Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi attended a court hearing on Monday, her first appearance in person since the military seized power on February 1. Prior to the hearing, Suu Kyi had only been permitted to speak with lawyers via a video link in the presence of security personnel.

Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court for first time since Myanmar coup

More than 125,000 school teachers in Myanmar have been suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the military coup in February, an official of the Myanmar Teachers` Federation said. 
 
The suspensions have come days before the start of a new school year, which some teachers and parents are boycotting as part of the campaign that has paralysed the country since the coup cut short a decade of democratic reforms. 
 
A total of 125,900 school teachers had been suspended as of Saturday, said the official of the teachers` federation, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals. He is already on the junta`s wanted list on charges of inciting disaffection. 
 
Myanmar had 430,000 school teachers according to the most recent data, from two years ago. 
 
"These are just statements to threaten people to come back to work. If they actually fire this many people, the whole system will stop," said the official, who is also a teacher. He said he had been told that the charges he faces would be dropped if he returns. 
 
Reuters was unable to reach a junta spokesman or the education ministry for comment. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper has called on teachers and students to return to schools to get the education system started again. 
 
The disruption at schools echoes that in the health sector and across government and private business since the Southeast Asian country was plunged into chaos by the coup and the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 
 
Around 19,500 university staff have also been suspended, according to the teachers` group. 
 
PARENTS KEEP CHILDREN HOME 
 
Registrations begin next week for the school term that starts in June, but some parents said they also plan to keep their children out of school. 
 
"I am not going to enrol my daughter because I don`t want to give her education from military dictatorship. I also worry about her safety," said 42-year-old Myint, whose daughter is 14. 
 
Students, who have been at the forefront of daily protests at which hundreds of people have been killed by security forces, also said they planned to boycott classes. 
 
"I will only go back to school if we get back democracy," said Lwin, 18. 
 
Myanmar`s education system was already one of the poorest in the region - and ranked 92 of 93 countries in a global survey last year. 
 
Even under the leadership of Suu Kyi, who had championed education, spending was below 2% of gross domestic product. That was one of the lowest rates in the world, according to World Bank figures. 
 
A National Unity Government, set up underground by opponents of the junta, said it would do all it could to support the teachers and students itself - calling on foreign donors to stop funding the junta-controlled education ministry. 
 
"We will work with Myanmar`s educators who are refusing to support the cruel military," Sasa, who goes by one name and is a spokesman for the national unity government, said in an email to Reuters. "These great teachers and brave teachers will never be left behind."

More than 125,000 school teachers in Myanmar have been suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the military coup in February, an official of the Myanmar Teachers` Federation said.

More than 125,000 school teachers in Myanmar have been suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the military coup in February, an official of the Myanmar Teachers` Federation said. The suspensions have come days before the start of a new school year, which some teachers and parents are boycotting as part of the campaign that has paralysed the country since the coup cut short a decade of democratic reforms. A total of 125,900 school teachers had been suspended as of Saturday, said the official of the teachers` federation, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals. He is already on the junta`s wanted list on charges of inciting disaffection. Myanmar had 430,000 school teachers according to the most recent data, from two years ago. "These are just statements to threaten people to come back to work. If they actually fire this many people, the whole system will stop," said the official, who is also a teacher. He said he had been told that the charges he faces would be dropped if he returns. Reuters was unable to reach a junta spokesman or the education ministry for comment. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper has called on teachers and students to return to schools to get the education system started again. The disruption at schools echoes that in the health sector and across government and private business since the Southeast Asian country was plunged into chaos by the coup and the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Around 19,500 university staff have also been suspended, according to the teachers` group. PARENTS KEEP CHILDREN HOME Registrations begin next week for the school term that starts in June, but some parents said they also plan to keep their children out of school. "I am not going to enrol my daughter because I don`t want to give her education from military dictatorship. I also worry about her safety," said 42-year-old Myint, whose daughter is 14. Students, who have been at the forefront of daily protests at which hundreds of people have been killed by security forces, also said they planned to boycott classes. "I will only go back to school if we get back democracy," said Lwin, 18. Myanmar`s education system was already one of the poorest in the region - and ranked 92 of 93 countries in a global survey last year. Even under the leadership of Suu Kyi, who had championed education, spending was below 2% of gross domestic product. That was one of the lowest rates in the world, according to World Bank figures. A National Unity Government, set up underground by opponents of the junta, said it would do all it could to support the teachers and students itself - calling on foreign donors to stop funding the junta-controlled education ministry. "We will work with Myanmar`s educators who are refusing to support the cruel military," Sasa, who goes by one name and is a spokesman for the national unity government, said in an email to Reuters. "These great teachers and brave teachers will never be left behind."

More than 125,000 Myanmar teachers suspended for opposing coup

Myanmar's junta has threatened to dissolve the political party of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi over alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election, an official said.

Union Election Commission chair Thein Soe said Friday the investigation into November's election result was almost complete.

"What shall we do with the (National League for Democracy) party that (acted) illegally. Should we dissolve the party or charge those who committed this (illegal activity) as traitors of the nation? We will analyse and consider taking this action," he said, in a video posted on a local media outlet's Facebook account.

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The election commission met with political parties on Friday to discuss potential changes to the electoral system but NLD representatives did not attend.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has justified his February 1 power grab by citing alleged electoral fraud in the November poll won by Suu Kyi's NLD party in a landslide.

On Thursday, local media reported the junta had removed a mandatory retirement age for generals, which would allow Min Aung Hlaing to continue serving once he turns 65 this July.&nbsp;

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Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the putsch and more than 800 people have died as the military moved to crack down on protesters and dissent.

The coup and its aftermath have also seen a spike in clashes between the military and Myanmar's numerous ethnic rebel armies, sending tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their homes.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was taken under house arrest.

She was subsequently hit with a series of criminal charges, and her legal team has faced an uphill battle to get a private audience with their client.

The charges include flouting coronavirus restrictions during last year's election campaign and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies.

The most serious charge alleges that she violated the country's colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

Suu Kyi is expected to appear in person in court Monday for the first time, after weeks of delays with her legal case.

NLD secured an absolute majority in Myanmar's election in November, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups.

The Asian Network for Free Elections monitoring group has said "the results of the 2020 general elections were, by and large, representative of the will of the people of Myanmar."

A group of ousted lawmakers -- many of them previously part of the NLD -- have formed a shadow "National Unity Government" to undermine the junta.&nbsp;

Myanmar's junta later declared the group would now be classified as "terrorists", as the military moves to tighten its grip over a country in turmoil.&nbsp;

Myanmar's junta has threatened to dissolve the political party of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi over alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election, an official said.

Myanmar's junta has threatened to dissolve the political party of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi over alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election, an official said. Union Election Commission chair Thein Soe said Friday the investigation into November's election result was almost complete. "What shall we do with the (National League for Democracy) party that (acted) illegally. Should we dissolve the party or charge those who committed this (illegal activity) as traitors of the nation? We will analyse and consider taking this action," he said, in a video posted on a local media outlet's Facebook account. Also read | How Myanmar's military moved in on the telecoms sector to spy on citizens The election commission met with political parties on Friday to discuss potential changes to the electoral system but NLD representatives did not attend. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has justified his February 1 power grab by citing alleged electoral fraud in the November poll won by Suu Kyi's NLD party in a landslide. On Thursday, local media reported the junta had removed a mandatory retirement age for generals, which would allow Min Aung Hlaing to continue serving once he turns 65 this July. Also read | Do not give in to evil and division, Pope tells Myanmar community Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the putsch and more than 800 people have died as the military moved to crack down on protesters and dissent. The coup and its aftermath have also seen a spike in clashes between the military and Myanmar's numerous ethnic rebel armies, sending tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their homes. Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was taken under house arrest. She was subsequently hit with a series of criminal charges, and her legal team has faced an uphill battle to get a private audience with their client. The charges include flouting coronavirus restrictions during last year's election campaign and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies. The most serious charge alleges that she violated the country's colonial-era Official Secrets Act. Suu Kyi is expected to appear in person in court Monday for the first time, after weeks of delays with her legal case. NLD secured an absolute majority in Myanmar's election in November, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups. The Asian Network for Free Elections monitoring group has said "the results of the 2020 general elections were, by and large, representative of the will of the people of Myanmar." A group of ousted lawmakers -- many of them previously part of the NLD -- have formed a shadow "National Unity Government" to undermine the junta. Myanmar's junta later declared the group would now be classified as "terrorists", as the military moves to tighten its grip over a country in turmoil.

Myanmar junta threatens to dissolve Suu Kyi's party over election fraud

Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in his first interview since the February 1 coup said that the country’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi would soon appear in court.

The Southeast Asian country was pushed into a violent crisis in the aftermath of the coup. On Saturday, several ethnic armed groups attacked a military post in a northwestern jade mining town.

Suu Kyi had received the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to previous military rulers in the country. Since the coup began over 4,000 people including her have been detained. Suu Kyi faces multiple charges including illegal possession of walkie-talkies to violating a law pertaining to state secrets.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health. She is at her home and healthy. She is going to face trial at the court in a few days," Min Aung Hlaing told a Hong Kong-based Chinese language broadcaster Phoenix Television, of which bits were released on Saturday.

The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is highly revered across the country which is home 53 million people. Suu Kyi had brought democratic reforms to the country.

"She tried all she could," Min Aung Hlaing said. On Monday, Suu Kyi is set to appear in court in the capital city of Naypyidaw. Until now, she has appeared only once on a video link since the coup and has been disallowed from speaking directly to her lawyers.

The military junta claimed that she was not allowed to speak to her lawyers due to security reasons while the military faces daily protests, insurgencies and strikes across the country against military rule.

Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in his first interview since the February 1 coup said that the country’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi would soon appear in court.

Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in his first interview since the February 1 coup said that the country’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi would soon appear in court. The Southeast Asian country was pushed into a violent crisis in the aftermath of the coup. On Saturday, several ethnic armed groups attacked a military post in a northwestern jade mining town. Suu Kyi had received the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to previous military rulers in the country. Since the coup began over 4,000 people including her have been detained. Suu Kyi faces multiple charges including illegal possession of walkie-talkies to violating a law pertaining to state secrets. "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health. She is at her home and healthy. She is going to face trial at the court in a few days," Min Aung Hlaing told a Hong Kong-based Chinese language broadcaster Phoenix Television, of which bits were released on Saturday. The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is highly revered across the country which is home 53 million people. Suu Kyi had brought democratic reforms to the country. "She tried all she could," Min Aung Hlaing said. On Monday, Suu Kyi is set to appear in court in the capital city of Naypyidaw. Until now, she has appeared only once on a video link since the coup and has been disallowed from speaking directly to her lawyers. The military junta claimed that she was not allowed to speak to her lawyers due to security reasons while the military faces daily protests, insurgencies and strikes across the country against military rule.

Aung San Suu Kyi will appear soon, says Myanmar's military junta leader

Tokyo could freeze all aid to Myanmar, Japan's foreign minister warned in an interview published Friday, as the military junta continues to use lethal force against opponents of its coup.

Japan is a top donor to Myanmar, and has already suspended new aid after the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

But Toshimitsu Motegi, speaking to the Nikkei newspaper, said the freeze could be expanded.

"We don't want to do that at all, but we have to state firmly that it will be difficult to continue under these circumstances," he told the newspaper.

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"As a country that supported Myanmar's democratisation in various ways, and as a friend, we must represent the international community and convey that clearly."

Japan announced in March it was halting all new aid to impoverished Myanmar in response to the coup, though it has not imposed the individual sanctions on military and police commanders implemented by some other countries.

Motegi has said Japan is Myanmar's largest provider of economic assistance, and Tokyo has long-standing relations with the country's military.

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According to the Nikkei, Japan provided $1.74 billion in development aid to Myanmar in fiscal 2019, more than any other country with disclosed figures. China's aid figures are not public.

More than 800 people have been killed in Myanmar in unrest since the military ousted Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup.

A Japanese journalist arrested covering the aftermath of the coup was released last week and returned to Tokyo.

His release came as Japan said it had offered Myanmar $4 million in emergency aid through the World Food Programme.

Speaking in Tokyo on Friday, the journalist Yuki Kitazumi called on Japan's government to have the "courage" to use its leverage with Myanmar's military.

"People in Myanmar expect and hope that the Japanese government will take concrete action," he told a press conference.

Kitazumi described meeting political prisoners who told him they and others were being tortured in custody, including beatings, and being kept awake around the clock.

"I hope the power of the Japanese government that got me released will be used for people in Myanmar," he said.

Tokyo has called for Suu Kyi's release and the restoration of democracy, and Motegi told the Nikkei that Tokyo was continuing to hold dialogue with the junta.

"We have a greater variety of channels in Myanmar, including with the military, than Europe and the US," he said.

Tokyo could freeze all aid to Myanmar, Japan's foreign minister warned in an interview published Friday, as the military junta continues to use lethal force against opponents of its coup.

Tokyo could freeze all aid to Myanmar, Japan's foreign minister warned in an interview published Friday, as the military junta continues to use lethal force against opponents of its coup. Japan is a top donor to Myanmar, and has already suspended new aid after the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But Toshimitsu Motegi, speaking to the Nikkei newspaper, said the freeze could be expanded. "We don't want to do that at all, but we have to state firmly that it will be difficult to continue under these circumstances," he told the newspaper. Also read | How Myanmar's military moved in on the telecoms sector to spy on citizens "As a country that supported Myanmar's democratisation in various ways, and as a friend, we must represent the international community and convey that clearly." Japan announced in March it was halting all new aid to impoverished Myanmar in response to the coup, though it has not imposed the individual sanctions on military and police commanders implemented by some other countries. Motegi has said Japan is Myanmar's largest provider of economic assistance, and Tokyo has long-standing relations with the country's military. Also read | UN vote on call to stop arms supply to Myanmar postponed According to the Nikkei, Japan provided $1.74 billion in development aid to Myanmar in fiscal 2019, more than any other country with disclosed figures. China's aid figures are not public. More than 800 people have been killed in Myanmar in unrest since the military ousted Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup. A Japanese journalist arrested covering the aftermath of the coup was released last week and returned to Tokyo. His release came as Japan said it had offered Myanmar $4 million in emergency aid through the World Food Programme. Speaking in Tokyo on Friday, the journalist Yuki Kitazumi called on Japan's government to have the "courage" to use its leverage with Myanmar's military. "People in Myanmar expect and hope that the Japanese government will take concrete action," he told a press conference. Kitazumi described meeting political prisoners who told him they and others were being tortured in custody, including beatings, and being kept awake around the clock. "I hope the power of the Japanese government that got me released will be used for people in Myanmar," he said. Tokyo has called for Suu Kyi's release and the restoration of democracy, and Motegi told the Nikkei that Tokyo was continuing to hold dialogue with the junta. "We have a greater variety of channels in Myanmar, including with the military, than Europe and the US," he said.

