Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday this year amid signs the coronavirus crisis is winding down, with religious sites open to limited numbers of faithful but none of the mass pilgrimages usually seen in the Holy Week leading up to Easter.The virus is still raging in the Philippines, France, Brazil and other predominantly Christian countries, where worshippers are marking a second annual Holy Week under various movement restrictions amid outbreaks fanned by more contagious strains.Last year, Jerusalem was under a strict lockdown, with sacred rites observed by small groups of priests, often behind closed doors. It was a stark departure from past years, when tens of thousands of pilgrims would descend on the city’s holy sites.This year, Franciscan friars in brown robes led hundreds of worshippers down the Via Dolorosa, retracing what tradition holds were Jesus’ final steps, while reciting prayers through loudspeakers at the Stations of the Cross. Another group carried a wooden cross along the route through the Old City, singing hymns and pausing to offer prayers.The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, died and rose from the dead, is open to visitors with masks and social distancing.”Things are open, but cautiously and gradually,” said Wadie Abunassar, an adviser to church leaders in the Holy Land. “In regular years we urge people to come out. Last year we told people to stay at home … This year we are somehow silent.”Israel has launched one of the world’s most successful vaccination campaigns, allowing it to reopen restaurants, hotels and religious sites. But air travel is still limited by quarantine and other restrictions, keeping away the foreign pilgrims who usually throng Jerusalem during Holy Week.The main holy sites are in the Old City in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured along with the West Bank in the 1967 war. Israel annexed east Jerusalem and considers the entire city its unified capital, while the Palestinians want both territories for their future state.  Israel included Palestinian residents of Jerusalem in its vaccination campaign, but has only provided a small number of vaccines to those in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority has imported tens of thousands of doses for a population of more than 2.5 million.Israeli authorities said up to 5,000 Christian Palestinians from the West Bank would be permitted to enter for Easter celebrations. Abunassar said he was not aware of any large tour groups from the West Bank planning to enter, as in years past, likely reflecting concerns about the virus.Pope Francis began Good Friday with a visit to the Vatican’s COVID-19 vaccination center, where volunteers have spent the past week administering some 1,200 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to poor and disadvantaged people in Rome.Pope Francis speaks to medical staff on Good Friday at a vaccination site in the Paul VI Hall where the poor and homeless are being inoculated, at the Vatican, April 2, 2021. (Vatican Media/Handout via Reuters)The Vatican City State bought its own doses to vaccinate Holy See employees and their families, and it has been giving away surplus supplies to homeless people. A masked Francis posed for photos with some of the volunteers and recipients in the Vatican audience hall.Later Friday, Francis was to preside over the Way of the Cross procession in a nearly empty St. Peter’s Square, instead of the popular torchlit ritual he usually celebrates at the Colosseum.In France, a nationwide 7 p.m. curfew is forcing parishes to move Good Friday ceremonies forward in the day, as the traditional Catholic night processions are being drastically scaled back or canceled. Nineteen departments in France are on localized lockdowns, where parishioners can attend daytime Mass if they sign the government’s “travel certificate.”  Although a third lockdown “light” is being imposed Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron has wavered on a travel ban for Easter weekend, allowing the French to drive between regions to meet up with family on Friday.FILE – Churchgoers wearing face masks lineup outside the Notre-Dame-des-Champs church in Paris, France.Fire-ravaged Notre Dame will not hold a Good Friday Mass this year, but the cathedral’s “Crown of Thorns” will be venerated by the cathedral’s clergy at its new temporary liturgical hub in the nearby church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois.In Spain, there will be no traditional processions for a second year in a row, and churches will limit the number of worshippers. Many parishes are going online with Mass and prayers via video streaming services.In the Philippines, streets were eerily quiet and religious gatherings were prohibited in the capital, Manila, and four outlying provinces. The government placed the bustling region of more than 25 million people back under lockdown this week as it scrambled to contain an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases.The Philippines had started to reopen in hopes of stemming a severe economic crisis, but infections surged last month, apparently because of more contagious strains, increased public mobility and complacency.
 
