterday. Factories and shops have reopened after a general strike the day before.

A 32-year-old man working at a bag factory who was protesting said: "Me and the generation older than me suffered under the previous military rule -- the education was very bad, and we were always afraid of the police. I don't want that to happen again."

9:00 a.m. Protesters start to gather in the Hledan district of central Yangon, marking the 18th day since large-scale street demonstrations started on Feb. 6. Police block the road near the U.S. Embassy, where crowds have called for Washington to put more pressure on the junta.

8:00 a.m. The U.S. Treasury Department announces additional sanctions on two military officials who are members of the State Administration Council. A department statement says the sanctions are "in response to the Burmese security forces' killing of peaceful protesters."

2:00 a.m. Local media report that around 10 p.m. on Monday night, security forces searched the house of a teacher who had joined the civil disobedience movement in downtown Yangon. The security forces reportedly left after finding she was not there. Talk of night arrests has been circulating among protesters since the coup.

1:20 a.m. The European Union is ready "ready to adopt restrictive measures" targeting leaders of the Myanmar coup, the Council of the EU said in a statement.

"At the same time, the EU will continue reviewing all its policy tools as the situation evolves, including its policy on development cooperation and its trade preferences," the statement says.

EU nation foreign ministers meeting today have decided on a "set of targeted" measures in response to the coup, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell tells reporters, but he stopped short of endorsing a cancellation of the preferential tariff treatment that has benefited manufacturers in low-cost Myanmar.

Monday, Feb. 22

11:00 p.m. Britain's minister for Asia has summoned Myanmar's ambassador to the U.K. for a second time this month and condemned the military's actions against demonstrators.

Nigel Adams tells Kyaw Zwar Minn "the use of violence and force against protesters, which has already led to death and serious injury, was completely reprehensible and must stop," according to a statement by a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson.

This marks the latest instance of British pressure on the Myanmar military for its Feb. 1 coup and subsequent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.

Adams said the U.K. will "maintain the international spotlight on human rights violations and use all diplomatic levers available," according to the spokesperson.

10:30 p.m. "The military must step aside," Foreign Minister Dominic Raab tells the Human Rights Council. "Civilian leaders must be released. And the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar must be respected."

Raab says the U.K. will co-sponsor a resolution to renew mandate of the U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar.

Speaking at the same council session, Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein does not mention the deportation issue but says his country will "continue robust advocacy for the rights of peoples who have long been subjected to human rights abuses, such as the Rohingyas."

9:10 p.m. The Malaysian arms of human rights groups Amnesty International and Asylum Access have filed a judicial review in the Kuala Lumpur High Court to block plans to deport 1,2000 back to Myanmar in cooperation with the Myanmar military.

"This effort to halt the deportation is based on information from refugee groups evidently indicating that asylum seekers and refugees are among the individuals being sent to Myanmar," said Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, executive director of Amnesty International Malaysia, in a joint statement. "There are also reports that those due to be deported include children in detention with at least one parent still in Malaysia. Separating children from their parents is an extremely inhuman practice that places these minors at grave risk and goes against the best interest of the child."

"We believe the three UNHCR document holders have a legitimate expectation that they would not be sent to Myanmar, and deporting them would be in violation of their rights and in clear breach of the non-refoulement principle that the Malaysian government is bound by," added Tham Hui Ying, executive director of Asylum Access Malaysia.

Malaysia has given assurances that it will not deport members of the Rohingya Muslim minority or refugees registered with the UNHCR.

3:21 p.m. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on Myanmar's military to halt repression and release hundreds of people detained since the coup on Feb. 1, Reuters reports.

"We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations," he says Monday while addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. "Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Serious violations against minorities with no accountability, including what has rightly been called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. The list goes on."

"Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights and the will of the people expressed in recent elections," he says.

3:20 p.m. The European Union is considering imposing sanctions on Myanmar as a last resort following the coup and crackdown on protesters, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tells reporters ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts Monday morning.