Japan could freeze all aid to Myanmar, foreign minister warns

Two officials at&nbsp;Myanmar's embassy in&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;have become the latest&nbsp;diplomats&nbsp;dismissed by the&nbsp;junta&nbsp;after&nbsp;protesting&nbsp;the military coup in their country, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Thursday.

Administrator Aung Soe Moe and a junior colleague were fired after they went on strike, the agency said.

Citing a leaked document, Kyodo said some 100&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;diplomats&nbsp;around the world have been dismissed after opposing the coup.

Myanmar's military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February, triggering a massive uprising that authorities have sought to quell with lethal force.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/military-takes-control-in-myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-senior-leaders-detained-360484">Military takes control in Myanmar; Aung San Suu Kyi, senior leaders detained</a>

Kyodo said the two&nbsp;diplomats&nbsp;left the embassy compound on March 11, days after posting on Facebook in support of peaceful anti-junta&nbsp;protests.

They did not resign but have had their diplomatic status and passports revoked, and are living in&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;with the help of other&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;nationals, Kyodo said.

The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;embassy has informed Japan's foreign ministry that diplomatic visas for the pair will no longer be valid, Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told reporters Thursday.

"The foreign ministry is studying what kind of response is appropriate, giving consideration to&nbsp;Myanmar's current situation," Kato added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wion-exclusive-myanmar-will-have-civil-war-if-fighting-goes-on-warns-envoy-to-uk-ousted-by-junta-378945">WION Exclusive: Myanmar will have civil war if fighting goes on, warns envoy to UK ousted by junta</a>

Japan has criticised the coup in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;and called for the restoration of democracy, but it has faced pressure to stake out a stronger position on the crisis.

The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;embassy was not reachable for comment on Thursday.

In April, pro-junta&nbsp;diplomats&nbsp;seized the country's embassy in London, leaving the ambassador locked out after he called for the release of Suu Kyi.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/military-junta-seized-london-embassy-in-coup-says-myanmar-ambassador-to-the-uk-376129">Military Junta seized London embassy in 'coup', says Myanmar ambassador to the UK</a>

Other&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;diplomats&nbsp;including at the United Nations and in Berlin have also faced similar threats or oustings over their protests.

Japan has strong economic ties with&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;and long-standing relations with its military.

Last week, a Japanese journalist arrested while covering the aftermath of the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;coup was released in a diplomatic gesture and returned to Japan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/japanese-journalist-held-in-myanmar-arrives-in-tokyo-385293">Japanese journalist held in Myanmar arrives in Tokyo</a>

Japan, a top aid donor to&nbsp;Myanmar, announced in March it was suspending new assistance in response to the coup, but stopped short of the sanctions imposed by some nations on military and police commanders.

Two officials at Myanmar's embassy in Tokyo have become the latest diplomats dismissed by the junta after protesting the military coup in their country, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Thursday.

Two officials at Myanmar's embassy in Tokyo have become the latest diplomats dismissed by the junta after protesting the military coup in their country, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Thursday. Administrator Aung Soe Moe and a junior colleague were fired after they went on strike, the agency said. Citing a leaked document, Kyodo said some 100 Myanmar diplomats around the world have been dismissed after opposing the coup. Myanmar's military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February, triggering a massive uprising that authorities have sought to quell with lethal force. Also read | Military takes control in Myanmar; Aung San Suu Kyi, senior leaders detained Kyodo said the two diplomats left the embassy compound on March 11, days after posting on Facebook in support of peaceful anti-junta protests. They did not resign but have had their diplomatic status and passports revoked, and are living in Tokyo with the help of other Myanmar nationals, Kyodo said. The Myanmar embassy has informed Japan's foreign ministry that diplomatic visas for the pair will no longer be valid, Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told reporters Thursday. "The foreign ministry is studying what kind of response is appropriate, giving consideration to Myanmar's current situation," Kato added. Also read | WION Exclusive: Myanmar will have civil war if fighting goes on, warns envoy to UK ousted by junta Japan has criticised the coup in Myanmar and called for the restoration of democracy, but it has faced pressure to stake out a stronger position on the crisis. The Myanmar embassy was not reachable for comment on Thursday. In April, pro-junta diplomats seized the country's embassy in London, leaving the ambassador locked out after he called for the release of Suu Kyi. Also read | Military Junta seized London embassy in 'coup', says Myanmar ambassador to the UK Other Myanmar diplomats including at the United Nations and in Berlin have also faced similar threats or oustings over their protests. Japan has strong economic ties with Myanmar and long-standing relations with its military. Last week, a Japanese journalist arrested while covering the aftermath of the Myanmar coup was released in a diplomatic gesture and returned to Japan. Also read | Japanese journalist held in Myanmar arrives in Tokyo Japan, a top aid donor to Myanmar, announced in March it was suspending new assistance in response to the coup, but stopped short of the sanctions imposed by some nations on military and police commanders.

Myanmar junta fires protesting diplomats in Tokyo: Eeport

In the months before the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military's February&nbsp;1 coup, the country's telecom and internet service providers were ordered to install intercept spyware that would allow the army to eavesdrop on the communications of citizens, sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters.

The technology gives the military the power to listen in on calls, view text messages and web traffic including emails, and track the locations of users without the assistance of the telecom and internet firms, the sources said.

The directives are part of a sweeping effort by the army to deploy electronic surveillance systems and exert control over the internet with the aim of keeping tabs on political opponents, squashing protests and cutting off channels for any future dissent, they added.

Decision makers at the civilian Ministry of Transport and Communications that delivered the orders were ex-military officials, according to one industry executive with direct knowledge of the plans and another briefed on the matter.

"They presented it as coming from the civilian government, but we knew the army would have control and were told you could not refuse," the executive with direct knowledge said, adding that officials from the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs also sat in on the meetings.

More than a dozen people with knowledge of the intercept spyware used in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;have been interviewed by Reuters. All asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of retribution from the military junta.

Neither representatives for the junta nor representatives for politicians attempting to form a new civilian government responded to Reuters requests for comment.

Budget documents from 2019 and 2020 for the previous government led by Aung San Suu Kyi that were not disclosed publicly contain details of a planned $4 million in purchases of intercept spyware products and parts as well as sophisticated data extraction and phone hacking technology. The documents were provided by activist group Justice for&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;and were independently verified by Reuters.

Reuters was not able to establish to what extent senior non-military people in Suu Kyi's government had been involved in the order to install the intercept.

The idea of a so-called 'lawful intercept' was first floated by&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;authorities to the telecommunications sector in late 2019 but pressure to install such technology came only in late 2020, several sources said, adding that they were warned not to talk about it.

The intercept plans were flagged publicly by Norway's Telenor in an annual update on its&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;business, which is one of the country's biggest telecom firms with 18 million customers out of a population of 54 million.

Telenor said in the Dec. 3 briefing and statement posted on its websites that it was concerned about&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;authorities' plans for a lawful intercept able to "directly access each operator and ISP's systems without case-by-case approval" as&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;did not have sufficient laws and regulations to protect customers' rights to privacy and freedom of expression.

In addition to Telenor, the affected companies include three other telecom firms in&nbsp;Myanmar: MPT, a large state-backed operator, Mytel, a venture between&nbsp;Myanmar's army and Viettel which is owned by Vietnam's defence ministry, and Qatar's Ooredoo. MPT and Mytel are now under the full control of the junta, the sources said. There are about a dozen internet service providers.

Telenor declined to respond to questions from Reuters for this article, citing unspecified security concerns for its employees.

MPT, Mytel and Ooredoo did not respond to requests for comment. Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp, which together with wireless carrier KDDI Corp announced in 2014 planned investment of $2 billion in MPT, declined to comment. KDDI and Viettel did not respond to requests for comment.

Many governments allow for what are commonly called 'lawful intercepts' to be used by law enforcement agencies to catch criminals. But in most democratic countries and even some authoritarian regimes, such technology is not ordinarily employed without any kind of legal process, cybersecurity experts say. The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military, in contrast, is directly operating invasive telecoms spyware without legal or regulatory safeguards to protect human rights in place, according to industry executives and activists.

Even before the coup,&nbsp;Myanmar's military wielded outsized influence in the democratically elected civilian government led by Suu Kyi. It had an unelected quota of 25% of parliamentary seats and the constitution gave it control of several key ministries. It also had extensive sway at the communications and other ministries through the appointment of former army officers. That has become total control since the coup.

Tracings and interceptions

According to three sources at firms with knowledge of the surveillance system, not every telecom firm and internet service provider has installed the full intercept spyware. Reuters was not able to establish how broadly it has been installed and deployed.

But military and intelligence agencies are conducting some tracing of SIM cards and interception of calls, two of those sources said. One source said calls being redirected to other numbers and connecting without a dial tone were among the signs of interception.

A legal source with knowledge of cases against people involved in the protests also said there was evidence of monitoring spyware being used to prosecute them. Reuters has not seen any documents supporting the claim.

A senior civil servant who is aiding ousted politicians seeking to form a parallel government also said their group has been warned by people working for the junta but sympathetic to protesters that phone numbers are being traced.

"We have to change SIM cards all the time," the senior civil servant said.

According to Amnesty International's Security Lab and three other tech experts, the intercept products outlined in the government budget documents would enable the bulk collection of phone metadata - data on who users call, when they call and for how long - as well as targeted content interception.

Cables cut, activists' phones blocked

Among the military's first actions on Feb. 1 was to direct armed soldiers to break into data centres nationwide at midnight and slash internet cables, according to employees at three firms who showed Reuters photos of severed cables.

At one data centre where employees resisted, soldiers held them at gunpoint and also smashed monitors to threaten them, said one source briefed on the matter.

Though the internet was mostly restored with hours, the army began shutting it down nightly. Within days, the army had secretly ordered telecom firms to block the phone numbers of activists, junta opponents and human rights lawyers, providing the firms with lists, according to three industry sources briefed on the matter. Those orders have not been previously reported.

The sources added that operators are required by law to share customer lists with authorities.

The army also directed the blocking of specific websites. Facebook, which was used by half the country and quickly became crucial to protest organisers, was among the first to be banned, followed by news sites and other social media platforms.

When opposition grew in March, the military cut access to mobile data altogether, leaving most in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;without access to the internet.

"Firms have to obey the orders," one industry source said. "Everyone knows that if you don't, they can just come in with guns and cut the wires. That's even more effective than any intercept."

Telenor and Ooredoo executives who protested were told to stay quiet or the companies would face losing their licences, four sources said.

Army's tightening grip

Under previous juntas that ruled between 1963 and 2011, activists and journalists were routinely wiretapped and smartphones were scarce.

As&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;opened up, it became a telecoms success story with a thriving, if nascent, digital economy. Mobile phone penetration, in 2011 the second-lowest in the world after North Korea at 6.9%, soared to stand at 126% in 2020.

The civilian government's first known move towards nationwide surveillance came in 2018, with the establishment of a social media monitoring system it said was aimed at preventing the influence of foreign forces. It followed that with a biometric SIM card registration drive last year, saying multiple SIM card use was undesirable and a central database was necessary.

Authorities are now seeking still more power over telecommunications.

The communications ministry proposed a new law on Feb. 10 that states internet and telecom firms will be required to keep a broad range of user data for up to three years and remove or block any content deemed to be disrupting "unity, stabilisation, and peace", with possible jail terms for those who don't comply.

In late April, the junta began ordering telecom operators to unblock certain websites and apps, starting with the apps of local banks, said three people briefed on the development. Microsoft Office, Google's Gmail, Google Drive and YouTube have also since been unblocked.

Asked about the unblocking, a Microsoft representative said the company had not engaged with officials in&nbsp;Myanmar. Google did not respond to requests for comment.

Industry sources and activists believe these moves are part of an attempt by the junta to establish its version of the internet, akin to what China has done with the "Great Firewall".

"The military wants to control the internet so it will be a safe zone but only for them," said one industry executive. "We've gone back five years in time."

In the months before the Myanmar military's February 1 coup, the country's telecom and internet service providers were ordered to install intercept spyware that would allow the army to eavesdrop on the communications of citizens, sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters.