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The United Nations Security Council has repeated its call for the immediate release of all detainees in Myanmar, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, and an end to violence.In a statement late Thursday, the council expressed its deep concern for the “rapidly deteriorating situation” in Myanmar and strongly condemned the use of lethal force by security forces and police against peaceful pro-democracy protesters and the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children.The council also called on the military “to exercise utmost restraint” and on all sides “to refrain from violence.”The Security Council also reiterated the need for full respect for human rights and the pursuit of “dialogue and reconciliation in accordance with the will and interests of the people of Myanmar.”Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de facto leader, was charged Thursday with breaking a secrets law that dates to the country’s colonial days, her lawyer said. It is the most serious of the charges leveled against her by the military since the Feb. 1 coup.Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, among other members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, have been detained since the coup. She has been accused of breaking COVID-19 protocols and having in her possession six handheld radios.Her lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, told Reuters on Thursday that Suu Kyi, three of her cabinet ministers and Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser, were charged a week ago under the secrets law. If convicted, they face up to 14 years in prison. Suu Kyi appeared via video for the Thursday hearing and appeared to be in good health, Min Min Soe, another of her lawyers, said.A spokesperson for the junta did not answer telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment.Anti-coup protesters were back on the streets Thursday, some symbolically burned copies of the country’s constitution as a group of deposed lawmakers announced a new civilian government to run counter to the ruling military junta. Reuters, citing media reports, said two more protesters were killed.The rebel government, dubbed the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, is made up of members of deposed NLD government who were elected in November but not allowed to take their seats after the military detained Suu Kyi and replaced the civilian government.The CRPH also announced a new federal constitution to replace the one drafted by the military in 2008, which brought democracy to Myanmar after five decades while still maintaining the army’s power and influence in any civilian government. The CRPH-drafted constitution was written to meet the longstanding demands of Myanmar’s regional ethnic groups, who have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy.
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“Every aspect of North Korea policy” will be discussed when national security advisers from the United States, South Korea and Japan meet on Friday, according to a senior administration official in Washington.It will be the first such three-way meeting of the countries since Joe Biden became U.S. president.The talks come amid important differences in policy toward North Korea among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, according to analysts.North Korea’s recent missile provocations, the response by Pyongyang to the coronavirus, and recent diplomatic discussions between China and North Korea are on the agenda, according to the U.S. official, who told reporters Thursday that “our intent is to have a deep review that will inform our process forward.”The meeting at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, comes after North Korea test-fired into waters a cruise missile and then a pair of short-range ballistic missiles.FILE – People watch a TV showing an image of North Korea’s new guided missile during a news program at the Suseo Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2021.”Anything that we do with respect to North Korea, we believe we need to do in partnership and in harmony with Japan and South Korea,” said the senior administration official, speaking on condition of not being named.”It’s unlikely that there will be any trilateral breakthroughs at Annapolis or in the coming year before the South Korean presidential election” next year, predicted Sue Mi Terry, senior fellow and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.US seeks changeThe conversations at the Naval Academy will follow travel by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Japan and South Korea. Such visits meant to demonstrate that Biden seeks to bolster U.S. alliances in Asia following a rocky four years under the previous administration.Former President Donald Trump criticized Tokyo and Seoul as “free riders” that did not contribute sufficiently for their own defense under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Trump sought more money from Japan and South Korea, which both host numerous U.S. military bases on their soil.The senior administration official said Friday’s talks would also touch on other regional issues of mutual concern, including the “tragic situation in Myanmar” and Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.”It’s very critical for them to get on the same page and closely coordinate on China and North Korea. But a big challenge is getting Seoul on board,” Duyeon Kim, adjunct senior fellow of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, told