Taiwan’s military has stepped up training of troops and added defensive weaponry on the contested South China Sea’s biggest natural island to prepare for any attack by Beijing, analysts believe.   Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told parliament March 17 China was “capable” of attacking and that he wanted Taiping Island “to be ready at all times,” local media reports said. He was referring to a sparsely populated feature in the Spratly archipelago that is located 1,500 kilometers southwest of Taiwan and disputed by five other governments, including China. FILE – Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng takes a break from speaking to lawmakers at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, March 25, 2021.“That signals unequivocally that Taipei is concerned and takes China’s ambitions, statements and actions — reaffirming that Beijing intends to [capture] the island — very seriously,” said Fabrizio Bozzato, senior research fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s Ocean Policy Research Institute.   China has alarmed Taiwan since mid-2020 by sending military aircraft almost every day over a corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. On Friday, the defense ministry spotted 20 planes, an unusually high count. China has added hangars and radar systems to its own seven holdings in the Spratly chain over the past decade.    Taiping Island, an outpost also known as Itu Aba, would be easier for China to take compared to Taiwan because it covers just 46 hectares (110 acres), some analysts say. The tropical landform supports an air strip, a pier and a small hospital.   To “strain and exhaust Taiwan’s air crew and sailors” and “aggravate” Taiwan’s citizens, China could “demonstrate its power by invading one or another offshore island controlled by Taiwan” including Taiping, the research organization Council on Foreign Affairs said in a special report last month.   The Beijing government claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, a leftover issue from the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, and it has not ruled out the use of force to unify the two sides.   Taiwanese have told government polls they prefer autonomy over unifying with China. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen rejects Beijing’s “one-China” principle as a condition for any dialogue. The two sides have not spoken formally since 2016.    Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam claim all or parts of the South China Sea, as well. Vietnam, worried about China as well, has landfilled its Spratly holdings over the past two years and the Philippines asked this month that China withdraw about 200 fishing boats from the archipelago. The six claimants look to the sea for fisheries and undersea fuel reserves.  Taiwan further bulked up last week by signing a coast guard cooperation memorandum of understanding with the United States. The two sides said Thursday they would create a working group to build cooperation and share information. Taiwan’s coast guard is in charge of protecting Taiping Island.   The U.S. government already sells advanced weapons to Taiwan and has the option of defending it if attacked. Washington recognizes Beijing diplomatically but remains Taiwan’s staunchest informal ally. China resents U.S. help for Taiwan and condemned last week’s coast guard agreement.  “Taiwan is definitely a spot between the U.S. and China, and also cross-Strait relations are really deteriorated,” said Wang Wei-chieh, Taiwan-based analyst and co-founder of the FBC2E International Affairs Facebook page. When considering the threat of war, he said, “we are not really scared of it, but we are also prepared for it.” There is no immediate “reason” for China to attack Taiping Island, Wang said.   China has not said it plans to attack any Taiwanese holdings and on March 4 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said his government was committed to “peaceful growth of relations”. Chinese officials base their own claim to 90% of the disputed 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea on a demarcation line established by Taiwan’s constitutional government, the Republic of China.   “How could it attack Taiping Island? China is doing everything possible to create an impression that the two sides are united fighting against outsiders including the United States, Vietnam and the Philippines,” said Chao Chien-min, dean of social sciences at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. “If they want to strike, it won’t be there.” 
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As Thailand’s youth-led pro-democracy protesters are battered by rounds of legal charges, a teenager faces up to 15 years in jail under the country’s hardline royal defamation law. His crime is wearing a crop top, allegedly mocking Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Vijitra Duangdee in Bangkok reports.Camera: Black Squirrel Productions     Produced by: Mary Cieslak 