In the months before the Myanmar military's February 1 coup, the country's telecom and internet service providers were ordered to install intercept spyware that would allow the army to eavesdrop on the communications of citizens, sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters. The technology gives the military the power to listen in on calls, view text messages and web traffic including emails, and track the locations of users without the assistance of the telecom and internet firms, the sources said. The directives are part of a sweeping effort by the army to deploy electronic surveillance systems and exert control over the internet with the aim of keeping tabs on political opponents, squashing protests and cutting off channels for any future dissent, they added. Decision makers at the civilian Ministry of Transport and Communications that delivered the orders were ex-military officials, according to one industry executive with direct knowledge of the plans and another briefed on the matter. "They presented it as coming from the civilian government, but we knew the army would have control and were told you could not refuse," the executive with direct knowledge said, adding that officials from the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs also sat in on the meetings. More than a dozen people with knowledge of the intercept spyware used in Myanmar have been interviewed by Reuters. All asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of retribution from the military junta. Neither representatives for the junta nor representatives for politicians attempting to form a new civilian government responded to Reuters requests for comment. Budget documents from 2019 and 2020 for the previous government led by Aung San Suu Kyi that were not disclosed publicly contain details of a planned $4 million in purchases of intercept spyware products and parts as well as sophisticated data extraction and phone hacking technology. The documents were provided by activist group Justice for Myanmar and were independently verified by Reuters. Reuters was not able to establish to what extent senior non-military people in Suu Kyi's government had been involved in the order to install the intercept. The idea of a so-called 'lawful intercept' was first floated by Myanmar authorities to the telecommunications sector in late 2019 but pressure to install such technology came only in late 2020, several sources said, adding that they were warned not to talk about it. The intercept plans were flagged publicly by Norway's Telenor in an annual update on its Myanmar business, which is one of the country's biggest telecom firms with 18 million customers out of a population of 54 million. Telenor said in the Dec. 3 briefing and statement posted on its websites that it was concerned about Myanmar authorities' plans for a lawful intercept able to "directly access each operator and ISP's systems without case-by-case approval" as Myanmar did not have sufficient laws and regulations to protect customers' rights to privacy and freedom of expression. In addition to Telenor, the affected companies include three other telecom firms in Myanmar: MPT, a large state-backed operator, Mytel, a venture between Myanmar's army and Viettel which is owned by Vietnam's defence ministry, and Qatar's Ooredoo. MPT and Mytel are now under the full control of the junta, the sources said. There are about a dozen internet service providers. Telenor declined to respond to questions from Reuters for this article, citing unspecified security concerns for its employees. MPT, Mytel and Ooredoo did not respond to requests for comment. Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp, which together with wireless carrier KDDI Corp announced in 2014 planned investment of $2 billion in MPT, declined to comment. KDDI and Viettel did not respond to requests for comment. Many governments allow for what are commonly called 'lawful intercepts' to be used by law enforcement agencies to catch criminals. But in most democratic countries and even some authoritarian regimes, such technology is not ordinarily employed without any kind of legal process, cybersecurity experts say. The Myanmar military, in contrast, is directly operating invasive telecoms spyware without legal or regulatory safeguards to protect human rights in place, according to industry executives and activists. Even before the coup, Myanmar's military wielded outsized influence in the democratically elected civilian government led by Suu Kyi. It had an unelected quota of 25% of parliamentary seats and the constitution gave it control of several key ministries. It also had extensive sway at the communications and other ministries through the appointment of former army officers. That has become total control since the coup. Tracings and interceptions According to three sources at firms with knowledge of the surveillance system, not every telecom firm and internet service provider has installed the full intercept spyware. Reuters was not able to establish how broadly it has been installed and deployed. But military and intelligence agencies are conducting some tracing of SIM cards and interception of calls, two of those sources said. One source said calls being redirected to other numbers and connecting without a dial tone were among the signs of interception. A legal source with knowledge of cases against people involved in the protests also said there was evidence of monitoring spyware being used to prosecute them. Reuters has not seen any documents supporting the claim. A senior civil servant who is aiding ousted politicians seeking to form a parallel government also said their group has been warned by people working for the junta but sympathetic to protesters that phone numbers are being traced. "We have to change SIM cards all the time," the senior civil servant said. According to Amnesty International's Security Lab and three other tech experts, the intercept products outlined in the government budget documents would enable the bulk collection of phone metadata - data on who users call, when they call and for how long - as well as targeted content interception. Cables cut, activists' phones blocked Among the military's first actions on Feb. 1 was to direct armed soldiers to break into data centres nationwide at midnight and slash internet cables, according to employees at three firms who showed Reuters photos of severed cables. At one data centre where employees resisted, soldiers held them at gunpoint and also smashed monitors to threaten them, said one source briefed on the matter. Though the internet was mostly restored with hours, the army began shutting it down nightly. Within days, the army had secretly ordered telecom firms to block the phone numbers of activists, junta opponents and human rights lawyers, providing the firms with lists, according to three industry sources briefed on the matter. Those orders have not been previously reported. The sources added that operators are required by law to share customer lists with authorities. The army also directed the blocking of specific websites. Facebook, which was used by half the country and quickly became crucial to protest organisers, was among the first to be banned, followed by news sites and other social media platforms. When opposition grew in March, the military cut access to mobile data altogether, leaving most in Myanmar without access to the internet. "Firms have to obey the orders," one industry source said. "Everyone knows that if you don't, they can just come in with guns and cut the wires. That's even more effective than any intercept." Telenor and Ooredoo executives who protested were told to stay quiet or the companies would face losing their licences, four sources said. Army's tightening grip Under previous juntas that ruled between 1963 and 2011, activists and journalists were routinely wiretapped and smartphones were scarce. As Myanmar opened up, it became a telecoms success story with a thriving, if nascent, digital economy. Mobile phone penetration, in 2011 the second-lowest in the world after North Korea at 6.9%, soared to stand at 126% in 2020. The civilian government's first known move towards nationwide surveillance came in 2018, with the establishment of a social media monitoring system it said was aimed at preventing the influence of foreign forces. It followed that with a biometric SIM card registration drive last year, saying multiple SIM card use was undesirable and a central database was necessary. Authorities are now seeking still more power over telecommunications. The communications ministry proposed a new law on Feb. 10 that states internet and telecom firms will be required to keep a broad range of user data for up to three years and remove or block any content deemed to be disrupting "unity, stabilisation, and peace", with possible jail terms for those who don't comply. In late April, the junta began ordering telecom operators to unblock certain websites and apps, starting with the apps of local banks, said three people briefed on the development. Microsoft Office, Google's Gmail, Google Drive and YouTube have also since been unblocked. Asked about the unblocking, a Microsoft representative said the company had not engaged with officials in Myanmar. Google did not respond to requests for comment. Industry sources and activists believe these moves are part of an attempt by the junta to establish its version of the internet, akin to what China has done with the "Great Firewall". "The military wants to control the internet so it will be a safe zone but only for them," said one industry executive. "We've gone back five years in time."

How Myanmar's military moved in on the telecoms sector to spy on citizens

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday is set to consider a draft non-binding resolution calling for 'an immediate suspension' of the transfer of weapons to the military junta of Myanmar, a UN official said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry strong political significance.&nbsp;

If an approval by consensus cannot be reached then the full General Assembly, 193 member states, will vote on the measure.&nbsp;

Introduced by Liechtenstein, with support from the European Union, Britain, and the United States, the measure will be considered at the plenary meeting set for Tuesday at 1900 GMT. &nbsp;

The draft resolution calls for "an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment to Myanmar."&nbsp;

"The meeting will be in person," a UN spokesman said.&nbsp;

The draft, which has been under negotiation for weeks, is co-sponsored by 48 countries, with South Korea the sole Asian country.&nbsp;

It also calls on military to 'end the state of emergency' and immediately stop 'all violence against peaceful demonstrators’, as well as 'immediately and unconditionally release President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi' and everyone who has been 'arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested' since the February 1 coup.&nbsp;

The draft adds a call to 'swiftly implement' a five-point consensus reached with leaders from the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on April 24, to 'facilitate the visit' of the special UN envoy to Myanmar, and to provide 'safe and unimpeded humanitarian access’.&nbsp;

Several NGOs have long been calling for an arms embargo on Myanmar.&nbsp;

Since February 1, the Security Council has unanimously adopted four statements on Myanmar, but each time, they have been watered down in negotiations, notably by Beijing.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday is set to consider a draft non-binding resolution calling for 'an immediate suspension' of the transfer of weapons to the military junta of Myanmar, a UN official said on Sunday.

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday is set to consider a draft non-binding resolution calling for 'an immediate suspension' of the transfer of weapons to the military junta of Myanmar, a UN official said on Sunday. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry strong political significance. If an approval by consensus cannot be reached then the full General Assembly, 193 member states, will vote on the measure. Introduced by Liechtenstein, with support from the European Union, Britain, and the United States, the measure will be considered at the plenary meeting set for Tuesday at 1900 GMT. The draft resolution calls for "an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment to Myanmar." "The meeting will be in person," a UN spokesman said. The draft, which has been under negotiation for weeks, is co-sponsored by 48 countries, with South Korea the sole Asian country. It also calls on military to 'end the state of emergency' and immediately stop 'all violence against peaceful demonstrators’, as well as 'immediately and unconditionally release President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi' and everyone who has been 'arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested' since the February 1 coup. The draft adds a call to 'swiftly implement' a five-point consensus reached with leaders from the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on April 24, to 'facilitate the visit' of the special UN envoy to Myanmar, and to provide 'safe and unimpeded humanitarian access’. Several NGOs have long been calling for an arms embargo on Myanmar. Since February 1, the Security Council has unanimously adopted four statements on Myanmar, but each time, they have been watered down in negotiations, notably by Beijing. (With inputs from agencies)

UN General Assembly to consider call for Myanmar arms embargo 

Fighters of a local militia opposed to Myanmar's junta have pulled back from the northwestern town of Mindat after days of assault by combat troops backed by artillery, a member of the group said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The United States and Britain called on the army to avoid civilian casualties and a shadow National Unity Government formed by loyalists of Myanmar's detained elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, appealed for international help.&nbsp;

A spokesman for the junta did not answer calls for comment.&nbsp;

The fighting in the hill town of Mindat, about 100 km (60 miles) from the Indian border in Chin state, is some of the heaviest since the coup plunged Myanmar into chaos with daily protests, strikes and the emergence of new local militias.&nbsp;

"To avoid confrontation, we retreated out of concern over damage to the town," said one fighter, adding that only women and children remained in the town of more than 40,000 that was now largely occupied by the army.&nbsp;

"Since all the boys and men are involved in this fight, all of them are on the run."&nbsp;

The US-funded RFA website quoted a member of the group as saying five of its fighters were killed, but it believed it had inflicted losses several times that many on the army, widely known as the Tatmadaw.&nbsp;

Army-controlled Myawaddy television said on Saturday that some security forces were killed and others missing after attacks by 'unscrupulous people'. Security forces would work day and night to bring order, it added.&nbsp;

The fighting marks the emergence of the Chinland Defence Force, one of several new groups to spring up in opposition to the junta in a country, which already had about two dozen ethnic armed groups.&nbsp;

The fighters also say they are part of the People's Defence Forces of the shadow government.&nbsp;

"We would like to urge the international community to take immediate actions to end all violence of the Tatmadaw and protect the defenceless people of Mindat," the National Unity Government said in a statement.&nbsp;

The US and British embassies in Myanmar voiced concern for civilians in Mindat.&nbsp;

"The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to hold onto power," the US embassy said in a statement. "We call on the military to cease violence against civilians."&nbsp;

Britain's mission said evidence of atrocities should be sent to UN investigators 'so perpetrators can be held to account'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Fighters of a local militia opposed to Myanmar's junta have pulled back from the northwestern town of Mindat after days of assault by combat troops backed by artillery, a member of the group said on Sunday.

Fighters of a local militia opposed to Myanmar's junta have pulled back from the northwestern town of Mindat after days of assault by combat troops backed by artillery, a member of the group said on Sunday. The United States and Britain called on the army to avoid civilian casualties and a shadow National Unity Government formed by loyalists of Myanmar's detained elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, appealed for international help. A spokesman for the junta did not answer calls for comment. The fighting in the hill town of Mindat, about 100 km (60 miles) from the Indian border in Chin state, is some of the heaviest since the coup plunged Myanmar into chaos with daily protests, strikes and the emergence of new local militias. "To avoid confrontation, we retreated out of concern over damage to the town," said one fighter, adding that only women and children remained in the town of more than 40,000 that was now largely occupied by the army. "Since all the boys and men are involved in this fight, all of them are on the run." The US-funded RFA website quoted a member of the group as saying five of its fighters were killed, but it believed it had inflicted losses several times that many on the army, widely known as the Tatmadaw. Army-controlled Myawaddy television said on Saturday that some security forces were killed and others missing after attacks by 'unscrupulous people'. Security forces would work day and night to bring order, it added. The fighting marks the emergence of the Chinland Defence Force, one of several new groups to spring up in opposition to the junta in a country, which already had about two dozen ethnic armed groups. The fighters also say they are part of the People's Defence Forces of the shadow government. "We would like to urge the international community to take immediate actions to end all violence of the Tatmadaw and protect the defenceless people of Mindat," the National Unity Government said in a statement. The US and British embassies in Myanmar voiced concern for civilians in Mindat. "The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to hold onto power," the US embassy said in a statement. "We call on the military to cease violence against civilians." Britain's mission said evidence of atrocities should be sent to UN investigators 'so perpetrators can be held to account'. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar anti-coup fighters retreat from town as US makes appeal 

The people of Myanmar must not despair in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided, Pope Francis said on Sunday at a special Mass for the Myanmar community in Italy.&nbsp;

Myanmar's military seized power in a February 1 coup, derailing the country's tentative progress towards full democracy and triggering protests that have been met with a bloody crackdown. &nbsp;

Francis, who visited the Southeast Asian country in 2017, has repeatedly denounced the coup and on Sunday held a special service for the Myanmar faithful in St Peter's Basilica.&nbsp;

"Your beloved country of Myanmar is experiencing violence, conflict and repression," the pope said in a toughly worded homily, urging the congregation to draw inspiration from the final hours of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.&nbsp;

"He does not resign himself to evil, he does not let himself be overwhelmed by grief, he does not retreat into the bitterness of the defeated and disappointed," he said.&nbsp;

Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country and is home to fewer than 800,000 Roman Catholics.&nbsp;

Francis, who has been one of the most outspoken global leaders on the Myanmar crisis, said people should not lose their faith or hope "even in the dark night of grief, even when evil seems to have the upper hand".&nbsp;

He also urged the people of Myanmar not to yield to "the logic of hatred and vengeance", nor to compromise their values. Unity was vital, he said.&nbsp;

Since grabbing power, the junta has struggled to govern. Protests, strikes and a civil disobedience campaign have crippled businesses and the bureaucracy, while an armed resistance has also taken hold in the northwest of the country.&nbsp;

The military has said its takeover was aimed at protecting democracy after a November election that it said was marred by fraud. The electoral commission rejected the military's claims of irregularities.&nbsp;

The people of Myanmar must not despair in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided, Pope Francis said on Sunday at a special Mass for the Myanmar community in Italy.

The people of Myanmar must not despair in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided, Pope Francis said on Sunday at a special Mass for the Myanmar community in Italy. Myanmar's military seized power in a February 1 coup, derailing the country's tentative progress towards full democracy and triggering protests that have been met with a bloody crackdown. Francis, who visited the Southeast Asian country in 2017, has repeatedly denounced the coup and on Sunday held a special service for the Myanmar faithful in St Peter's Basilica. "Your beloved country of Myanmar is experiencing violence, conflict and repression," the pope said in a toughly worded homily, urging the congregation to draw inspiration from the final hours of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion. "He does not resign himself to evil, he does not let himself be overwhelmed by grief, he does not retreat into the bitterness of the defeated and disappointed," he said. Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country and is home to fewer than 800,000 Roman Catholics. Francis, who has been one of the most outspoken global leaders on the Myanmar crisis, said people should not lose their faith or hope "even in the dark night of grief, even when evil seems to have the upper hand". He also urged the people of Myanmar not to yield to "the logic of hatred and vengeance", nor to compromise their values. Unity was vital, he said. Since grabbing power, the junta has struggled to govern. Protests, strikes and a civil disobedience campaign have crippled businesses and the bureaucracy, while an armed resistance has also taken hold in the northwest of the country. The military has said its takeover was aimed at protecting democracy after a November election that it said was marred by fraud. The electoral commission rejected the military's claims of irregularities.