VOA.South Korean President Moon Jae-in is viewed as reluctant to join efforts to increase pressure on China, more so if that includes open cooperation with Japan.”Getting Seoul’s participation on China and in trilateral cooperation will require a ton of creativity and spin at best,” predicted Kim. “Anti-Japan sentiment runs especially deep in Moon’s base, to the point where they can’t compartmentalize and cooperate on common challenges like North Korea, in contrast to the previous conservative government [in South Korea].”Better ‘atmospherics’Yuki Tatsumi, a Stimson Center senior fellow, agreed and noted “a great amount of frustration” among those in Washington due to Seoul’s continuing to push Tokyo, its former colonizer, on issues about history “when there’s way more serious stuff going on in Pyongyang.”FILE – Protesters hold banners during a rally to mark the March First Independence Movement Day against Japanese colonial rule, in front of a statue symbolizing a wartime sex slave, near Japan’s embassy in Seoul, South Korea, March 1, 2021.The fundamental differences between Japan and South Korea over history “can’t readily be altered,” Terry concurred. “But at least the atmospherics should improve somewhat after the rock-bottom relations between Japan and South Korea in recent years, because the Biden administration has made it a priority to get Seoul and Tokyo more in alignment or at least less at odds. There will be at least a show of cooperation even if the substance is lacking. But symbols count for a lot.”South Korea has been slightly warming to Japan because it desires a four-way meeting with North Korea at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, hoping that could lead to a renewed flurry of summitry, according to Kim.”But it’s pretty clear Washington and Seoul are at odds on the timing and conditions for a U.S.-North Korea summit,” Kim told VOA.Tatsumi said Japan shares some of the blame for the state of its relationship with South Korea, which hinders three-way progress because “they are completely wary of the current government [in Seoul] and have zero interest in engaging with them in any way whatsoever.”Analysts expect Pyongyang, in response to the trilateral huddle, will have an attention-seeking reaction.”North Korea will likely engage in further provocations, starting slowly to test the Biden administration and increasingly building up pressure if they don’t get what they want,” Terry told VOA. ”In other words, they will likely revert to their tried-and-true tactics to deal with any new administration.”    
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Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar symbolically burned copies of the country’s constitution Thursday as a group of deposed lawmakers announced a new civilian government to run counter to the ruling military junta.The rebel government, dubbed the Committee for Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, is made up of members of deposed de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy who were elected in November but not allowed to take their seats after the military detained Suu Kyi and replaced the civilian government on Feb. 1.The CRPH also announced a new federal constitution to replace the one drafted by the military in 2008, which brought democracy to Myanmar after five decades while still maintaining the army’s power and influence in any civilian government. The CRPH-drafted constitution was written to meet the longstanding demands of Myanmar’s regional ethnic groups, who have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy.This handout photo taken and released by Dawei Watch on Apr.1, 2021 shows protesters making the three-finger salute during a demonstration against the military coup in Dawei. (Photo by Handout / Dawei Watch / AFP)The junta’s violent crackdown against pro-democracy opponents across Myanmar has expanded in recent days against ethnic rebels, who are siding with the protesters. The military launched airstrikes against ethnic Karen rebels in eastern Myanmar in response to rebel attacks on military and police stations. The airstrikes prompted thousands of people to flee through the jungle and over the border into neighboring Thailand.Smoke rises from a fire at Ruby Mart in Yangon in the early morning of April 1, 2021 with the Shwedagon Pagoda seen illuminated in the background, as the country continues to be in turmoil after the February military coup. (Photo by STR / AFP)The worsening situation prompted Christine Schraner Burgener, the United Nations special envoy for Myanmar, to warn the Security Council on Wednesday that “a bloodbath is imminent” and of an increasing “possibility of civil war” in the country if civilian rule is not restored.The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a nongovernmental organization, estimates that 536 people have been killed by the junta since the peaceful protests began, including more than 100 protesters — many of them women and children — last Saturday during the annual Armed Forces Day celebration. More than 2,700 have been arrested, charged or sentenced.Mourners make the three-finger salute as they attend the funeral of a protester, who died amid a crackdown by security forces on demonstrations against the military coup, in Taunggyi in Myanmar’s Shan state on March 29, 2021.The U.S. State Department has ordered all nonessential personnel and their family members to leave Myanmar as the military’s bloody crackdown against anti-coup demonstrations continues.Meanwhile, Reuters says Suu Kyi made another court appearance Thursday via video conferencing. Her lawyer, Min Min Soe, says no new charges were brought against the 75-year-old Nobel Peace laureate.  Min Min Soe said he met with Suu Kyi on  Wednesday via video conferencing for the first time since she was detained. The online news service Khit Thit Media says the junta is preparing to charge Suu Kyi with treason, although there has been no official announcement.