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Taiwan’s Myanmar community came out in force on Sunday to protest the continued crackdown in that country following the military coup on February 1.Gathered beside Taipei’s Liberty Square, demonstrators sat for hours singing songs, holding anti-coup posters and waving the flag of Myanmar. Even younger demonstrators banged pots and pans as a form of protest, as seen within the embattled country. Estimates for numbers in attendance have ranged from 1,000 to 3,000, according to student organizers and event volunteers. A week earlier, a similar rally at the plaza in Taiwan took place.Myanmar Military Opens Fire on FuneralMourners fled the funeral in Bago, near commercial capital of Yangon, as gunfire erupted, according to witnesses; there were no immediate reports of casualties A group that calls itself the University Youth Prayer Committee, made up of students, assisted in organizing the rally that lasted from mid-afternoon until early evening.On stage, several people took to the microphone to condemn the junta’s crackdown, telling harrowing stories of those within Myanmar and re-enacting some of the violence soldiers have orchestrated since the coup. Some in attendance were visibly emotional.  Demonstrators repeatedly sang “Kabar Ma Kyay Buu” – (We will be holding a grudge until the world ends) – an unofficial anthem to remember the 3,000 people killed during the 8888 Revolution in 1988.Taiwan is a self-ruled democracy that is home to a population of more than 23 million, with 40,000 people reportedly from Myanmar originally.  China considers Taiwan part of its territory despite their break since the end of China’s civil war in 1949, when nationalist forces were driven off the mainland by Communist forces and fled to the island.Su Wai Lin, a volunteer for the University Prayer Youth Committee for Sunday’s event, told VOA, “Our heart and our mind is still in Burma and we didn’t accept the military coup. We want to show the people of Myanmar, even though we are outside of Myanmar, we are with them,” the volunteer said, using a former name for Myanmar.More Than 100 Killed in Bloodiest Day of Myanmar’s Military Crackdown Junta leader marks Armed Forces Day by defending February coup, vows to step down after future elections without specifying date Hein Dway San, a volunteer from Myanmar’s Bago region, stressed the importance to help those within the country.“A lot of people in Myanmar every time they see the people from other countries, support from Facebook, Twitter, support from the internet, they are really, really happy…I think that can give them a lot of courage,” he said.“A lot of people have to move from their place because they are doing Civil Disobedient Movement so the military forced them to move from their place, the people need a place, money, to eat. Mostly we get a lot of donations here, and we are planning to send to CRPH,” he added.But the volunteer acknowledged he has family still in his home country and is concerned about what might happen next because of the continued violence.“My parents told me a few days ago they hear the gunshot so I’m not sure about tomorrow but until now they are safe,” he told VOA.Myanmar gained independence in 1948 from Britain, but most of its modern history has been governed under military rule.In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won the country’s first open democratic election.But in last November’s general elections, the military contested the results, claiming widespread fraud, without evidence. On February 1, the Myanmar military, also known as Tatmadaw, removed the NLD government. De factor leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained and have since been charged. In response to the coup, ousted NLD members formed the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), refusing to recognize the military government’s Cabinet. A civil disobedience movement (CDM) consisting of Myanmar professionals, such as health workers and lawyers, has also refused to work under military rule.The military has deployed armored vehicles and live ammunition to suppress protests, while martial law has been imposed across the country. The junta has implemented daily internet shutdowns for the sake of the country’s “stability.”A spokesperson for the non-governmental Hong Kong Outlanders, spoke onstage during the rally in Taiwan, denouncing the brutal crackdown from the Myanmar military.Based in Taipei, the NGO raises awareness of political issues in Hong Kong following a proposed, now withdrawn, extradition bill that sparked months of anti-government protests in 2019.“The Myanmar situation is a thousand times worse than Hong Kong, so we’re here to do whatever we can in the international community to support Myanmar at this point.” the spokesperson told VOA. “Myanmar students, the people, they’re allowed to voice out for their country and gather so many people without getting hurt here.”This past Saturday saw Myanmar’s bloodiest day so far with more than 100 people killed as the junta continues a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters nationwide. The day marked Armed Forces Day, formerly Resistance Day, to commemorate the country’s rebellion against Japanese occupation in 1945.According to the Assistance Association For Political Prisoners Burma (AAPPB), more than 420 people have been killed in Myanmar since the February 1 coup.Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) released a statement condemning the Myanmar military’s forceful suppression of demonstrations and that the violence “makes the current situation more chaotic.”“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again called on the Myanmar military not to use force to resolve domestic political issues, but to resolve conflicting situations through peaceful and rational dialogue and to restore Myanmar’s democratic politics as soon as possible,” part of the statement read.