Do not give in to evil and division, Pope tells Myanmar community 

A&nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;journalist&nbsp;arrested while covering the aftermath of the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;coup arrived in&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;Friday, after charges against him were dropped as a diplomatic gesture.

Yuki Kitazumi,&nbsp;held&nbsp;in Yangon's Insein prison since his arrest last month, was one of at least 80 reporters detained during the junta's crackdown on anti-coup dissent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/japanese-journalist-charged-in-myanmar-for-spreading-false-news-382763">Japanese journalist charged in Myanmar for spreading false news</a>

Security forces have killed more than 780 people since protests erupted following the February 1 coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a local monitoring group.

"I am in good health, both mentally and physically," said Kitazumi after landing at&nbsp;Tokyo's Narita airport.

But he admitted he was "extremely frustrated" at being deported from&nbsp;Myanmar.

"I am a&nbsp;journalist&nbsp;and I wanted to convey what was happening in Yangon," he said, adding that he had collected harrowing testimonies from his fellow inmates in prison.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-soldiers-aiming-to-silence-protests-target-journalists-375047">Myanmar soldiers, aiming to silence protests, target journalists</a>

"Some are deprived of meals for two days, others are questioned whilst being threatened with a weapon, or beaten if they try to deny (the allegations).

"Thanks to my&nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;nationality, I was able to escape this type of treatment, but the reality is that many Burmese are being tortured."

Japanese&nbsp;Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said earlier that&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;had used "various channels" to press for Kitazumi's release and that it had been "tough work".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/japan-seeks-release-of-journalist-arrested-in-myanmar-for-second-time-378647">Japan seeks release of journalist arrested in Myanmar for second time</a>

"As a result of those efforts, yesterday the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;authorities announced that they would withdraw the indictment," he told reporters in&nbsp;Tokyo.

$4 million food aid&nbsp;

The minister also announced that Japan has offered&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;$4 million in emergency food aid via the World Food Programme.

The support is expected to help 600,000 people.

"Food supply to the impoverished population in Yangon region is rapidly deteriorating amid this situation, and they are facing difficulties in even maintaining the most basic living conditions," the&nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In late March, Japan had announced it was suspending new aid to&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;in response to the coup.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/japan-finalising-plans-to-halt-fresh-aid-to-myanmar-says-report-366083">Japan finalising plans to halt fresh aid to Myanmar, says report</a>

"We have continued our calls on&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;to immediately stop violence, release those who are detained (political prisoners) and return to the democratic political process," Motegi said.

Myanmar&nbsp;state broadcaster MRTV announced Thursday that the charges against&nbsp;journalist&nbsp;Kitazumi were being dropped "in order to reconcile with Japan and improve our relationship".

State media said an earlier investigation found that Kitazumi "supported the protests".

He was charged under a newly revised provision in the penal code which criminalises spreading fake news, criticising the coup or encouraging disobedience among soldiers and civil servants.&nbsp;

Those convicted can face up to three years in jail.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/thailand-seeking-humanitarian-solution-for-detained-myanmar-journalists-384263">Thailand seeking 'humanitarian' solution for detained Myanmar journalists</a>

Kitazumi, who had previously been arrested in February but released soon afterwards, was the first foreign&nbsp;journalist&nbsp;to be charged since the coup.

A Polish photographer arrested while covering a protest in March was freed and deported after nearly two weeks in custody.

As well as arresting reporters and photographers, the junta has also revoked broadcasting licences and ordered regular internet outages as it seeks to suppress news of the anti-coup protest movement.

On Wednesday, a reporter for independent media outlet DVB, Min Nyo, was sentenced to three years in jail for criminal mutiny.

Ko Aung Kyaw Oo, a former reporter for Tomorrow Journal, was arrested on Thursday afternoon, his son confirmed to AFP.

Forty-five journalists and photographers remain in custody across&nbsp;Myanmar, according to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN.

A Japanese journalist arrested while covering the aftermath of the Myanmar coup arrived in Tokyo Friday, after charges against him were dropped as a diplomatic gesture.

A Japanese journalist arrested while covering the aftermath of the Myanmar coup arrived in Tokyo Friday, after charges against him were dropped as a diplomatic gesture. Yuki Kitazumi, held in Yangon's Insein prison since his arrest last month, was one of at least 80 reporters detained during the junta's crackdown on anti-coup dissent. Also read | Japanese journalist charged in Myanmar for spreading false news Security forces have killed more than 780 people since protests erupted following the February 1 coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a local monitoring group. "I am in good health, both mentally and physically," said Kitazumi after landing at Tokyo's Narita airport. But he admitted he was "extremely frustrated" at being deported from Myanmar. "I am a journalist and I wanted to convey what was happening in Yangon," he said, adding that he had collected harrowing testimonies from his fellow inmates in prison. Also read | Myanmar soldiers, aiming to silence protests, target journalists "Some are deprived of meals for two days, others are questioned whilst being threatened with a weapon, or beaten if they try to deny (the allegations). "Thanks to my Japanese nationality, I was able to escape this type of treatment, but the reality is that many Burmese are being tortured." Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said earlier that Tokyo had used "various channels" to press for Kitazumi's release and that it had been "tough work". Also read | Japan seeks release of journalist arrested in Myanmar for second time "As a result of those efforts, yesterday the Myanmar authorities announced that they would withdraw the indictment," he told reporters in Tokyo. $4 million food aid The minister also announced that Japan has offered Myanmar $4 million in emergency food aid via the World Food Programme. The support is expected to help 600,000 people. "Food supply to the impoverished population in Yangon region is rapidly deteriorating amid this situation, and they are facing difficulties in even maintaining the most basic living conditions," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In late March, Japan had announced it was suspending new aid to Myanmar in response to the coup. Also read | Japan finalising plans to halt fresh aid to Myanmar, says report "We have continued our calls on Myanmar to immediately stop violence, release those who are detained (political prisoners) and return to the democratic political process," Motegi said. Myanmar state broadcaster MRTV announced Thursday that the charges against journalist Kitazumi were being dropped "in order to reconcile with Japan and improve our relationship". State media said an earlier investigation found that Kitazumi "supported the protests". He was charged under a newly revised provision in the penal code which criminalises spreading fake news, criticising the coup or encouraging disobedience among soldiers and civil servants. Those convicted can face up to three years in jail. Also read | Thailand seeking 'humanitarian' solution for detained Myanmar journalists Kitazumi, who had previously been arrested in February but released soon afterwards, was the first foreign journalist to be charged since the coup. A Polish photographer arrested while covering a protest in March was freed and deported after nearly two weeks in custody. As well as arresting reporters and photographers, the junta has also revoked broadcasting licences and ordered regular internet outages as it seeks to suppress news of the anti-coup protest movement. On Wednesday, a reporter for independent media outlet DVB, Min Nyo, was sentenced to three years in jail for criminal mutiny. Ko Aung Kyaw Oo, a former reporter for Tomorrow Journal, was arrested on Thursday afternoon, his son confirmed to AFP. Forty-five journalists and photographers remain in custody across Myanmar, according to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN.

Japanese journalist held in Myanmar arrives in Tokyo

Myanmar's army battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat on Saturday, residents said, to try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February.

The fighting is some of the heaviest since the coup and underlines the growing chaos as the junta struggles to impose order in the face of daily protests, strikes and sabotage attacks after it overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We are running for our lives," one resident told Reuters from Mindat, a hill town just over 100 km (60 miles) from the border with India.

"There are around 20,000 people trapped in town, most of them are kids, old people," the resident added. "My friend's three nieces were hit by shrapnel. They are not even teens.”

The junta imposed martial law in Mindat on Thursday and then stepped up attacks on what it called "armed terrorists". A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment on the fighting on Saturday.

Army-controlled Myawaddy television said around 1,000 "unscrupulous people" had attacked with small arms and homemade grenades in recent days, and that some members of the security forces were killed and others missing. It said security forces would work day and night to bring order.

Fighters of the Chinland Defence Force retreated as military reinforcements advanced with artillery bombardments and helicopter attacks, a member of a local administration set up by the junta's opponents told Reuters by phone.

Five civilians had been killed in Mindat in the past two days, said Doctor Sasa, minister of international cooperation in a shadow National Unity Government set up to rival the junta.

US&nbsp;APPEAL

"The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to to hold on to power," the US&nbsp;Embassy in Myanmar said in a statement. "We call on the military to cease violence against civilians."

Myanmar already had some two dozen ethnic armed groups, who have waged war for decades against an army dominated by the Bamar majority.

The Chinland Defence Force was set up in response to the coup. Facing one of the region's best equipped armies, its fighters are armed largely with home-made hunting guns. Reuters was unable to reach the group for comment on Saturday.

At least 788 people have been killed by the junta's security forces in crackdowns on protests against its rule, according to an advocacy group.

The military, which disputes that number, imposes tight restrictions on media, information and the Internet. Reuters cannot independently verify arrests and casualty numbers.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that 63 people had been killed recently in what he described as various "terrorist attacks" by the administration's opponents, appealing to people to inform on the attackers.

Anti-junta protests were held in the main city of Myanmar and many other towns on Saturday.

A poet who had criticised military rule had been soaked in gasoline and burned to death in the central town of Monywa on Friday, residents said. Sein Win was the third poet to be killed in the town, a stronghold of opposition to the junta.

The army took power alleging fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its claims of irregularities were rejected by the electoral commission.

Myanmar's army battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat on Saturday, residents said, to try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February.

Myanmar's army battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat on Saturday, residents said, to try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February. The fighting is some of the heaviest since the coup and underlines the growing chaos as the junta struggles to impose order in the face of daily protests, strikes and sabotage attacks after it overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "We are running for our lives," one resident told Reuters from Mindat, a hill town just over 100 km (60 miles) from the border with India. "There are around 20,000 people trapped in town, most of them are kids, old people," the resident added. "My friend's three nieces were hit by shrapnel. They are not even teens.” The junta imposed martial law in Mindat on Thursday and then stepped up attacks on what it called "armed terrorists". A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment on the fighting on Saturday. Army-controlled Myawaddy television said around 1,000 "unscrupulous people" had attacked with small arms and homemade grenades in recent days, and that some members of the security forces were killed and others missing. It said security forces would work day and night to bring order. Fighters of the Chinland Defence Force retreated as military reinforcements advanced with artillery bombardments and helicopter attacks, a member of a local administration set up by the junta's opponents told Reuters by phone. Five civilians had been killed in Mindat in the past two days, said Doctor Sasa, minister of international cooperation in a shadow National Unity Government set up to rival the junta. US APPEAL "The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to to hold on to power," the US Embassy in Myanmar said in a statement. "We call on the military to cease violence against civilians." Myanmar already had some two dozen ethnic armed groups, who have waged war for decades against an army dominated by the Bamar majority. The Chinland Defence Force was set up in response to the coup. Facing one of the region's best equipped armies, its fighters are armed largely with home-made hunting guns. Reuters was unable to reach the group for comment on Saturday. At least 788 people have been killed by the junta's security forces in crackdowns on protests against its rule, according to an advocacy group. The military, which disputes that number, imposes tight restrictions on media, information and the Internet. Reuters cannot independently verify arrests and casualty numbers. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that 63 people had been killed recently in what he described as various "terrorist attacks" by the administration's opponents, appealing to people to inform on the attackers. Anti-junta protests were held in the main city of Myanmar and many other towns on Saturday. A poet who had criticised military rule had been soaked in gasoline and burned to death in the central town of Monywa on Friday, residents said. Sein Win was the third poet to be killed in the town, a stronghold of opposition to the junta. The army took power alleging fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its claims of irregularities were rejected by the electoral commission.

Myanmar army battles anti-coup rebels as armed resistance grows

Amid the Junta coup, Myanmar's crumbling economy runs low on cash

A number of tenants of a high-end office block in Myanmar built on military-owned land have moved out or are reviewing their leases, including McKinsey, Coca-Cola and Reuters. Activist group Justice for Myanmar last month called on commercial tenants of the Sule Square complex of offices and shops in Yangon to stop indirectly supporting the army.

Myanmar Coup: Global firms leave office block with military ties

It has been 100 days since Myanmar's military seized power by ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, but the junta has been able to just maintain the pretence of control. The illusion is sustained mainly by its partially successful efforts to shut down independent media and to keep the streets clear of large demonstrations by employing lethal force.

Myanmar marks 100 days of military coup, Junta struggles to maintain power

Thailand said Tuesday it was seeking a "humanitarian" solution for three Myanmar journalists arrested after fleeing across the border to escape a junta crackdown.

The trio's employer -- the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) -- and the Thai foreign correspondents' club urged the authorities not to deport them, warning their lives could be in danger if they returned to the coup-hit country.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/myanmar-detained-leader-aung-san-suu-kyi-to-appear-in-court-in-person-on-may-24-384147/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a mass uprising as large swathes of the population take to the streets to demand democracy.

The junta has responded with force -- shooting protesters, arresting suspected dissidents in night raids, and targeting journalists and news outlets by shutting them down.

Thai authorities on Tuesday confirmed the arrests, while foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said they were seeking a way out of the case.

"Thai authorities concerned are coordinating to find possible humanitarian solution(s) to this case," Tanee told reporters.

DVB said the group was arrested during a random search in the northern city of Chiang Mai, and would appear in court on Tuesday to face charges of illegally entering Thailand.

"DVB strongly urges the Thai authorities to not deport them back to Burma, as their life will be in serious danger if they were to return," said Aye Chan Naing, DVB's chief editor, who is based in Oslo. Burma is Myanmar's old name.

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand warned Tuesday that if the journalists were deported, they would face "certain arrest and persecution, if not worse".

"The world is watching what the Thai authorities do in this important case for press freedom in Myanmar and the region," it said.&nbsp;

A well-known news organisation within Myanmar, DVB started as an exile media outlet during the previous junta, broadcasting uncensored reports on TV and radio.

It moved into Myanmar in 2012, a year after the military dictatorship loosened its grip, but had its broadcast licence revoked in March, sending its journalists into hiding.

Despite this setback, it has continued to report, posting regular updates on its Facebook page about the daily protests and crackdowns across the country.&nbsp;

It also broadcasts via satellite television -- a move that the junta attempted to halt when it banned homes from having satellite dishes.

More than 80 journalists have been detained since the February 1 coup, according to a local monitoring group -- which has tracked a total of nearly 5,000 arrests nationwide.&nbsp;

Thailand said Tuesday it was seeking a "humanitarian" solution for three Myanmar journalists arrested after fleeing across the border to escape a junta crackdown.