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The Philippine government said Wednesday that more than 250 Chinese vessels it believes are operated by militia have been spotted near six Manila-claimed islands and reefs in the disputed South China Sea and demanded that China immediately remove them.The gathering of the Chinese-flagged vessels, along with four Chinese navy ships at a Chinese-occupied manmade island base, “is hazardous to navigation and safety of life at sea” and may damage coral reefs and threaten the Philippines’ sovereign rights, a government body overseeing the disputed waters said.China has ignored a Philippine government diplomatic protest and a call more than a week ago by Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for about 200 Chinese vessels to leave Whitsun Reef, stating that the maritime territory belongs to it and the Chinese vessels were sheltering from rough seas.After carrying out aerial and maritime patrol missions, Philippine officials said 44 Chinese “maritime militia” vessels were still moored Monday at Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls Julian Felipe. More than 200 other vessels from the Chinese flotilla have apparently dispersed to five other areas in the Spratly group of islands, including three Chinese-occupied artificial islands, they said.At least four Chinese navy ships were at Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef, the Philippine officials said. China took control of the reef in 1995, drawing strong protests from the Philippines and other claimant states.About 45 Chinese vessels were in the vicinity of the Philippine-occupied island of Thitu, which Manila calls Pagasa, the officials said.“The Philippines calls on China to immediately withdraw these vessels flying its flag,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement. “Neither the Philippines nor the international community will ever accept China’s assertion of its so-called ‘indisputable integrated sovereignty’ over almost all of the South China Sea.”A patrol aircraft deployed by the Philippine military received a radio warning to stay away from one of the Chinese-occupied reefs but the pilot radioed back that the patrol would continue as planned, military officials said.The interagency body led by President Rodrigo Duterte’s national security adviser released surveillance photos of the Chinese flotilla in the disputed areas, which the Philippine government says are within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, where it has exclusive rights to fish and harness potential undersea gas and oil deposits and other resources.“Their swarming … poses a threat to the peaceful exercise of sovereign rights of the Philippines in its EEZ,” the task force said.The Philippines regards the Spratlys, where it occupies nine islands and islets, as part of its western province of Palawan. But the resource-rich chain of islands, islets and atolls is also claimed by China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. China has turned seven disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases, ratcheting up tensions in recent years.The United States has expressed support to the Philippines, its longtime treaty ally, and accused China of using “maritime militia to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations, which undermines peace and security in the region.” Beijing denied the vessels were part of a maritime militia.Duterte has nurtured friendly ties with Beijing since taking office in 2016 and has been criticized for not immediately demanding Chinese compliance with an international arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s historic claims to virtually the entire South China Sea. China has refused to recognize the 2016 ruling, which it called “a sham,” and continues to defy it.
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The famous pink cherry blossoms of Kyoto reached full bloom this year on March 26, the earliest date in the 12 centuries since records began, according to a Japanese university.The earlier flowering indicates climate change, said Yasuyuki Aono, a professor of environmental science at Osaka Prefectural University, who has compiled a database of records of the full blooms over the centuries.Global temperatures in 2020 were among the highest on record and rivaled 2016 as the hottest year ever, according to international data compiled by the World Meteorological Organization and released in January this year.”As the temperatures rise, the onset of flowering is earlier,” Aono told Reuters in a Zoom interview.Osaka University records include court documents from Imperial Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, as well as medieval diaries.Cherry blossoms have long historical and cultural roots in Japan, heralding spring and inspiring artists and poets through the centuries.In modern times, people gather under the cherry blooms every spring for hanami (blossom-viewing) parties that are often well-lubricated with sake and can last for days.With a state of emergency to curb coronavirus infections lifted across all areas of the country, many people flocked to popular viewing locations last weekend, although the numbers were lower than in normal years.Kyoto, no longer the Japanese capital but a beacon of Japanese culture and manners, has long been famous for its temples and blossoms, which has been a valuable tool for observing long-term changes in mean temperatures.Scientists have often pointed to the earlier flowering times of species such as cherry blossoms as indicators of global warming. The Kyoto record is described in one study as “probably the longest annual record” of biological life cycles from anywhere in the world.