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Moves by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to freeze funds to post-coup Myanmar could make many vulnerable communities worse off even as the lenders look for ways to keep some projects going without the government, analysts and experts say.The World Bank said February 19 it was freezing outlays to Myanmar “as we closely monitor and assess the situation.” The ADB followed suit March 10, putting a hold on new contracts and funds to existing public-sector projects. Together, the institutions have put hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Myanmar on hold to avoid working with the country’s new military junta, which has shot and killed more than 400 people since seizing power February 1 to quell protests, according to local media and activists.Counting the costLosing the average $500 million to $600 million both bank earmark for Myanmar each year will not on its own cripple the country’s $76 billion economy, said Bryan Tse, country analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit and a former consultant specializing in international development projects.However, much of the work they fund does have an outsized impact on the communities they target, he added, from malaria treatment in the south to harm reduction programs for drug addicts in the north and village farming projects across the country.“If these projects get suspended for an extended period of time, then that would have an impact on people’s well-being, and these are things that are not necessarily visible in the headline GDP [gross domestic product] figures,” Tse said.“If you are part of that community, then there will be a direct impact. So, at the end of the day, it’s not necessarily the broad economy but the people, especially the vulnerable population, that will suffer the most.”FILE – A farmer works in the field in Nyaung Woon village, Kyauk-Se, central Myanmar, Dec. 18, 2018.Their projects are also often of the type the private sector or the state are unlikely to pick up on their own, Tse added.“These are not the kind of populations that would generate a lot of revenue for private business, or it may not even be worth it for the government to do,” he said. “That’s where a lot of these development organizations step in.” Their grants and loans span major infrastructure projects, too, from highways to power grids.The banks have not said exactly how much money is on hold.The World Bank would not elaborate, and referred VOA back to its February 19 statement, which offers no figures or any other details. The ADB did not provide VOA with figures either.According to its website, the World Bank has 24 active projects in Myanmar worth a combined $2.73 billion and another 13 worth $1.68 billion in the pipeline. The ADB says it has committed $3.57 billion to Myanmar over the years up to the end of 2019, with 99 active or approved projects as of February and 10 more planned.Alternate spendingMoe Thuzar, a Myanmar analyst for the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said the banks will try to keep projects going where they can find ways around the military-run government.In its statement, the World Bank said it was bolstering efforts to monitor projects already underway to ensure compliance with the group’s policies, while the ADB’s announcement left open the possibility of continuing with private-sector programs.“They’re not halting projects that would affect the life of communities, of grassroots, of people across the country in these difficult times and where I think direct delivery or assistance can be done without necessarily having [to work with] entities that purport to represent the government as it is right now,” Moe Thuzar said.“It’s about the ‘do no harm’ principle, which really is not to let any action taken by the banks, by these financial institutions, [have] any negative or adverse consequences on the people,” she added.However, as most of the banks’ grants and loans go to, or at least through, government bodies, many of their projects will surely grind to a halt, said Jared Bissinger, a development economist who has done consulting work for the World Bank, United Nations and other organizations in Myanmar.While health care projects might lend themselves to new partnerships with private clinics and independent charities that can help to keep them running, others do not.