Thailand said Tuesday it was seeking a "humanitarian" solution for three Myanmar journalists arrested after fleeing across the border to escape a junta crackdown. The trio's employer -- the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) -- and the Thai foreign correspondents' club urged the authorities not to deport them, warning their lives could be in danger if they returned to the coup-hit country. Watch | Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a mass uprising as large swathes of the population take to the streets to demand democracy. The junta has responded with force -- shooting protesters, arresting suspected dissidents in night raids, and targeting journalists and news outlets by shutting them down. Thai authorities on Tuesday confirmed the arrests, while foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said they were seeking a way out of the case. "Thai authorities concerned are coordinating to find possible humanitarian solution(s) to this case," Tanee told reporters. DVB said the group was arrested during a random search in the northern city of Chiang Mai, and would appear in court on Tuesday to face charges of illegally entering Thailand. "DVB strongly urges the Thai authorities to not deport them back to Burma, as their life will be in serious danger if they were to return," said Aye Chan Naing, DVB's chief editor, who is based in Oslo. Burma is Myanmar's old name. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand warned Tuesday that if the journalists were deported, they would face "certain arrest and persecution, if not worse". "The world is watching what the Thai authorities do in this important case for press freedom in Myanmar and the region," it said. A well-known news organisation within Myanmar, DVB started as an exile media outlet during the previous junta, broadcasting uncensored reports on TV and radio. It moved into Myanmar in 2012, a year after the military dictatorship loosened its grip, but had its broadcast licence revoked in March, sending its journalists into hiding. Despite this setback, it has continued to report, posting regular updates on its Facebook page about the daily protests and crackdowns across the country. It also broadcasts via satellite television -- a move that the junta attempted to halt when it banned homes from having satellite dishes. More than 80 journalists have been detained since the February 1 coup, according to a local monitoring group -- which has tracked a total of nearly 5,000 arrests nationwide.

Thailand seeking 'humanitarian' solution for detained Myanmar journalists

Myanmar's detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi is all set to appear in person at her next court hearing on May 24. This will be Suu Kyi's first public appearance since she was detained by the Military Junta on 1 February.

Myanmar: Detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi to appear in court in person on May 24

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday was asked to appear in court in person on May 24, her lawyer said.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has not been seen publicly since the military overthrew her government and detained her on February 1 in a coup.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/thousands-suspended-at-myanmar-universities-as-junta-targets-education-384083">Thousands suspended at Myanmar universities as junta targets education&nbsp;</a>

She has expressed her frustration with the pace of the trial during a number of hearings via video conferencing.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/body-of-arrested-myanmar-poet-khet-thi-returned-to-family-with-organs-missing-383972">Body of arrested Myanmar poet Khet Thi returned to family with organs missing</a>

A judge on Monday ordered her to appear in a special courtroom based near her residence.&nbsp;

"She will appear in person in court on May 24," lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told news agency AFP.

However, he said that the court has still not given nod to a private meeting of Suu Kyi with her lawyers.&nbsp;

"The problem is not solved yet because the police did not answer on whether they can arrange our meeting," the lawyer said, adding that private counsel is "the right of the defendant".

The 75-year-old leader has been charged six times since her arrest including charges of violating coronavirus restrictions during an election rally last year.&nbsp;

She has also been charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and for receiving bribes of gold and cash.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday was asked to appear in court in person on May 24, her lawyer said. Suu Kyi has not been seen publicly since the military overthrew her government and detained her on February 1 in a coup.

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday was asked to appear in court in person on May 24, her lawyer said. Suu Kyi has not been seen publicly since the military overthrew her government and detained her on February 1 in a coup. Also read | Thousands suspended at Myanmar universities as junta targets education She has expressed her frustration with the pace of the trial during a number of hearings via video conferencing. Also read | Body of arrested Myanmar poet Khet Thi returned to family with organs missing A judge on Monday ordered her to appear in a special courtroom based near her residence. "She will appear in person in court on May 24," lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told news agency AFP. However, he said that the court has still not given nod to a private meeting of Suu Kyi with her lawyers. "The problem is not solved yet because the police did not answer on whether they can arrange our meeting," the lawyer said, adding that private counsel is "the right of the defendant". The 75-year-old leader has been charged six times since her arrest including charges of violating coronavirus restrictions during an election rally last year. She has also been charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and for receiving bribes of gold and cash. (With inputs from agencies)

Aung San Suu Kyi asked to appear in person in court: Lawyer

Myanmar's military government completes 100 days after coup

More than 11,000 academics and other university staff opposed to Myanmar's ruling junta have been suspended after going on strike in protest against military rule, a teachers' group said.&nbsp;

The suspensions come as the resumption of universities after a year closed due to the coronavirus epidemic prompts a new confrontation between the army and the staff and students, who are calling for boycotts over the February 1 coup.&nbsp;

"I feel upset to give up a job that I adored so much, but I feel proud to stand against injustice," said one 37-year-old university rector, who gave her name only as Thandar for fear of reprisals.&nbsp;

"My department summoned me today. I'm not going. We shouldn't follow the orders of the military council."&nbsp;

A professor on a fellowship in the United States said she was told she would have to declare opposition to the strikes or lose her job. Her university authorities had told her every scholar would be tracked down and forced to choose, she said.&nbsp;

As of Monday, more than 11,100 academic and other staff had been suspended from colleges and universities offering degrees, an official of the Myanmar Teachers` Federation said, declining to be identified for fear of reprisals.&nbsp;

According to the most recent World Bank data, Myanmar had more than 26,000 teachers in universities and other tertiary education institutions in 2018.&nbsp;

Students and teachers were at the forefront of opposition during nearly half a century of military rule and have been prominent in the protests since the army detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and halted a decade of tentative democratic reforms.&nbsp;

Many teachers, like medics and other government workers, have stopped work as part of a civil disobedience movement that has paralysed Myanmar. As protests flared after the coup, security forces occupied campuses in the biggest city, Yangon, and elsewhere.&nbsp;

A spokesman for the junta did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the suspensions.&nbsp;

The junta-controlled Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said teachers and students should cooperate to get the education system started again.&nbsp;

"Political opportunists do not wish to see such development by committing sabotage acts," it said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

More than 11,000 academics and other university staff opposed to Myanmar's ruling junta have been suspended after going on strike in protest against military rule, a teachers' group said.

More than 11,000 academics and other university staff opposed to Myanmar's ruling junta have been suspended after going on strike in protest against military rule, a teachers' group said. The suspensions come as the resumption of universities after a year closed due to the coronavirus epidemic prompts a new confrontation between the army and the staff and students, who are calling for boycotts over the February 1 coup. "I feel upset to give up a job that I adored so much, but I feel proud to stand against injustice," said one 37-year-old university rector, who gave her name only as Thandar for fear of reprisals. "My department summoned me today. I'm not going. We shouldn't follow the orders of the military council." A professor on a fellowship in the United States said she was told she would have to declare opposition to the strikes or lose her job. Her university authorities had told her every scholar would be tracked down and forced to choose, she said. As of Monday, more than 11,100 academic and other staff had been suspended from colleges and universities offering degrees, an official of the Myanmar Teachers` Federation said, declining to be identified for fear of reprisals. According to the most recent World Bank data, Myanmar had more than 26,000 teachers in universities and other tertiary education institutions in 2018. Students and teachers were at the forefront of opposition during nearly half a century of military rule and have been prominent in the protests since the army detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and halted a decade of tentative democratic reforms. Many teachers, like medics and other government workers, have stopped work as part of a civil disobedience movement that has paralysed Myanmar. As protests flared after the coup, security forces occupied campuses in the biggest city, Yangon, and elsewhere. A spokesman for the junta did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the suspensions. The junta-controlled Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said teachers and students should cooperate to get the education system started again. "Political opportunists do not wish to see such development by committing sabotage acts," it said. (With inputs from agencies)

Thousands suspended at Myanmar universities as junta targets education 

Myanmar's junta has labeled a shadow government of lawmakers and politicians ousted in a February coup and a people's defence force that is being set up to confront security forces as terrorist groups. &nbsp;

The government of national unity was established by elected legislators, who were barred from taking their seats when the military seized power and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others. &nbsp;

The junta has previously accused them of treason, and the announcement on state TV on Saturday said they were being branded terrorists because of their participation in a civil disobedience movement, a popular revolt against the military takeover that has seen people taking to the streets daily despite the lethal use of force by authorities. &nbsp;

More than 700 protesters and bystanders have been killed by security forces since the February 1 coup, according to several detailed estimates. The junta has said the death toll is about one-third of that, and that the use of lethal force was justified to end what it called rioting.&nbsp;

Last week, the shadow government announced the formation of 'People's Defense Force’, which would serve as a precursor to a ‘Federal Union Army' of democratic forces including ethnic minorities. &nbsp;

The National Unity Government has the backing of several major ethnic minority groups, who for decades have been seeking greater autonomy and who maintain their own guerrilla forces. The two most important are the Kachin in the north and the Karen in the east, both of which are actively engaged in combat with the government's military forces.&nbsp;

Since the coup and crackdown on opponents, students and factory workers have fled to territory controlled by the ethnic guerrilla forces to take military training. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar's junta has labeled a shadow government of lawmakers and politicians ousted in a February coup and a people's defence force that is being set up to confront security forces as terrorist groups.

Myanmar's junta has labeled a shadow government of lawmakers and politicians ousted in a February coup and a people's defence force that is being set up to confront security forces as terrorist groups. The government of national unity was established by elected legislators, who were barred from taking their seats when the military seized power and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others. The junta has previously accused them of treason, and the announcement on state TV on Saturday said they were being branded terrorists because of their participation in a civil disobedience movement, a popular revolt against the military takeover that has seen people taking to the streets daily despite the lethal use of force by authorities. More than 700 protesters and bystanders have been killed by security forces since the February 1 coup, according to several detailed estimates. The junta has said the death toll is about one-third of that, and that the use of lethal force was justified to end what it called rioting. Last week, the shadow government announced the formation of 'People's Defense Force’, which would serve as a precursor to a ‘Federal Union Army' of democratic forces including ethnic minorities. The National Unity Government has the backing of several major ethnic minority groups, who for decades have been seeking greater autonomy and who maintain their own guerrilla forces. The two most important are the Kachin in the north and the Karen in the east, both of which are actively engaged in combat with the government's military forces. Since the coup and crackdown on opponents, students and factory workers have fled to territory controlled by the ethnic guerrilla forces to take military training. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar junta brands ousted lawmakers as 'terrorists' 

Since Myanmar's military ordered telecoms operators to shut their networks in an effort to end protests against its February coup, Telenor's business there has been in limbo.

As one of the few Western companies to bet on the South East Asian country after it emerged from military dictatorship a decade ago, the return to army rule led to a $783 million write-off this week for Norway's Telenor.

The Norwegian state-controlled firm, one of the biggest foreign investors in Myanmar, must now decide whether to ride out the turmoil or withdraw from a market that last year contributed 7 per cent of its earnings.

"We are facing many dilemmas," Telenor Chief Executive Sigve Brekke told Reuters this week, highlighting the stark problems facing international firms under increased scrutiny over their exposure in Myanmar, where hundreds have been killed in protests against the Feb. 1 coup.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/millions-face-hunger-as-myanmar-crisis-worsens-says-united-nations-379184">Millions face hunger as Myanmar crisis worsens, says United Nations</a>

While Telenor plans to stay, for now, the future is uncertain, Brekke said in a video interview.

Although Telenor had won praise for supporting what at the time was a fledgeling democracy, activist groups have long voiced concerns about business ties to the military, which have intensified since the army retook control of the country.

Chris Sidoti, a United Nations expert on Myanmar, said Telenor should avoid payments such as taxes or licence fees that could fund the military directly or indirectly, and that if it cannot be independently determined that Telenor is "doing more good than harm" in Myanmar, then it should withdraw.

However, Espen Barth Eide, who was Norway's foreign minister at the time Telenor gained a licence in Myanmar in 2013, told Reuters that Telenor should stay and use its position as a well-established foreign firm to be a vocal critic of the military.

A spokeswoman for Norway's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, which represents the Norwegian government as a shareholder, said on Thursday that "under the current circumstances Telenor faces several dilemmas in Myanmar".

"From a corporate governance perspective the investment in Myanmar is a responsibility of the company's Board and Management. Within this framework the Ministry as a shareholder keep a good dialogue with Telenor regarding the situation," the spokeswoman added in an emailed response to Reuters.

The Myanmar junta, which has said it seized power because its repeated complaints of fraud in last year's election were ignored by the election commission, has blamed protesters and the former ruling party for instigating violence.

And it said on March 23 that it had no plans to lift network restrictions. It has not commented on the curbs since and did not answer Reuters calls on Thursday.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-sanctions-10-myanmar-junta-officials-2-firms-378716/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

New market

Telenor is no stranger to operating under military rule in both&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;and Thailand, where it challenged the Thai junta over what it said was an order to block social media access.

At around the same time, Telenor was signing up its first customers in Myanmar.

Its then-CEO, Jon Fredrik Baksaas, told Reuters that Telenor had thought "a lot" about the risk that Myanmar's experiment with democracy might not last.

"But we argued at that time that, when we get in a western company that delivers telecommunication in a country, we stand also with some responsibility, and a bit of a guarantee that things are done correctly," Baksaas said.

Its position had support internationally at the time after Barack Obama became the first US&nbsp;President to visit Myanmar in 2012, the year after a military junta was officially dissolved and a quasi-civilian government installed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-may-target-free-speech-in-effort-to-stifle-protests-363394">Myanmar may target free speech in effort to stifle protests</a>

For its part, the Norwegian government, which owns a majority of Telenor, had long supported democracy in Myanmar, hosting radio and TV stations reporting on it under military rule.

And in 1991, the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the Nobel Peace Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest in Myanmar before leading a civilian government which retained power in last year's election.

Suu Kyi was detained after the coup and charged with offences that her lawyers say are trumped up.

While Norway was supportive of Telenor's Myanmar venture, the government also warned of the risks, Barth Eide, Norway's foreign minister at the time, said.

"We told them that it's a complicated country which had a harsh military dictatorship. Telenor was very much aware of it ... It's not like they were novices," he added.

Telenor was one of two foreign operators granted licences in 2013, alongside Qatar's Ooredoo. The other operators in Myanmar are state-backed MPT and Mytel, which is part-owned by a military-linked company.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-protesters-march-three-months-after-coup-un-warns-of-standstill-381881">Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill'</a>

About 95 per cent&nbsp;of Telenor's 187 million customers worldwide are in Asia and it has around 18 million customers in Myanmar, serving a third of its 54 million population.