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Hong Kong’s legislature will undergo major changes to its format and structure as a result of Beijing’s approval of a political shakeup that will expand its control over the semiautonomous city.China’s National People’s Congress, the Communist Party’s rubber-stamp legislative body, passed a resolution earlier this month proposing the overhaul, which would make it harder for candidates from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy opposition to be elected.The revamp, signed into law Tuesday by President Xi Jinping, reduces the number of directly elected seats on Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and increases the number of pro-Beijing voices.Those seeking office will face strict vetting by a special committee, which critics expect to shut out pro-democracy forces and ensure that “patriots” govern the Chinese city.Lee Cheuk Yan, a veteran pro-democracy activist and former lawmaker, told VOA that it’s a “disastrous act” for Hong Kong.“I think it’s closer to the National People’s Congress, which also have the candidates before any election takes place. There will not be any more credibility for this Legislative Council in the future,” he said.Fewer selections by publicIn its current form, the Legislative Council has 70 members, of which 35 are selected every four years by popular vote from various municipal constituencies and district councils.FILE – The Legislative Council is shown in session in Hong Kong, March 17, 2021.Under the reforms, Legislative Council seats will increase to 90, of which the public will vote for only 20, down from 35. The lawmaking body’s Election Committee, which is heavily pro-Beijing and tasked with appointing Hong Kong’s chief executive, will be expanded to 1,500 members from 1,200.Lee said during his time as a Legislative Council lawmaker from 1995 to 2016, the aim was to gradually increase the number of seats to be filled by public elections.”Don’t go too quick, too fast — we have to make a gradual step,” he said. “The debate was always about the speed, never about the direction. But now this time, the direction is backwards and it’s really a shock to us.”The former lawmaker believes those seeking greater democracy will have to wait for more opportunities in the future.“I think we have to prepare ourselves to be outside the system for some time to come, for years to come, wait it out,” Lee told VOA. “Wait for Hong Kong people to continue [voicing protest], if possible on the street, to work it out in civil society.”Lee is due in court Thursday to learn his fate on a charge of illegal assembly in relation to pro-democracy protests in 2019. He has four cases outstanding.Political analyst Joseph Cheng said the changes make Hong Kong’s Legislative Council a “rubber stamp” system and that the future of a natural pro-democracy opposition is bleak.“It is likely that most critical pro-democracy candidates will be disqualified, hence the candidates’ qualifications committee. But the Hong Kong government will try to persuade some moderates to run as acceptable pro-democracy candidates,” Cheng told VOA.No ‘single model’ of democracyCarrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, told a news conference on Tuesday there is not “only one single model of democracy” and that if candidates pass security checks and uphold the city’s Basic Law — Hong Kong’s constitutional guarantee meant to keep the city semiautonomous until 2047 — they can run to be elected.FILE – A man walks past a government advertisement promoting the new Hong Kong electoral system changes, in Hong Kong, March 30, 2021.“For people who hold different political beliefs, who are more inclined towards more democracy, or who are more conservative, who belong to the left or belong to the right, as long as they meet this very fundamental and basic requirement, I don’t see why they could not run for election,” she said.Avery Ng, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, disagrees.”The Beijing government is redefining the terms ‘election’ and ‘democracy,’ ” he told VOA. “The new system cannot be considered as democracy when the government can control who can run and who can nominate. Together with the screening committees, the system only fits one, not all.”Lam confirmed that the next legislative elections under the new system would be held in December. The city was scheduled to hold elections last September, but they were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.After a century and a half under British colonial rule, Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 under the Basic Law agreement, but Beijing’s influence over the city grew over the years, sparking pitched pro-democracy demonstrations that have simmered since 2019.In June 2020, China passed the National Security Law for Hong Kong, limiting autonomy and making it easier for dissidents to be punished. Dozens of high-profile pro-democracy activists have been arrested and jailed. The law carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.   