“For a lot of what they do it’s going to be very difficult if not impossible,” Bissinger said. “You’re not going to be working on the national electrification grid without the government; it’s just not possible.”Moe Thuzar said strikes at local banks, part of a nationwide civil disobedience movement against the junta, will make it hard to send money to anyone in Myanmar, the government or otherwise. She said local charities are also coming under added scrutiny from authorities for foreign ties, making any activity with even a hint of resistance to the new regime risky.Earlier this month the junta arrested a local employee of the Open Society Foundation, a U.S.-based philanthropic group that champions democracy and human rights around the world. State-run media claimed the group ran afoul of fund-transfer rules, which the group denies.Donors’ dilemmaThe coup also risks derailing donors’ projects to help Myanmar combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit the country harder than most others in Southeast Asia.The World Bank and ADB had both committed tens of millions of dollars to the effort ahead of the coup.“It’s a no-win situation,” Bissinger said.“The World Bank just can’t continue working with and thereby sort of implicitly endorse this military-controlled government,” he said. “But at the same time, by not doing that, yeah, it’s going to interfere with plans to address the COVID pandemic. So, it really does put organizations like the bank in a really difficult position.”Myanmar’s military claims it took power because the country’s civilian government failed to address its allegations of rampant fraud in last year’s general election, which the National League for Democracy party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi had won in a landslide. Local and international election monitors had raised concerns with the poll but said the results on the whole did reflect the will of the people.The U.N., local media and nongovernment groups say police and soldiers have killed hundreds and arrested thousands since the coup in a failing bid to quash near-daily protests and strikes. The U.S., European Union and others have imposed sanctions on the top generals and some of their business interests in response. 
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Defense chiefs from a dozen countries, including the United States, issued a rare joint statement Saturday condemning Myanmar’s use of lethal force against pro-democracy, unarmed people.“A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting — not harming — the people it serves,” the statement said.“We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions.”The statement released after the violence in the country on Saturday, is backed by defense chiefs from Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and New Zealand.More than 100 people were killed Saturday as the military junta backed by police continues a brutal, countrywide crackdown on pro-democracy protesters on Armed Forces Day, marking the deadliest day of protests since the Feb. 1 military coup.In reaction to Saturday’s killings, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson said Guterres, “condemns in the strongest terms the killing of dozens of civilians, including children and young people, by security forces in Myanmar” and urged the military to refrain from violence and repression, in a statement issued on March 27.Myanmar Now news site reported late Saturday a nationwide death toll of at least 114, with at least 29 people killed in the northern city of Mandalay, including a boy as young as 5. The Associated Press cited a Yangon-based independent researcher who put the death-toll at 107 — both numbers exceeding what activists have previously been reporting with a high of 90 killings on March 14.Security forces killed civilians in the central Sagaing region, the eastern town of Lashio, the southcentral region of Bago, near Yangon, and in other parts of the country, according to news wires.“They are killing us like birds or chickens, even in our homes,” said Thu Ya Zaw, a resident of the central town of Myingyan, where at least two protesters were killed, according to reports. “We will keep protesting regardless. We must fight until the junta falls.”The military government further escalated the use of deadly force Saturday with fighter jets launching air strikes in an area near the Thai border controlled by an armed ethnic group dedicated to overturning the coup, according to Reuters.The Karen National Union (KNU), an armed political group, said the jets attacked Day Pu Noe village about 8:00 p.m. local time (3:30 UTC), killing two people and forcing residents to take refuge elsewhere.The KNU said earlier Saturday it killed 10 soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, as it overran an army base.The Myanmar government has not responded to requests for comment on the civilian killings or on reports of the KNU’s killing of soldiers at an army base.In a show of force, the military regime held a massive parade in the capital, Naypyitaw Saturday to celebrate the 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II.
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The Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers on Saturday signed a 25-year cooperation agreement between the two allies in a ceremony carried live on state television.
 