'No direct links'

For Telenor, doing business in Myanmar had its challenges, including trying to avoid commercial ties to the military.

Former CEO Baksaas said for the first couple of weeks after it began operations in Myanmar, staff had to sit on the office floor because Telenor refused to pay bribes to customs officials for furniture which it had imported.

He also said they had to navigate corruption risks when acquiring land to build mobile towers.

Then there was dealing with the military, whose economic interests range from land to firms involved in mining and banking. The military has faced allegations of human rights abuses including persecuting minorities and violently suppressing protests going back decades. It has repeatedly denied such allegations.

Activist group Justice for Myanmar said in a 2020 report that Telenor had shown "an alarming failure" in its human rights due diligence over a deal struck in 2015 to build mobile towers that involved a military contractor.

Another report by the United Nations in 2019 said Telenor was renting offices in a building built on military-owned land.

The report said firms in Myanmar should end all ties with the military due to human rights abuses.

A Telenor spokesperson said in an email on April 9 responding to Reuters questions that it had addressed the matter of the 2015 deal, without elaborating, and that its choice of office was "the only viable option" given factors like safety.

"Telenor Myanmar has been focused on having minimal exposure to the military and have no direct links to military-controlled entities," the spokesperson said.

Since the coup, Telenor has cut ties with three suppliers after finding links to the military, the spokesperson added.

Balancing act

On the day of the coup, the military ordered Telenor and other operators to shut down networks. Telenor criticised the move but complied. Services were allowed to resume but there have been intermittent requests to close since, and the mobile internet has been shut since March 15.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/internet-access-restored-as-myanmar-coup-protests-grow-361966">Internet access restored as Myanmar coup protests grow</a>

Ooredoo has also said it "regretfully complied" with directives to restrict mobile and wireless broadband in Myanmar, which hit its first quarter earnings. It declined further comment on the outlook for its Myanmar business.

Like other operators, Telenor paid license fees to the now military-controlled government in March, which critics argue may help it finance repression of public protest.

Telenor said in the emailed response to Reuters that it made the payment "under strong protest against recent developments".

One of its major shareholders, Norway's KLP, said it had been in a dialogue with Telenor after the coup to ensure it was identifying the human rights risks.

"It is a challenging situation because Telenor cannot choose what it can and can't do. They get their directives from the authorities," said Kiran Aziz, senior analyst for responsible investments at KLP. "It is difficult to assess how positive Telenor's contribution can be in this context."

Weighing up human rights is just one of the dilemmas Telenor now faces, said CEO Brekke, alongside safely serving its customers and maintaining network access for them.

"We work on that balance every single day," he said.

And although that balance, for now, is tilted to Telenor staying in the country, it is not a given.

"We make a difference like we have done since we arrived. But with the situation being this unpredictable, it is impossible in many ways to speculate about the future and how this will develop," Brekke added.

Since Myanmar's military ordered telecoms operators to shut their networks in an effort to end protests against its February coup, Telenor's business there has been in limbo.

Since Myanmar's military ordered telecoms operators to shut their networks in an effort to end protests against its February coup, Telenor's business there has been in limbo. As one of the few Western companies to bet on the South East Asian country after it emerged from military dictatorship a decade ago, the return to army rule led to a $783 million write-off this week for Norway's Telenor. The Norwegian state-controlled firm, one of the biggest foreign investors in Myanmar, must now decide whether to ride out the turmoil or withdraw from a market that last year contributed 7 per cent of its earnings. "We are facing many dilemmas," Telenor Chief Executive Sigve Brekke told Reuters this week, highlighting the stark problems facing international firms under increased scrutiny over their exposure in Myanmar, where hundreds have been killed in protests against the Feb. 1 coup. Also read | Millions face hunger as Myanmar crisis worsens, says United Nations While Telenor plans to stay, for now, the future is uncertain, Brekke said in a video interview. Although Telenor had won praise for supporting what at the time was a fledgeling democracy, activist groups have long voiced concerns about business ties to the military, which have intensified since the army retook control of the country. Chris Sidoti, a United Nations expert on Myanmar, said Telenor should avoid payments such as taxes or licence fees that could fund the military directly or indirectly, and that if it cannot be independently determined that Telenor is "doing more good than harm" in Myanmar, then it should withdraw. However, Espen Barth Eide, who was Norway's foreign minister at the time Telenor gained a licence in Myanmar in 2013, told Reuters that Telenor should stay and use its position as a well-established foreign firm to be a vocal critic of the military. A spokeswoman for Norway's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, which represents the Norwegian government as a shareholder, said on Thursday that "under the current circumstances Telenor faces several dilemmas in Myanmar". "From a corporate governance perspective the investment in Myanmar is a responsibility of the company's Board and Management. Within this framework the Ministry as a shareholder keep a good dialogue with Telenor regarding the situation," the spokeswoman added in an emailed response to Reuters. The Myanmar junta, which has said it seized power because its repeated complaints of fraud in last year's election were ignored by the election commission, has blamed protesters and the former ruling party for instigating violence. And it said on March 23 that it had no plans to lift network restrictions. It has not commented on the curbs since and did not answer Reuters calls on Thursday. New market Telenor is no stranger to operating under military rule in both Pakistan and Thailand, where it challenged the Thai junta over what it said was an order to block social media access. At around the same time, Telenor was signing up its first customers in Myanmar. Its then-CEO, Jon Fredrik Baksaas, told Reuters that Telenor had thought "a lot" about the risk that Myanmar's experiment with democracy might not last. "But we argued at that time that, when we get in a western company that delivers telecommunication in a country, we stand also with some responsibility, and a bit of a guarantee that things are done correctly," Baksaas said. Its position had support internationally at the time after Barack Obama became the first US President to visit Myanmar in 2012, the year after a military junta was officially dissolved and a quasi-civilian government installed. Also read | Myanmar may target free speech in effort to stifle protests For its part, the Norwegian government, which owns a majority of Telenor, had long supported democracy in Myanmar, hosting radio and TV stations reporting on it under military rule. And in 1991, the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the Nobel Peace Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest in Myanmar before leading a civilian government which retained power in last year's election. Suu Kyi was detained after the coup and charged with offences that her lawyers say are trumped up. While Norway was supportive of Telenor's Myanmar venture, the government also warned of the risks, Barth Eide, Norway's foreign minister at the time, said. "We told them that it's a complicated country which had a harsh military dictatorship. Telenor was very much aware of it ... It's not like they were novices," he added. Telenor was one of two foreign operators granted licences in 2013, alongside Qatar's Ooredoo. The other operators in Myanmar are state-backed MPT and Mytel, which is part-owned by a military-linked company. Also read | Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill' About 95 per cent of Telenor's 187 million customers worldwide are in Asia and it has around 18 million customers in Myanmar, serving a third of its 54 million population. 'No direct links' For Telenor, doing business in Myanmar had its challenges, including trying to avoid commercial ties to the military. Former CEO Baksaas said for the first couple of weeks after it began operations in Myanmar, staff had to sit on the office floor because Telenor refused to pay bribes to customs officials for furniture which it had imported. He also said they had to navigate corruption risks when acquiring land to build mobile towers. Then there was dealing with the military, whose economic interests range from land to firms involved in mining and banking. The military has faced allegations of human rights abuses including persecuting minorities and violently suppressing protests going back decades. It has repeatedly denied such allegations. Activist group Justice for Myanmar said in a 2020 report that Telenor had shown "an alarming failure" in its human rights due diligence over a deal struck in 2015 to build mobile towers that involved a military contractor. Another report by the United Nations in 2019 said Telenor was renting offices in a building built on military-owned land. The report said firms in Myanmar should end all ties with the military due to human rights abuses. A Telenor spokesperson said in an email on April 9 responding to Reuters questions that it had addressed the matter of the 2015 deal, without elaborating, and that its choice of office was "the only viable option" given factors like safety. "Telenor Myanmar has been focused on having minimal exposure to the military and have no direct links to military-controlled entities," the spokesperson said. Since the coup, Telenor has cut ties with three suppliers after finding links to the military, the spokesperson added. Balancing act On the day of the coup, the military ordered Telenor and other operators to shut down networks. Telenor criticised the move but complied. Services were allowed to resume but there have been intermittent requests to close since, and the mobile internet has been shut since March 15. Also read | Internet access restored as Myanmar coup protests grow Ooredoo has also said it "regretfully complied" with directives to restrict mobile and wireless broadband in Myanmar, which hit its first quarter earnings. It declined further comment on the outlook for its Myanmar business. Like other operators, Telenor paid license fees to the now military-controlled government in March, which critics argue may help it finance repression of public protest. Telenor said in the emailed response to Reuters that it made the payment "under strong protest against recent developments". One of its major shareholders, Norway's KLP, said it had been in a dialogue with Telenor after the coup to ensure it was identifying the human rights risks. "It is a challenging situation because Telenor cannot choose what it can and can't do. They get their directives from the authorities," said Kiran Aziz, senior analyst for responsible investments at KLP. "It is difficult to assess how positive Telenor's contribution can be in this context." Weighing up human rights is just one of the dilemmas Telenor now faces, said CEO Brekke, alongside safely serving its customers and maintaining network access for them. "We work on that balance every single day," he said. And although that balance, for now, is tilted to Telenor staying in the country, it is not a given. "We make a difference like we have done since we arrived. But with the situation being this unpredictable, it is impossible in many ways to speculate about the future and how this will develop," Brekke added.

Military coup puts Telenor's future in Myanmar on the line

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir's planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected situation&nbsp;relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Bozkir on Tuesday told reporters that he will be travelling to Bangladesh and Pakistan later this month on the invitation of the respective governments and will also be visiting Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where he will meet with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-war-displaces-new-generation-on-remote-river-frontier-381181">Myanmar's war displaces new generation on remote river frontier</a>

Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar's military crackdown, often considered as "ethnic cleansing" by many rights groups.

Bozkir said that he had also planned a visit to India during his trip to South Asia but postponed it due to an "unexpected situation."

"I also wanted to go to India. It was India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but unfortunately, an unexpected situation came out and I had to postpone the India part to a later stage. But I will absolutely make sure that I'll go to India as well," the UN General Assembly President said, referring to India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> crisis.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-andhra-pradesh-covid-19-variant-n440k-is-15-times-more-virulent-382805">India's Andhra Pradesh COVID-19 variant: N440K is 15 times more virulent</a>

Asked whether the UN will be able to host a regular General Assembly session in September, he said: "It would be wrong if we make a decision now for September on how the participation will be. Will it be a hybrid format? Or will we have again 10,000 people at UN Headquarters? What happens to civil society? What happens to the bilaterals? These are all questions we have in our minds."

He said June will be a proper time to discuss with the US, the host country of the UN, and local authorities on the COVID-19 situation and the feasibility of holding the UN General Assembly.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/faucis-advice-to-india-clamp-nationwide-lockdown-start-massive-vaccination-382645">Fauci's advice to India: Clamp nationwide lockdown, start massive vaccination</a>

With New York City aiming to "fully reopen" on July 1, Bozkir said it will "give us a signal on whether we can have a different type of a high-level week than we had last September"&nbsp;when all meetings were mostly virtual with minimal in-person presence in the UN premises.

"The important thing is not to risk any people's health"&nbsp;we must absolutely go along with the mitigation measures, we must listen to what science is saying to us and we must not really open everything without any precaution.

"If I were the host country, I wouldn't have made any plans for September as of now,&nbsp;because with this pandemic, unfortunately, we are living day by day or week by week. We suddenly see something happening, like what happens in India. Nobody was expecting this suddenly to happen. It changes all the plans. So, I think it's better to start talking about it, to start discussing it, and then leave it to the science and to the local authorities," he added.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-sees-record-3780-covid-19-deaths-in-1-day-382959/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past week.

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir's planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir's planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Bozkir on Tuesday told reporters that he will be travelling to Bangladesh and Pakistan later this month on the invitation of the respective governments and will also be visiting Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where he will meet with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Also read | Myanmar's war displaces new generation on remote river frontier Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar's military crackdown, often considered as "ethnic cleansing" by many rights groups. Bozkir said that he had also planned a visit to India during his trip to South Asia but postponed it due to an "unexpected situation." "I also wanted to go to India. It was India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but unfortunately, an unexpected situation came out and I had to postpone the India part to a later stage. But I will absolutely make sure that I'll go to India as well," the UN General Assembly President said, referring to India's COVID-19 crisis. Also read | India's Andhra Pradesh COVID-19 variant: N440K is 15 times more virulent Asked whether the UN will be able to host a regular General Assembly session in September, he said: "It would be wrong if we make a decision now for September on how the participation will be. Will it be a hybrid format? Or will we have again 10,000 people at UN Headquarters? What happens to civil society? What happens to the bilaterals? These are all questions we have in our minds." He said June will be a proper time to discuss with the US, the host country of the UN, and local authorities on the COVID-19 situation and the feasibility of holding the UN General Assembly. Also read | Fauci's advice to India: Clamp nationwide lockdown, start massive vaccination With New York City aiming to "fully reopen" on July 1, Bozkir said it will "give us a signal on whether we can have a different type of a high-level week than we had last September" when all meetings were mostly virtual with minimal in-person presence in the UN premises. "The important thing is not to risk any people's health" we must absolutely go along with the mitigation measures, we must listen to what science is saying to us and we must not really open everything without any precaution. "If I were the host country, I wouldn't have made any plans for September as of now, because with this pandemic, unfortunately, we are living day by day or week by week. We suddenly see something happening, like what happens in India. Nobody was expecting this suddenly to happen. It changes all the plans. So, I think it's better to start talking about it, to start discussing it, and then leave it to the science and to the local authorities," he added. India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past week.

UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir postpones India trip due to COVID-19

7 people have been killed in police firing in Yangon, Myanmar where one of the biggest protest against the military rule was held. Streams of demonstrators, some led by Buddhist monks made their way through city and town across Yangon.

Myanmar: Anti-coup protest in Yangon, 7 people killed in police firing

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar's most powerful rebel groups, said on Monday it had shot down a helicopter after returning fire following air strikes by the military, an official at the group said.

The United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes as a result of the fighting between the military and ethnic minority insurgents in remote northern and eastern frontier regions. The conflict intensified after Myanmar's generals seized power on February 1, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The KIA's information department head, Naw Bu, said the helicopter was shot down around 10:20 a.m. at a village near the town of Moemauk in Kachin province.