"We are not prepared to stand by and watch," Maas says upon his arrival in Brussels. "We will use all diplomatic channels to push for a de-escalation in Myanmar but at the same time, as a last resort, prepare sanctions on the military regime in Myanmar."

1:30 p.m. More people join the demonstrations in Yangon. "We are not afraid of the armed forces at all, but we have no weapons," says a salesman on Sule Pagoda Road. "We are protesting here peacefully, and they cannot shoot us. I am excited -- today's protest is the biggest I have seen in my entire life."

Outside Sakura Tower, protesters experience both excitement and concern. "We must be involved, but we are also fearful," says a 27-year-old civil engineer. "I don't think they will shoot because of all the media, international organizations and embassies watching the situation."

"We have some fear, but we are fighting dictatorship," a 22-year-old university student says at a sit-in protest outside Sakura Tower. "We will fight for democracy in our country until we achieve it. We are very excited that our generation is fighting for justice."

"We are now guarding the students' rally, for their safety. We don't want any harm done to them -- lives matter," says Linn Mg Mg Swe, a 25-year-old student and biker. "Generations are different. I think 22222 is better than the 8888 uprising as we have better strategies. We will win this revolution."

Mon Mon, 35, is another among the protesters. "In 1988, I was just 3 years old," she says. "I experienced the Saffron Revolution, but I didn't participate because it didn't interest me. But now I'm out on the streets because I can't accept this kind of injustice and unfairness in our country. For now, I feel like I'm dutiful to my country because of taking part in this protest. If I was not in here, I would be feeling guilty."

8:00 a.m. A massive demonstration against the military coup begins. General strikes have been called via social networking services. Large supermarkets and factories are temporarily closed. The gathering is expected to be one of the largest demonstrations since the coup.

In Yangon, crowds gather on the main street in the center of the city to complain about the tyranny of the military. Although the authorities have banned groups of more than five people, many citizens have ignored the order and are taking part in the demonstration. "The police are scary, but we are doing this to restore a democratic system," a 25-year-old man says in front of the United Nations office.

The military deploys riot police in front of U.S. and Chinese embassies and U.N. offices, where many demonstrators have gathered, and block roads around the area.

On Saturday, security forces opened fire on a protest in Mandalay, the second-largest city in the country. Two demonstrators were killed when police and soldiers fired into a crowd to disperse protesters, sparking even higher tensions.

Activists called for a major protest on Monday to mourn the dead, dubbing it "22222" after the date, Feb. 22. The number is an allusion to 8888 -- Aug. 8, 1988 -- the date a pro-democracy uprising kicked off nearly 33 years ago, which ended up a bloodbath.

1:50 a.m. The European Union's Foreign Affairs Council, made up of member states' foreign ministers, is scheduled to meet on Monday. The situation in Myanmar will likely be on the agenda. A key question is to what extent ministers will discuss proposals for sanctions, including the possibility of reviewing preferential tariff treatment for Myanmar.

These preferences, introduced after the country's shift to civilian rule in the early 2010s, have fueled the growth of Myanmar's garment and apparel exports. Monday's meeting is likely to coincide with more large-scale protests in Myanmar.

Sunday, Feb. 21

11:30 p.m. Some scenes from Yangon, where protestors held a candlelight vigil against the coup.

11:00 p.m. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reports that 640 people in Myanmar have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the Feb. 1 coup.

1:30 p.m. City Mart, a leading supermarket chain, announces its stores will be closed on Monday and reopen on Tuesday.

1:00 p.m. The funeral of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, the young woman shot in the head by police, ends in Naypyitaw, the capital.

12:00 p.m. Activists call for a major protest on Monday to mourn the dead. They dub it 22222 based on the date, Feb. 22. The number is an allusion to 8888 -- Aug. 8, 1988 -- the date a six-week mass pro-democracy uprising kicked off nearly 33 years ago.