“Our relations with Iran will not be affected by the current situation, but will be permanent and strategic,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was earlier quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying.
 
“Iran decides independently on its relations with other countries and is not like some countries that change their position with one phone call.”
 
Wang met President Hassan Rouhani ahead of the signing of the agreement, which is expected to include Chinese investments in key sectors such as energy and infrastructure.
 
The accord is an example of “successful diplomacy,” Rouhani’s adviser Hesameddin Ashena was cited by Iranian media as saying. “A country’s strength is in its ability to join coalitions, not to remain isolated.”
 
Saeed Khatibzadeh, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said the document was a “roadmap” for trade, economic and transportation cooperation, with a “special focus on the private sectors of the two sides.”
 
China, one of Iran’s largest trading partners and a long-standing ally, agreed in 2016 to boost bilateral trade by more than 10 times to $600 billion over a decade.
 
Its commerce ministry said on Thursday that Beijing will try to safeguard the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and defend the legitimate interests of Sino-Iranian relations.
 
The United States and the other Western powers party to the deal are at odds with Tehran over which side should first return to the accord, which was abandoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018.
 
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The U.N.’s premiere global body fighting for gender equality called for a sharp increase of women in global decision-making in a hotly debated final document adopted Friday night that saw continuing pushback against women’s rights and a refusal to address issues of gender identity.The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirmed the blueprint to achieve gender equality adopted 25 years ago at the Beijing women’s conference and shone a spotlight on several major issues today, including the imbalance of power between men and women in public life and the growing impact of violence against women and girls in the digital world.Diplomats were negotiating until almost the last minute over language on women human rights defenders, gender-based violence, and earlier on reproductive and sexual health and rights. Some Western nations sought unsuccessfully to get the commission to recognize gender non-conforming and transgender women. The closest they got was a reference to women and girls “who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination” and face “diverse situations and conditions.”The European Union said it would have liked to see “more ambitious language” in the 23-page document, stressing that “the systematic attempts by some delegations to derail the process and question international commitments and obligations on gender equality show that the pushback against women’s rights continue.”Shannon Kowalski, director of advocacy and policy for The International Women’s Health Coalition, said at a briefing earlier Friday that this year “Russia has been very vocal and on the front lines” in pushing “for language that is often regressing and that seeks to deny women and girls … their rights.” The Holy See often joined their positions, and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Cuba were also vocal opponents on many issues, she said, while China opposed any reference to women human rights defenders.”Russia played an exceptionally disruptive role in the negotiations,” an EU diplomat said. “Today’s low common denominator result demonstrates that a pushback against women’s rights continues at the U.N., and that Russia is doing all it can to undermine progress on the issue.” The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of private discussions.Saudi Arabia, China have objectionsThe “Agreed Conclusions” were negotiated by the 193 U.N. member nations and adopted by consensus by the commission’s 45 members at the end of a two-week meeting. The U.N. women’s agency said more than 25,000 members of civil society registered to participate in the partly in-person but mainly virtual meeting that saw 200 side events led by member states and more than 700 events by civil society representatives.After Ambassador Mher Margaryan, the commission chair, banged the gavel signifying consensus, about two dozen countries spoke.Saudi Arabia stressed that any reference to gender “means women and men” and to marriage as “between women and men.” China said it would not join consensus on the role of women human rights defenders.In the document, the commission supports the important role of civil society in promoting and protecting the human rights and freedoms of all women, “including women human rights defenders.”U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said areas in the outcome document “do not please everybody,” and the conclusions could have been “more ambitious” and the recommendations “even bolder and decisive.”She urged member states to use the recommendations “as a building block and to outperform what is contained in these Agreed Conclusions.” She said next week’s mainly virtual Gender Equality Forum in Mexico City, another follow-up to the 1995 Beijing conference, “will take forward what we have learned from the discussions of this commission and look at how we take concrete actions.”Mlambo-Ngcuka said the conclusions “contribute to important advances” on women’s participation in public life, the main focus of the meeting along with tackling violence against women which increased during last year’s COVID-19 pandemic.The commission recognized that despite some progress women have a long road to reach equality with men in elections or appointments to decision-making bodies and administrative posts, she said. And it recognized that temporary special measures, including quotas, substantially contribute to increasing women’s representation in national and local legislatures, and called on all governments to set specific targets and timelines to achieve the goal of 50/50 gender balance in elected positions.’Very strong leadership’On violence against women in the digital world, Mlambo-Ngcuka said the commission noted the lack of preventive measures and remedies. She said member states should take action to encourage women’s digital participation and protect them, including from cyberstalking and cyberbullying.The Beijing declaration and platform approved by 189 countries in 1995 called for bold action in 12 areas to achieve gender equality, including combating poverty and gender-based violence, ensuring all girls get an education and putting women at top levels of business and government, as well as at peacemaking tables.It also said, for the first time in a U.N. document, that women’s human rights include the right to control and decide “on matters relating to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of discrimination, coercion and violence.”In Friday’s outcome document, the commission urges governments at all levels to “ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.”It also urges governments to provide information on sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention, gender equality and women’s empowerment” to adolescent girls and boys and young women and men, “with appropriate direction and guidance from parents and legal guardians.”On a positive note, the International Women’s Health Coalition’s Kowalski said the commission’s meeting saw “very strong leadership” from a number of Latin American and Pacific island countries and the “really strong and vital return of the United States as a leader and defender of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and women’s rights more broadly.”A highlight of the meeting was the virtual appearance by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who told the commission “the status of women is the status of democracy” and President Joe Biden’s administration will work to improve both.
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North Korea said Saturday that U.S. President Joe Biden had revealed “his deep-seated hostility” toward Pyongyang and had encroached on its right to self-defense by criticizing its latest missile test, the official KCNA news agency said.North Korea on Friday claimed it had launched a new type of tactical short-range ballistic missile. Biden said that the test had violated U.N. Security Council resolutions but that he remained open to diplomacy with Pyongyang.Ri Pyong Chol, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said the missile test was self-defensive against threats posed by South Korea and the United States with their joint military exercises and advanced weapons.”We express our deep apprehension over the U.S. chief executive faulting the regular test fire, exercise of our state’s right to self-defense, as the violation of U.N. ‘resolutions’ and openly revealing his deep-seated hostility,” Ri said in a statement carried by KCNA.”Such remarks from the U.S. president are an undisguised encroachment on our state’s right to self-defense and provocation to it.”Ri warned that Washington might face “something that is not good” if it continued to make “thoughtless remarks without thinking of the consequences.” 
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Myanmar’s military government reportedly has warned protesters they could be shot in the head during possible anti-coup demonstrations Saturday as the country observes Armed Forces Day.   
 