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Officials with Indonesia’s transport ministry said Wednesday they have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the Sriwijaya Air jet airliner that crashed into the Java Sea nearly three months ago.  The ministry announced the discovery and displayed the so-called “black box” during a news conference at a port in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.  The officials say Indonesian navy divers recovered the CVR Tuesday and say they hope it will help them determine what caused the Boeing 737-500 to suddenly nose-dive into the ocean shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on January 9.  The say the recorder was discovered on the seabed not far from where the first flight recorder was found shortly after the accident.  While the first recorder contained data from the ill-fated flight, the CVR contains actual conversations of the flight crew.  National Transport Safety Committee chief Soerjanto Tjahjojo told reporters the voice recorder had lost its beacon and after about a month and a half of searching with their usual detection equipment, they decided to change their methods.  He said they ended up using a dredge that “worked as a vacuum cleaner” and finally found it after searching a 90 x 90 square meter area.  Tjahjojo said it will take up to seven days to dry and clean the device and to download its data. Then they we will read and transcribe it to match it with the flight data in hopes of determining what happened in the cockpit as the accident occurred.A preliminary report by the agency suggested an imbalance in the engine thrust may have forced the aircraft into a roll, but the investigation is continuing.The 26-year-old jet had been out of service for almost nine months because of flight cutbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, officials previously said.It resumed commercial flights in December.
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The U.S. State Department has ordered all non-essential personnel and their family members to leave Myanmar as the military’s bloody crackdown against anti-coup demonstrations continues.   “The Burmese military has detained and deposed elected government officials,” the department said in a written statement ordering the evacuations, using Myanmar’s former name.  “Protests and demonstrations against military rule have occurred and are expected to continue.” The State Department’s order updates an advisory issued just last month that allowed non-emergency U.S. personnel to leave if they wanted.   Myanmar security forces have killed at least 512 civilians since the February 1 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The death toll includes more than 100 people on Saturday as the regime staged a major show of might for Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II.  AAPP puts Saturday’s death toll at 141. “What has happened on the national day of armed forces was horrendous,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a news conference Monday.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken participates in a virtual meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from the State Department in Washington, on March 29, 2021.Two more people were killed Tuesday as thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets again.  The civil disobedience movement employed another tactic as residents in Yangon threw garbage on intersections throughout the city.   Three of the country’s armed ethnic rebel groups, meanwhile, threatened the junta Tuesday with retaliation if it does not stop killing protesters. “If they do not stop and continue to kill the people, we will cooperate with the protestors and fight back,” the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army said in a joint statement. The military expanded its crackdown by launching airstrikes against ethnic Karen rebels in eastern Myanmar in response to rebel attacks on military and police stations in recent days.  The airstrikes prompted thousands of people to flee through the jungle and over the border into neighboring Thailand.   Thailand has denied accusations by humanitarian aid agencies that its soldiers had forced refugees to return to Myanmar.    The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed door meeting Wednesday on the situation in Myanmar.  Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Secretary-General  Guterres, told VOA’s Margaret Besheer that “what we would like to see, is a very strong and unified message from Security Council members to the military in Myanmar to go back on the actions that have taken place, to stop the violence, to release the political prisoners, to return the country to the people of Myanmar, and to push for the travel of our Special Envoy to Myanmar.”  Former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) led Myanmar since its first open democratic election in 2015, but Myanmar’s military contested last November’s election results, claiming widespread electoral fraud, largely without evidence.   On February 1, the military removed the NLD government, detaining Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Martial law has been imposed in townships across Myanmar. 
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Two more people were killed as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets again Tuesday in Myanmar’s largest city of Yangon and in several other towns to oppose military rule of the country since the Feb. 1 coup.
 