"The military council launched air strikes in that area since around 8 or 9 this morning ... using jet fighters and also fired shots using a helicopter so we shot back at them," he said by telephone. He declined to say what weapons were used.

​News portals MizzimaDaily and Kachinwaves also reported the downing of the helicopter next to photographs showing a plume of smoke coming from the ground.

A resident in the area, who declined to be named, said by telephone that four people had died in hospital after artillery shells hit a monastery in the village.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports and a military spokesman did not answer a phone call seeking comment.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, with protests almost daily against military rule across the country.

On Sunday, Myanmar security forces opened fire on some of the biggest protests in days, killing eight people, media reported.

The protests, after a spell of dwindling crowds and what appeared to be more restraint by the security forces, were coordinated with demonstrations in Myanmar communities around the world to mark what organisers called "the global Myanmar spring revolution".

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group says security forces have killed at least 765 protesters since the coup. Reuters is unable to confirm the toll.

The military said it had to seize power because its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi's party were not addressed by an election commission that deemed the vote fair.

Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup along with many other members of her party.

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar's most powerful rebel groups, said on Monday it had shot down a helicopter after returning fire following air strikes by the military, an official at the group said.

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar's most powerful rebel groups, said on Monday it had shot down a helicopter after returning fire following air strikes by the military, an official at the group said. The United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes as a result of the fighting between the military and ethnic minority insurgents in remote northern and eastern frontier regions. The conflict intensified after Myanmar's generals seized power on February 1, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The KIA's information department head, Naw Bu, said the helicopter was shot down around 10:20 a.m. at a village near the town of Moemauk in Kachin province. "The military council launched air strikes in that area since around 8 or 9 this morning ... using jet fighters and also fired shots using a helicopter so we shot back at them," he said by telephone. He declined to say what weapons were used. News portals MizzimaDaily and Kachinwaves also reported the downing of the helicopter next to photographs showing a plume of smoke coming from the ground. A resident in the area, who declined to be named, said by telephone that four people had died in hospital after artillery shells hit a monastery in the village. Reuters could not independently verify the reports and a military spokesman did not answer a phone call seeking comment. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, with protests almost daily against military rule across the country. On Sunday, Myanmar security forces opened fire on some of the biggest protests in days, killing eight people, media reported. The protests, after a spell of dwindling crowds and what appeared to be more restraint by the security forces, were coordinated with demonstrations in Myanmar communities around the world to mark what organisers called "the global Myanmar spring revolution". The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group says security forces have killed at least 765 protesters since the coup. Reuters is unable to confirm the toll. The military said it had to seize power because its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi's party were not addressed by an election commission that deemed the vote fair. Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup along with many other members of her party.

Myanmar rebel group says it shot down military helicopter

Continuing the struggle to free the country from military rule, thousands of anti-coup protestors marched on Myanmar streets on Sunday calling for a “spring revolution”.

As Myanmar entered its fourth month since the military coup, demonstrators gathered on a street corner in Yangon to demand a "spring revolution" and asked for freedom from the military regime.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bomb-blasts-flash-protests-as-myanmar-enters-fourth-month-under-junta-382005" hreflang="en">Bomb blasts, flash protests as Myanmar enters fourth month under junta</a>

Young demonstrators waved the three-finger salute as a sign of protest and chanted “To bring down the military dictatorship is our cause!”

As the demonstrations spread in different parts of the country, the security forces started chasing down the young demonstrators, as per local media reports.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-coup-protesters-hold-flash-marches-in-yangon-for-democracy-382087">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-coup-protesters-hold-flash-marches-in-yangon-for-democracy-382087/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"They are arresting every young person they see," a source in Yangon was quoted by AFP, who was in hiding and was later trapped.

The day also witnessed several bomb blasts across different parts of the capital city — the frequency of bomb blasts has increased manifolds in the last few months in Yangon.

According to local media, security forces&nbsp;also opened fire on one of the gatherings, leading to the death of at least one young demonstrator.

"He was shot in the head and died immediately," a protestor told AFP after hiding his friend’s dead body. "They are asking for his dead body, but we will not give them... We will have his funeral today."

Continuing the struggle to free the country from military rule, thousands of anti-coup protestors marched on Myanmar streets on Sunday calling for a “spring revolution”.

Continuing the struggle to free the country from military rule, thousands of anti-coup protestors marched on Myanmar streets on Sunday calling for a “spring revolution”. As Myanmar entered its fourth month since the military coup, demonstrators gathered on a street corner in Yangon to demand a "spring revolution" and asked for freedom from the military regime. Also read | Bomb blasts, flash protests as Myanmar enters fourth month under junta Young demonstrators waved the three-finger salute as a sign of protest and chanted “To bring down the military dictatorship is our cause!” As the demonstrations spread in different parts of the country, the security forces started chasing down the young demonstrators, as per local media reports. Watch | "They are arresting every young person they see," a source in Yangon was quoted by AFP, who was in hiding and was later trapped. The day also witnessed several bomb blasts across different parts of the capital city — the frequency of bomb blasts has increased manifolds in the last few months in Yangon. According to local media, security forces also opened fire on one of the gatherings, leading to the death of at least one young demonstrator. "He was shot in the head and died immediately," a protestor told AFP after hiding his friend’s dead body. "They are asking for his dead body, but we will not give them... We will have his funeral today."

Myanmar's young demonstrators march to demand 'spring revolution'

Explosions rocked Myanmar's largest city Yangon on Saturday as protesters held flash marches for democracy, defying a brutal junta that has held onto power for three bloody months.&nbsp;

The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, bringing an abrupt end to Myanmar's short-lived experiment with democracy.

The power grab triggered a massive uprising that authorities have tried to quell with lethal force and live ammunition.

As Myanmar entered its fourth month under military rule on Saturday, protesters in commercial hub Yangon, an epicentre of unrest with a heavy security presence, staged flash demonstrations, marching rapidly through the streets to avoid confrontation with police and soldiers.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-protesters-march-three-months-after-coup-un-warns-of-standstill-381881">Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill'</a>

The lightning-quick pace of the protests is "so that people will have time to disappear when the security forces come, or else they would die or get arrested", said student activist Min Han Htet.

In Yangon's Insein township, a bomb blast went off around 10 am near a local school, said a resident staying nearby.

"Some security forces came to check the blast area, but I only watched from a distance from my home because I was worried they would arrest me," he told AFP.&nbsp;

By afternoon, two more blasts went off in Yankin, further south, according to residents of the leafy residential township.&nbsp;

"I thought it was thunder," a resident told AFP, adding that the explosions left the security forces nervous.

The state-run evening news said a woman was wounded in the Yankin blasts, which it blamed on "instigators".

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings that are taking place with increasing frequency in Yangon.

They made people live in fear'&nbsp;

The former capital has utterly transformed since the junta seized power on February 1, with barricades erected in key protest hotspots, security forces on patrol, and residents reporting nighttime arrests of suspected dissidents.&nbsp;

"They (the junta) have made people live in fear and it is good to have them on edge as&nbsp;well," the Yankin resident said.

He also praised the flash protesters for their ingenuity in evading arrest and crackdowns.&nbsp;

"Any show of defiance without getting captured or killed is great for the resistance."

Across the country, nearly 760 civilians have been killed in the anti-coup unrest, according to a local monitoring group, though the junta has recorded a far lower death toll.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-security-council-calls-for-asean-myanmar-plan-to-be-enacted-381985">UN Security Council calls for ASEAN Myanmar plan to be enacted</a>

But the democracy movement remains undeterred, with demonstrators gathering Saturday in central Monywa city,&nbsp;a flashpoint for violence&nbsp;carrying signs that said,&nbsp;"Monywa cannot be ruled".&nbsp;

In southern Dawei, protesters waved the signature red flags of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and carried signs that said, "We want democracy".&nbsp;

Wanted posters of junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing were also pasted around town, calling him a "power addict".&nbsp;

He has continuously justified the putsch as necessary to protect democracy, alleging fraud in November's election which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide.&nbsp;

Rebels fighting&nbsp;

The unceasing violence against protesters has drawn the ire of some of Myanmar's myriad ethnic armies, many of which have been battling the military for decades in border regions.

Several have condemned the military and come out in support of the anti-junta movement, offering shelter to fleeing activists in the territory they control.

Clashes between the military and the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the leading rebel groups, have escalated since the coup.

The KNU has seized and razed military posts and the junta has responded with repeated airstrikes in the rebels' Karen state heartland, the latest taking place right after midnight Saturday.&nbsp;

The targeted area is right next to Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province, and displaced residents have fled across the Salween River, which demarcates the border.

"Myanmar soldiers used a fighter aircraft to launch an air strike operation, firing two rockets and artilleries" around 12:48 am, said a statement released by Mae Hong Son's governor Sithichai Jindaluang.&nbsp;

He added that more than 2,300 Myanmar nationals have crossed into Thailand.&nbsp;

Media and local Karen aid groups were blocked access to the refugees, with authorities citing the spread of Covid-19 as a reason,&nbsp;stopping to check the temperatures of locals returning home.

Violence has also flared in Myanmar's northern Kachin state between the Kachin Independence Army and the military, which launched airstrikes in Momauk township Friday.&nbsp;

Saturday saw fresh artillery shelling hit two small towns, according to a humanitarian worker, who said residents were fearful about the fighting getting closer.

Explosions rocked Myanmar's largest city Yangon on Saturday as protesters held flash marches for democracy, defying a brutal junta that has held onto power for three bloody months.

Explosions rocked Myanmar's largest city Yangon on Saturday as protesters held flash marches for democracy, defying a brutal junta that has held onto power for three bloody months. The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, bringing an abrupt end to Myanmar's short-lived experiment with democracy. The power grab triggered a massive uprising that authorities have tried to quell with lethal force and live ammunition. As Myanmar entered its fourth month under military rule on Saturday, protesters in commercial hub Yangon, an epicentre of unrest with a heavy security presence, staged flash demonstrations, marching rapidly through the streets to avoid confrontation with police and soldiers. Also read | Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill' The lightning-quick pace of the protests is "so that people will have time to disappear when the security forces come, or else they would die or get arrested", said student activist Min Han Htet. In Yangon's Insein township, a bomb blast went off around 10 am near a local school, said a resident staying nearby. "Some security forces came to check the blast area, but I only watched from a distance from my home because I was worried they would arrest me," he told AFP. By afternoon, two more blasts went off in Yankin, further south, according to residents of the leafy residential township. "I thought it was thunder," a resident told AFP, adding that the explosions left the security forces nervous. The state-run evening news said a woman was wounded in the Yankin blasts, which it blamed on "instigators". No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings that are taking place with increasing frequency in Yangon. They made people live in fear' The former capital has utterly transformed since the junta seized power on February 1, with barricades erected in key protest hotspots, security forces on patrol, and residents reporting nighttime arrests of suspected dissidents. "They (the junta) have made people live in fear and it is good to have them on edge as well," the Yankin resident said. He also praised the flash protesters for their ingenuity in evading arrest and crackdowns. "Any show of defiance without getting captured or killed is great for the resistance." Across the country, nearly 760 civilians have been killed in the anti-coup unrest, according to a local monitoring group, though the junta has recorded a far lower death toll. Also read | UN Security Council calls for ASEAN Myanmar plan to be enacted But the democracy movement remains undeterred, with demonstrators gathering Saturday in central Monywa city, a flashpoint for violence carrying signs that said, "Monywa cannot be ruled". In southern Dawei, protesters waved the signature red flags of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and carried signs that said, "We want democracy". Wanted posters of junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing were also pasted around town, calling him a "power addict". He has continuously justified the putsch as necessary to protect democracy, alleging fraud in November's election which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide. Rebels fighting The unceasing violence against protesters has drawn the ire of some of Myanmar's myriad ethnic armies, many of which have been battling the military for decades in border regions. Several have condemned the military and come out in support of the anti-junta movement, offering shelter to fleeing activists in the territory they control. Clashes between the military and the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the leading rebel groups, have escalated since the coup. The KNU has seized and razed military posts and the junta has responded with repeated airstrikes in the rebels' Karen state heartland, the latest taking place right after midnight Saturday. The targeted area is right next to Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province, and displaced residents have fled across the Salween River, which demarcates the border. "Myanmar soldiers used a fighter aircraft to launch an air strike operation, firing two rockets and artilleries" around 12:48 am, said a statement released by Mae Hong Son's governor Sithichai Jindaluang. He added that more than 2,300 Myanmar nationals have crossed into Thailand. Media and local Karen aid groups were blocked access to the refugees, with authorities citing the spread of Covid-19 as a reason, stopping to check the temperatures of locals returning home. Violence has also flared in Myanmar's northern Kachin state between the Kachin Independence Army and the military, which launched airstrikes in Momauk township Friday. Saturday saw fresh artillery shelling hit two small towns, according to a humanitarian worker, who said residents were fearful about the fighting getting closer.

Bomb blasts, flash protests as Myanmar enters fourth month under junta

The&nbsp;UN&nbsp;Security&nbsp;Council&nbsp;called Friday for an immediate end to violence in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;as stated in an&nbsp;ASEAN&nbsp;plan, giving unanimous approval to a statement watered down to satisfy China and Russia.

The&nbsp;plan, which also&nbsp;calls&nbsp;for the naming of an envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to address the crisis triggered by the February 1 military coup, should be applied "without delay," the&nbsp;council&nbsp;statement says.

It was approved after a closed-door meeting of the&nbsp;council&nbsp;and forced Western countries to make concessions to China,&nbsp;Myanmar's main backer,&nbsp;and Russia to win passage.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-protesters-march-three-months-after-coup-un-warns-of-standstill-381881">Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill'</a>

At their request, the&nbsp;council&nbsp;eliminated clauses that said it "once again strongly condemned violence against peaceful protestors" and "reiterated their call on the military to exercise utmost restraint."

A diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity explained the changes saying "what we must avoid is losing&nbsp;council&nbsp;unity to the point of making it irrelevant."

Since the coup in&nbsp;Myanmar, the&nbsp;council&nbsp;has approved four statements on the crisis including this latest one of Friday. All of them were toned down under pressure from China.

Friday's session was convened by Vietnam to present the conclusions of a recent&nbsp;ASEAN&nbsp;summit in Indonesia.&nbsp;

The statement that was ultimately passed&nbsp;calls&nbsp;for the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;Special Envoy to&nbsp;Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, who is currently touring the region, to be able to visit&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;"as soon as possible."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/half-of-myanmars-population-could-face-poverty-due-to-pandemic-coup-un-381661">Half of Myanmar's population could face poverty due to pandemic, coup: UN</a>

Schraner Burgener gave a report on her long meeting with&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, held on the sidelines of the&nbsp;ASEAN&nbsp;meeting last weekend.