The warning was broadcast on the Myanmar Radio and Television channel, according to Reuters.
 
“You should learn… that you can be in danger of getting shot to the head and back,” the MRTV broadcast reportedly said.  
 
Activists have called for more nationwide protests on Armed Forces Day, when the country’s military might will be on display during its annual parade.   
 
“The time has arrived again to fight the military’s oppression, activist Ei Thinzar Maung wrote in a Facebook post.
 
The junta’s warning came one day after nine people were killed in Myanmar, according to the daily report of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
 
Demonstrators were out in force in a continued show of opposition against the ruling military junta, one day after Wednesday’s “silent” strike left the streets of many cities across the country practically empty.  
    
There were scattered reports of soldiers using force to break up protests in the southeastern city of Mawlamyine and in Hpa-An, the capital of southeastern Karen state.  Soldiers also confronted protesters staging candlelight vigils across the country, with reports of at least one man shot and killed.
 
The AAPP said in the report that at least 320 people have been killed by military forces during the crackdown.  One of those killed was a 7-year-old girl who was shot Tuesday when soldiers broke into her home in Mandalay, according to Myanmar Now and Reuters. The child was reportedly sitting on her father’s lap when the soldiers broke in and demanded to know if everyone in the family was at home.  The father said yes, but the soldiers accused him of lying and opened fire, hitting the girl.   This photo received from an anonymous source via Facebook March 26, 2021, shows protesters carrying signs during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar.The AAPP also said that more than 2,900 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the crackdown began. But more than 600 protesters were released Wednesday from Insein prison in the main city of Yangon in an apparent goodwill gesture by the junta.  Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw, who was arrested while covering a street protest in Yangon along with eight other media workers, was among those released.
 
Agence France-Presse has reported that a Molotov cocktail thrown at the Yangon headquarters of the National League for Democracy party of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi caused a small fire.
 
AFP quoted Soe Win, an NLD member in charge of the headquarters, saying that “when the residents nearby knew about the fire, they called the fire service department to put it out … it was under control by around 5 a.m.”
 
The United States and Britain imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling junta on Thursday, blacklisting military-controlled businesses.
 
“Today the United States is taking its most significant action to date to impose costs on the military regime,” said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a statement Thursday.
 