Myanmar security forces have since killed at least 512 civilians, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.  
 
Trash piled up at intersections in Yangon as protesters launched a garbage strike and security forces reportedly fatally shot a man in the southern town of Kawthaung and killed another person in the northern town of Myitkyina.
 
Three of the country’s armed ethnic rebel groups, meanwhile, threatened the junta Tuesday with retaliation if it does not stop killing protesters.
 
“If they do not stop and continue to kill the people, we will cooperate with the protestors and fight back,” the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army said in a joint statement.
 
On Monday, security forces killed 14 people during demonstrations in towns across the country following the deadliest weekend since the February military coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP.)
 
Eight of the deaths that took place Monday occurred in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon, according to AAPP.
Protests took place Monday throughout the country, including in Sagaing region, where hundreds of mourners lined the street to pay tribute to a 20-year-old nursing student who was shot and killed Sunday while helping provide aid to injured protesters.  Anti-coup protesters march during a rally in Kalay, Sagaing region, Myanmar, March 30, 2021. (Credit: Citizen journalist via VOA Burmese Service)The United Nations say Myanmar’s security forces killed at least 107 people Saturday as the regime staged a major show of might for Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II.  AAPP puts Saturday’s death toll at 141.
 
“What has happened on the national day of armed forces was horrendous,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a news conference Monday.  
   
“It is absolutely unacceptable to see violence against people at such high levels. So many people killed, and such a stubborn refusal to accept the need to liberate all political prisoners and to make the country go back to a serious democratic transition,” he said.  
   
Also Monday, the United States suspended a trade agreement with Myanmar, also known as Burma, until democracy is restored in the country.  
   
“The United States supports the people of Burma in their efforts to restore a democratically elected government,” U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.   
   
Tai said the military’s killing of peaceful protesters “has shocked the conscience of the international community.”  
   
The announcement does not stop trade between the United States and Myanmar, but it suspends a 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement that laid out ways to boost business between the two countries.  
   
Tai said the United States would also consider Myanmar’s participation in the Generalized System of Preferences program, which reduces U.S. tariffs and provides other special trade access for some developing countries.
The United States had already imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar following the February 1 coup.  
   
“We condemn this abhorrent violence against the Burmese people,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.  Anti-coup protesters flash the three-finger salute, a symbol of resistance, during a sit-in in Kalay, Sagaing region, Myanmar, March 30, 2021. (Credit: Citizen journalist via VOA Burmese Service)Defense chiefs from a dozen countries, including the United States, issued a rare joint statement Saturday condemning Myanmar’s use of lethal force against unarmed people.    
   
“A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting — not harming — the people it serves,” the statement said.   
   
The statement was backed by defense chiefs from Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and New Zealand.   
   
“It’s terrible,” U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters Sunday of the violence in Myanmar. “It’s absolutely outrageous. Based on the reporting I’ve gotten, an awful lot of people have been killed. Totally unnecessary.”    
   
Myanmar’s security forces further escalated violence Sunday by opening fire on a funeral in Bago, near the commercial capital of Yangon. The funeral was held for 20-year-old Thae Maung Maung, who was one of the protesters killed on Saturday.   
   