Diplomats said the envoy, who is currently based in Bangkok, once again had her request for a&nbsp;visit&nbsp;to&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;denied. &nbsp;

During the meeting, Brunei, which currently holds the presidency of&nbsp;ASEAN, floated the idea of a joint visit to&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;by the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;envoy and her future&nbsp;ASEAN&nbsp;counterpart.

"We estimate around 20,000 internal displacements and almost 10,000 fleeing to neighboring countries since February. The regional implications require urgent action," Schraner Burgener told the&nbsp;council, according to the text of her speech, which was seen by AFP.

"The common aspiration for democracy has united the people of&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;across religious, ethnic and communal divides like never before. Such strong unity has created unexpected difficulties for the military in consolidating power and stabilizing the coup," she added.&nbsp;

Nearly 760 civilians have been killed by police and soldiers in the past three months, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).&nbsp;

The junta puts the death toll at 258 dead by April 15, calling the demonstrators "rioters" who engaged in "acts of terrorism".

The UN Security Council called Friday for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar as stated in an ASEAN plan, giving unanimous approval to a statement watered down to satisfy China and Russia.

The UN Security Council called Friday for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar as stated in an ASEAN plan, giving unanimous approval to a statement watered down to satisfy China and Russia. The plan, which also calls for the naming of an envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to address the crisis triggered by the February 1 military coup, should be applied "without delay," the council statement says. It was approved after a closed-door meeting of the council and forced Western countries to make concessions to China, Myanmar's main backer, and Russia to win passage. Also read | Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill' At their request, the council eliminated clauses that said it "once again strongly condemned violence against peaceful protestors" and "reiterated their call on the military to exercise utmost restraint." A diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity explained the changes saying "what we must avoid is losing council unity to the point of making it irrelevant." Since the coup in Myanmar, the council has approved four statements on the crisis including this latest one of Friday. All of them were toned down under pressure from China. Friday's session was convened by Vietnam to present the conclusions of a recent ASEAN summit in Indonesia. The statement that was ultimately passed calls for the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, who is currently touring the region, to be able to visit Myanmar "as soon as possible." Also read | Half of Myanmar's population could face poverty due to pandemic, coup: UN Schraner Burgener gave a report on her long meeting with Myanmar junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, held on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting last weekend. Diplomats said the envoy, who is currently based in Bangkok, once again had her request for a visit to Myanmar denied. During the meeting, Brunei, which currently holds the presidency of ASEAN, floated the idea of a joint visit to Myanmar by the UN envoy and her future ASEAN counterpart. "We estimate around 20,000 internal displacements and almost 10,000 fleeing to neighboring countries since February. The regional implications require urgent action," Schraner Burgener told the council, according to the text of her speech, which was seen by AFP. "The common aspiration for democracy has united the people of Myanmar across religious, ethnic and communal divides like never before. Such strong unity has created unexpected difficulties for the military in consolidating power and stabilizing the coup," she added. Nearly 760 civilians have been killed by police and soldiers in the past three months, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). The junta puts the death toll at 258 dead by April 15, calling the demonstrators "rioters" who engaged in "acts of terrorism".

UN Security Council calls for ASEAN Myanmar plan to be enacted

Protesters against military rule marched in Myanmar on Saturday three months after a coup ended a democratic transition, with several small blasts compounding a sense of crisis that a UN&nbsp;envoy warned could bring state administration to a halt.

The military has tried to end dissent and impose its authority on a people largely opposed to the return of rule by the generals after 10 years of democratic reforms that included a government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi.

Despite a relentless crackdown in which at least 759 protesters have been killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) advocacy group, crowds come out day after day to reject the junta. 
"Our cause, democracy, our cause, a federal union. Free arrested leaders," protesters chanted at one of two rallies in the main city of Yangon.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi demands meeting with her lawyers in person">Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi demands meeting with her lawyers in person</a>

Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup the along with many other members of her party. The AAPP says more than 3,400 people have been detained for opposing the military.

People also rallied in the second city of Mandalay and the southern town of Dawei, media reported. 
There were no immediate reports of violence.

Media reported several small blasts in different places including Yangon late on Friday and on Saturday. There were no immediate reports of casualties and no claims of responsibility.

A spokesman for the junta did not answer calls seeking comment. The military has accused pro-democracy activists of planting bombs.

The UN&nbsp;special envoy on Myanmar told the Security Council on Friday that in the absence of a collective international response to the coup, violence was worsening and the running of the state risked coming to a standstill, according to diplomats who attended the private meeting.

Christine Schraner Burgener briefed the 15-member council from Thailand, where she has been meeting regional leaders. She hopes to travel to Myanmar but the military has yet to approve a visit.

"The general administration of the state could risk coming to a standstill as the pro-democracy movement continues in spite of the ongoing use of lethal force, arbitrary arrests and torture as part of the military`s repression," Schraner Burgener said, according to diplomats.

She told diplomats that reports of a continuing crackdown risked undermining momentum toward ending the crisis following a meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on April 25 with the junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Schraner Burgener, expressing concern about rising violence, cited reports of bomb attacks and of civilians, mostly students from the urban areas, getting weapons training from ethnic minority insurgents.

UN&nbsp;special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said Min Aung Hlaing had used the summit as a 'propaganda ploy'.

"Indeed, he tried to appear to be what he is not - a legitimate leader," Andrews said in a post on Twitter.

"The good news: Those who ARE legitimate are ready to engage: the National Unity Government."

Ousted members of parliament from Suu Kyi's party, politicians representing ethnic minorities and democracy activists set up the unity government but it has yet to win the international recognition it says it is due.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council reiterated its 'deep concern' at the situation and its support for Myanmar's democratic transition.

The council has issued several statements since the coup but diplomats say Russia and China are likely to prevent any stronger council action against Myanmar.

Protesters against military rule marched in Myanmar on Saturday three months after a coup ended a democratic transition, with several small blasts compounding a sense of crisis that a UN envoy warned could bring state administration to a halt.

Protesters against military rule marched in Myanmar on Saturday three months after a coup ended a democratic transition, with several small blasts compounding a sense of crisis that a UN envoy warned could bring state administration to a halt. The military has tried to end dissent and impose its authority on a people largely opposed to the return of rule by the generals after 10 years of democratic reforms that included a government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite a relentless crackdown in which at least 759 protesters have been killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) advocacy group, crowds come out day after day to reject the junta. "Our cause, democracy, our cause, a federal union. Free arrested leaders," protesters chanted at one of two rallies in the main city of Yangon. Also read: Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi demands meeting with her lawyers in person Suu Kyi, 75, has been detained since the coup the along with many other members of her party. The AAPP says more than 3,400 people have been detained for opposing the military. People also rallied in the second city of Mandalay and the southern town of Dawei, media reported. There were no immediate reports of violence. Media reported several small blasts in different places including Yangon late on Friday and on Saturday. There were no immediate reports of casualties and no claims of responsibility. A spokesman for the junta did not answer calls seeking comment. The military has accused pro-democracy activists of planting bombs. The UN special envoy on Myanmar told the Security Council on Friday that in the absence of a collective international response to the coup, violence was worsening and the running of the state risked coming to a standstill, according to diplomats who attended the private meeting. Christine Schraner Burgener briefed the 15-member council from Thailand, where she has been meeting regional leaders. She hopes to travel to Myanmar but the military has yet to approve a visit. "The general administration of the state could risk coming to a standstill as the pro-democracy movement continues in spite of the ongoing use of lethal force, arbitrary arrests and torture as part of the military`s repression," Schraner Burgener said, according to diplomats. She told diplomats that reports of a continuing crackdown risked undermining momentum toward ending the crisis following a meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on April 25 with the junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Schraner Burgener, expressing concern about rising violence, cited reports of bomb attacks and of civilians, mostly students from the urban areas, getting weapons training from ethnic minority insurgents. UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said Min Aung Hlaing had used the summit as a 'propaganda ploy'. "Indeed, he tried to appear to be what he is not - a legitimate leader," Andrews said in a post on Twitter. "The good news: Those who ARE legitimate are ready to engage: the National Unity Government." Ousted members of parliament from Suu Kyi's party, politicians representing ethnic minorities and democracy activists set up the unity government but it has yet to win the international recognition it says it is due. The UN Security Council reiterated its 'deep concern' at the situation and its support for Myanmar's democratic transition. The council has issued several statements since the coup but diplomats say Russia and China are likely to prevent any stronger council action against Myanmar.

Myanmar protesters march three months after coup; UN warns of 'standstill'

The United Nations on Friday warned that half of the population of Myanmar could be living in poverty next year due to the pandemic and political turmoil that began with the coup.&nbsp;

The grim prediction comes as fighting between the Myanmar military and armed ethnic rebels resumed, causing more refugees to flee to Thailand.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/myanmar-karen-village-pummelled-by-fresh-wave-or-air-strikes-381273/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Myanmar, which was already badly hit by the pandemic, saw the nation's crisis worsening after the military ousted the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1.&nbsp;

Over 750 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group as the crackdown began against the strong pro-democracy movement.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/thousands-of-myanmar-villagers-poised-to-flee-violence-to-thailand-381533">Thousands of Myanmar villagers poised to flee violence to Thailand</a>

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said that by early 2022, 25 million people in Myanmar, about half of the country's population, could be living below the poverty line.&nbsp;

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said this projection threatens the progress made in the country since 2005, in which Myanmar halved the number of people living in poverty.&nbsp;

"Without functioning democratic institutions, Myanmar faces a tragic and avoidable backslide towards levels of poverty not seen in a generation," Steiner was quoted as saying in a statement by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The United Nations on Friday warned that half of the population of Myanmar could be living in poverty next year due to the pandemic and political turmoil that began with the coup.

The United Nations on Friday warned that half of the population of Myanmar could be living in poverty next year due to the pandemic and political turmoil that began with the coup. The grim prediction comes as fighting between the Myanmar military and armed ethnic rebels resumed, causing more refugees to flee to Thailand. Watch | Myanmar, which was already badly hit by the pandemic, saw the nation's crisis worsening after the military ousted the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1. Over 750 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group as the crackdown began against the strong pro-democracy movement. Also read | Thousands of Myanmar villagers poised to flee violence to Thailand The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said that by early 2022, 25 million people in Myanmar, about half of the country's population, could be living below the poverty line. UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said this projection threatens the progress made in the country since 2005, in which Myanmar halved the number of people living in poverty. "Without functioning democratic institutions, Myanmar faces a tragic and avoidable backslide towards levels of poverty not seen in a generation," Steiner was quoted as saying in a statement by news agency AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

Half of Myanmar's population could face poverty due to pandemic, coup: UN

Thousands of ethnic Karen villagers in Myanmar are poised to cross into Thailand if, as expected, fighting intensifies between the Myanmar army and Karen insurgents, joining those who have already escaped the turmoil that followed a Feb. 1 coup. 
 
Karen rebels and the Myanmar army have clashed near the Thai border in the weeks since Myanmar`s generals ousted an elected government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, displacing villagers on both sides of the border. 
 
"People say the Burmese will come and shoot us, so we fled here," Chu Wah, a Karen villager who crossed over to Thailand with his family this week from the Ee Thu Hta displacement camp in Myanmar, told Reuters. 
 
"I had to flee across the river," Chu Wah said, referring to the Salween river that forms the border in the area. 
 
The Karen Peace Support Network says thousands of villagers are taking shelter on the Myanmar side of the Salween and they will flee to Thailand if the fighting escalates. 
 
"In coming days, more than 8,000 Karen along the Salween river will have to flee to Thailand. We hope that the Thai army will help them escape the war," the group said in a post on Facebook. 
 
Karen fighters on Tuesday overran a Myanmar army unit on the west bank of the Salween in a pre-dawn attack. The Karen said 13 soldiers and three of their fighters were killed. The Myanmar military responded with airstrikes in several areas near the Thai border. 
 
Thai authorities say nearly 200 villagers have crossed into Thailand this week. Thailand has reinforced its forces and restricted access to the border. 
 
Hundreds of Thai villagers have also been displaced, moving from their homes close to the border, to deeper into Thai territory for safety. 
 
"The situation has escalated so we can`t go back," said Warong Tisakul, 33, a Thai villager from Mae Sam Laep, a settlement, now abandoned, opposite the Myanmar army post attacked this week. 
 
"Security officials won`t let us, we can`t go back."

Thousands of ethnic Karen villagers in Myanmar are poised to cross into Thailand if, as expected, fighting intensifies between the Myanmar army and Karen insurgents, joining those who have already escaped the turmoil that followed a Feb.

Thousands of ethnic Karen villagers in Myanmar are poised to cross into Thailand if, as expected, fighting intensifies between the Myanmar army and Karen insurgents, joining those who have already escaped the turmoil that followed a Feb. 1 coup. Karen rebels and the Myanmar army have clashed near the Thai border in the weeks since Myanmar`s generals ousted an elected government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, displacing villagers on both sides of the border. "People say the Burmese will come and shoot us, so we fled here," Chu Wah, a Karen villager who crossed over to Thailand with his family this week from the Ee Thu Hta displacement camp in Myanmar, told Reuters. "I had to flee across the river," Chu Wah said, referring to the Salween river that forms the border in the area. The Karen Peace Support Network says thousands of villagers are taking shelter on the Myanmar side of the Salween and they will flee to Thailand if the fighting escalates. "In coming days, more than 8,000 Karen along the Salween river will have to flee to Thailand. We hope that the Thai army will help them escape the war," the group said in a post on Facebook. Karen fighters on Tuesday overran a Myanmar army unit on the west bank of the Salween in a pre-dawn attack. The Karen said 13 soldiers and three of their fighters were killed. The Myanmar military responded with airstrikes in several areas near the Thai border. Thai authorities say nearly 200 villagers have crossed into Thailand this week. Thailand has reinforced its forces and restricted access to the border. Hundreds of Thai villagers have also been displaced, moving from their homes close to the border, to deeper into Thai territory for safety. "The situation has escalated so we can`t go back," said Warong Tisakul, 33, a Thai villager from Mae Sam Laep, a settlement, now abandoned, opposite the Myanmar army post attacked this week. "Security officials won`t let us, we can`t go back."

Thousands of Myanmar villagers poised to flee violence to Thailand

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