The United States is designating two entities linked to the coup leaders, Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited.  MEHL and MEC are the two largest military holding companies in Burma, and all shares in them are held and managed by current or former Burmese military officers, regiments, and units, and organizations led by former service members.”
 
Blinken added that Britain would be taking similar actions against MEHL.FILE – Soldiers take part in a military parade to mark Armed Forces Day, in the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2019. Farhan Haq, a spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, issued a statement Wednesday urging the junta to exercise “maximum restraint” as Armed Forces Day on March 27 approaches. He called for “accountability for all the crimes and human rights violations that continue to be perpetrated in Myanmar.”    
 
Suu Kyi is facing four criminal charges, including the possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies, violating COVID-19 restrictions, breaching telecommunication laws and incitement to cause public unrest.  She has also been accused by the junta of accepting $600,000 in illegal payments.   
 
Suu Kyi was scheduled to appear in court via videoconferencing Wednesday, but the session was postponed until April 1. Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer for Aung San Suu Kyi, told VOA that police blocked the thoroughfare that led to the courthouse, and only allowed two junior lawyers to enter. Khin said the judge told the two lawyers the video conferencing sessions on the docket could not take place.  
 
Wednesday’s appearance by Suu Kyi was originally scheduled for March 15 but was called off because of a lack of internet service.  Authorities have imposed nightly internet shutdowns for several weeks to prevent any sharing of protests from across the country.   
 
Junta leaders also justified their coup by saying the November 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s NLD was fraudulent – an accusation the electoral commission rejected.  
 