9:40 a.m. Police have arrested Lu Min, a famous actor wanted for supporting opposition to a Feb. 1 coup, his wife announces. The army said on Wednesday the celebrity was wanted under an anti-incitement law for encouraging civil servants to join protests. The charges can carry a two-year prison sentence. His wife, Khin Sabai Oo, said in a video posted on his Facebook page that police had come to their home in Yangon and taken him away.

9:34 a.m. Facebook removes military's main page under its policy of prohibiting the incitement of violence, the company said. "In line with our global policies, we've removed the Tatmadaw True News Information Team Page from Facebook for repeated violations of our Community Standards prohibiting incitement of violence and coordinating harm," a Facebook representative said in a statement. The Myanmar military is known as the Tatmadaw.

9:30 a.m. Medical staff prepare for emergencies in Yangon. One says: "We are here to save the lives of people."

5:32 a.m. The United States is "deeply concerned" by reports that Myanmar security forces have fired on protesters and continue to detain and harass demonstrators and others, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in tweet.

"We stand with the people of Burma," Price tweeted. Myanmar is also known as Burma.

Saturday, Feb. 20

11:55 p.m. The U.K. will consider further action against those involved in violence in Myanmar against people protesting the coup, Foreign Minister Dominic Raab says, after two people were killed when police and soldiers fired to disperse protests.

"The shooting of peaceful protesters in Myanmar is beyond the pale. We will consider further action, with our international partners, against those crushing democracy & choking dissent," Raab says in a tweet.

Britain imposed sanctions on three Myanmar generals on Thursday, accusing them of serious human rights violations following the coup.

8:48 p.m. Singapore expresses its dismay at reports of civilian casualties following the use of lethal force by security forces against demonstrators.

"The use of lethal weapons against unarmed civilians is inexcusable," the Foreign Ministry says in a statement. Two people were killed in Myanmar's second city Mandalay when police fired to disperse people protesting against the Feb. 1 military coup there, the bloodiest day in more than two weeks of demonstrations.

Singapore has been the largest source of foreign investment into Myanmar in recent years. "We strongly urge the security forces to exercise utmost restraint to avoid further injuries and loss of lives, and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and restore calm," Singapore's Foreign Ministry says.

6:35 p.m. Two people were killed in Myanmar's second city Mandalay when police fired to disperse protesters. "Twenty people were injured and two are dead," says Ko Aung, a leader of the Parahita Darhi volunteer emergency service agency in the city.

A volunteer doctor confirms there had been two deaths: "One shot in the head died at the spot. Another one died later with a bullet wound to the chest."

3:00 p.m. The older sister of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, the 20-year-old woman who was killed during the protests, says her funeral will be held on Sunday in the capital, Naypyitaw. "I really want the international community to help our country, rather than just watching, she said.

12:00 p.m. Protesters gather outside the Chinese Embassy in Yangon for a moment of silence to mourn a 20-year-old protester who was killed during demonstrations on Friday. "She was young and had a lot of opportunities, but now everything had been destroyed. The military is just [staying power with] weapons, and it keeps threatening us," said one male protester.

11:35 p.m. Railway staff march in Yangon and show support for the civil disobedience campaign in Myanmar.

11:00 a.m. Ethnic groups protest in a show of opposition to the coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, despite some misgivings about her commitment to their aspirations for autonomy, community representatives said. "We can't form a federal country under dictatorship. We can't accept the junta," Ke Jung, a youth leader from the Naga minority told Reuters.

3:20 a.m. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price offers condolences on the death of a protester in Myanmar "We are saddened to see media reports that a protester shot by police in Naypyidaw on February 9 has died, marking the first reported death ... as a result of security forces response to the protests," Price said.

"We applaud yesterday's announcement of sanctions by the United Kingdom and Canada against the Burmese military leaders responsible for the coup," Price also says, adding that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had discussed with Australian, Indian and Japanese counterparts "the urgent need to restore the democratically elected government in Burma."

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To catch up on earlier developments, see the last edition of latest updates.

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2021-03-04 19:35:12Z

Tabraka Lario

Kamis, 04 Maret 2021

Myanmar coup latest: Embassy in US decries violence against protesters - Nikkei Asia

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