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Nine people were killed Thursday in Myanmar, according to the daily report of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.Demonstrators were out in force in a continued show of opposition against the ruling military junta, one day after Wednesday’s “silent” strike left the streets of many cities across the country practically empty.There were scattered reports of soldiers using force to break up protests in the southeastern city of Mawlamyine and in Hpa-An, the capital of southeastern Karen state. Soldiers also confronted protesters staging candlelight vigils across the country, with reports of at least one man shot and killed.The AAPP said in the report that at least 320 people have been killed by military forces during the crackdown. One of those killed was a 7-year-old girl who was shot Tuesday when soldiers broke into her home in Mandalay, according to Myanmar Now and Reuters. The child was reportedly sitting on her father’s lap when the soldiers broke in and demanded to know if everyone in the family was at home. The father said yes, but the soldiers accused him of lying and opened fire, hitting the girl.The AAPP also said that more than 2,900 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the crackdown began. But more than 600 protesters were released Wednesday from Insein prison in the main city of Yangon in an apparent goodwill gesture by the junta. Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw, who was arrested while covering a street protest in Yangon along with eight other media workers, was among those released.Anti-coup protesters march with flags during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, March 26, 2021.Agence France-Presse has reported that a Molotov cocktail thrown at the Yangon headquarters of the National League for Democracy party of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi caused a small fire.AFP quoted Soe Win, an NLD member in charge of the headquarters, saying that “when the residents nearby knew about the fire, they called the fire service department to put it out … it was under control by around 5 a.m.”The United States and Britain imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling junta on Thursday, blacklisting military-controlled businesses.“Today the United States is taking its most significant action to date to impose costs on the military regime,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement Thursday.The United States is designating two entities linked to the coup leaders, Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited. MEHL and MEC are the two largest military holding companies in Burma, and all shares in them are held and managed by current or former Burmese military officers, regiments, and units, and organizations led by former service members.”Blinken added that Britain would be taking similar actions against MEHL.Anti-coup protesters march with a banner reading ‘Mya Taung Strike’ in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 26, 2021.Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, issued a statement Wednesday urging the junta to exercise “maximum restraint” as Armed Forces Day on March 27 approaches. He called for “accountability for all the crimes and human rights violations that continue to be perpetrated in Myanmar.”Suu Kyi is facing four criminal charges, including the possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies, violating COVID-19 restrictions, breaching telecommunication laws and incitement to cause public unrest. She has also been accused by the junta of accepting $600,000 in illegal payments.Suu Kyi was scheduled to appear in court via videoconferencing Wednesday, but the session was postponed until April 1. Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer for Aung San Suu Kyi, told VOA that police blocked the thoroughfare that led to the courthouse, and only allowed two junior lawyers to enter. Khin said the judge told the two lawyers the video conferencing sessions on the docket could not take place.Wednesday’s appearance by Suu Kyi was originally scheduled for March 15 but was called off because of a lack of internet service. Authorities have imposed nightly internet shutdowns for several weeks to prevent any sharing of protests from across the country.Junta leaders also justified their coup by saying the Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s NLD was fraudulent – an accusation the electoral commission rejected.
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Nine people were killed Thursday in Myanmar, according to the daily report of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.Demonstrators were out in force in a continued show of opposition against the ruling military junta, one day after Wednesday’s “silent” strike left the streets of many cities across the country practically empty.There were scattered reports of soldiers using force to break up protests in the southeastern city of Mawlamyine and in Hpa-An, the capital of southeastern Karen state. Soldiers also confronted protesters staging candlelight vigils across the country, with reports of at least one man shot and killed.The AAPP said in the report that at least 320 people have been killed by military forces during the crackdown. One of those killed was a 7-year-old girl who was shot Tuesday when soldiers broke into her home in Mandalay, according to Myanmar Now and Reuters. The child was reportedly sitting on her father’s lap when the soldiers broke in and demanded to know if everyone in the family was at home. The father said yes, but the soldiers accused him of lying and opened fire, hitting the girl.The AAPP also said that more than 2,900 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the crackdown began. But more than 600 protesters were released Wednesday from Insein prison in the main city of Yangon in an apparent goodwill gesture by the junta. Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw, who was arrested while covering a street protest in Yangon along with eight other media workers, was among those released.Anti-coup protesters march with flags during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, March 26, 2021.Agence France-Presse has reported that a Molotov cocktail thrown at the Yangon headquarters of the National League for Democracy party of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi caused a small fire.AFP quoted Soe Win, an NLD member in charge of the headquarters, saying that “when the residents nearby knew about the fire, they called the fire service department to put it out … it was under control by around 5 a.m.”The United States and Britain imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling junta on Thursday, blacklisting military-controlled businesses.“Today the United States is taking its most significant action to date to impose costs on the military regime,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement Thursday.The United States is designating two entities linked to the coup leaders, Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited. MEHL and MEC are the two largest military holding companies in Burma, and all shares in them are held and managed by current or former Burmese military officers, regiments, and units, and organizations led by former service members.”Blinken added that Britain would be taking similar actions against MEHL.Anti-coup protesters march with a banner reading ‘Mya Taung Strike’ in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 26, 2021.Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, issued a statement Wednesday urging the junta to exercise “maximum restraint” as Armed Forces Day on March 27 approaches. He called for “accountability for all the crimes and human rights violations that continue to be perpetrated in Myanmar.”Suu Kyi is facing four criminal charges, including the possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies, violating COVID-19 restrictions, breaching telecommunication laws and incitement to cause public unrest. She has also been accused by the junta of accepting $600,000 in illegal payments.Suu Kyi was scheduled to appear in court via videoconferencing Wednesday, but the session was postponed until April 1. Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer for Aung San Suu Kyi, told VOA that police blocked the thoroughfare that led to the courthouse, and only allowed two junior lawyers to enter. Khin said the judge told the two lawyers the video conferencing sessions on the docket could not take place.Wednesday’s appearance by Suu Kyi was originally scheduled for March 15 but was called off because of a lack of internet service. Authorities have imposed nightly internet shutdowns for several weeks to prevent any sharing of protests from across the country.Junta leaders also justified their coup by saying the Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s NLD was fraudulent – an accusation the electoral commission rejected.
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The U.S. Treasury Department issued new sanctions Thursday imposing penalties on two companies with ties to Myanmar’s military. As VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, U.S. lawmakers are calling for more sanctions against oil and gas companies to help prevent a civil war in Myanmar. Produced by: Katherine Gypson  
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