Former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) led Myanmar since its first open democratic election in 2015, but Myanmar’s military contested last November’s election results, claiming widespread electoral fraud, largely without evidence.   
   
On February 1, the military removed the NLD government, detaining Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Martial law has been imposed in townships across Myanmar.
 
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China has sharply reduced the number of directly elected seats in Hong Kong’s legislature in a setback for the territory’s already beleaguered democracy movement. The changes were announced Tuesday after a two-day meeting of China’s top legislature. In the new make-up, the legislature will be expanded to 90 seats, and only 20 will be elected by the public. Currently, half of the 70-seat legislature — 35 seats — are directly elected. The move is part of a two-phase effort to reign in political protest and opposition in Hong Kong, which is part of China but has had a more liberal political system as a former British colony. China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong last year and is following up this year with a revamp of the electoral process. The crackdown comes in the wake of months of pro-democracy protests in 2019 that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets and turned violent as the government resisted protester demands. “It’s a very sad day for Hong Kong. The election system is completely dismantled,” said former lawmaker and Democratic Party member Emily Lau.Emily Lau, a Hong Kong politician and member of the Legislative Council in the geographical seat of New Territories East.China’s top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, amended Hong Kong’s constitution to pave the way for the changes. The Hong Kong government is now tasked with revising its electoral laws and holding an election. In the current 70-member legislature, voters elect half the members and the other half are chosen by constituencies representing various professions and interest groups. Many of the constituencies lean pro-Beijing, ensuring that wing a majority in the legislature. The new body will have 20 elected members, 30 chosen by the constituencies and 40 by an Election Committee, which also has and will continue to choose the city’s leader, The committee, which will be expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members, is dominated by supporters of the central government in Beijing. A separate committee will also be established to review the qualifications of candidates for office in Hong Kong to ensure the city is governed by “patriots,” in the language of the central government. The political opposition in Hong Kong — which has advocated for more democracy, not less — sees the changes as part of a broader effort to keep them out of office. “They are going to get rid of opposition voices because under this new system, which is so oppressive and restrictive, I don’t think any self-respecting individual will want to take part,” said Lau. In part, it comes down to the definition of patriots. The opposition has tried to block legislation by filibustering a key legislative committee for months and disrupting legislative proceedings. Beijing, which prioritizes political stability, sees these actions as unduly interfering with the governing of Hong Kong and wants to keep these actors out of government. A statement by Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said that the Hong Kong national security law provided a solid legal foundation to safeguard national security and that the electoral reforms provide a “solid institutional guarantee” of the city’s so-called “one country, two systems” framework and ensure that only “patriots” rule Hong Kong. The statement also said that with the electoral changes, the relationship between the city’s leader and the legislature will be smoother, and the “various deep-seated contradictions and problems that have plagued Hong Kong for a long time” will be more effectively resolved. The full National People’s Congress rubber-stamped a proposal in mid-March that authorized the Standing Committee to amend the Basic Law, the constitution that has governed Hong Kong since the former British colony was handed over to China in 1997. 
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Myanmar security forces killed 14 people Monday during demonstrations in towns across the country following the deadliest weekend since the February military coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). The group, which has been monitoring the violence, said Monday’s toll brings the total number of deaths since the February 1 coup to at least 510. Eight of the deaths that took place Monday occurred in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon, according to AAPP.  Protests took place Monday throughout the country, including in Sagaing Region, where hundreds of mourners lined the street to pay tribute to a 20-year-old nursing student who was shot and killed Sunday while helping provide aid to injured protesters.  The United Nations say Myanmar’s security forces killed at least 107 people Saturday as the regime staged a major show of might for Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II. AAPP puts Saturday’s death toll at 141. “What has happened on the national day of armed forces was horrendous,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a news conference Monday.”It is absolutely unacceptable to see violence against people at such high levels. So many people killed, and such a stubborn refusal to accept the need to liberate all political prisoners and to make the country go back to a serious democratic transition,” he said.Myanmar’s security forces deploy on Hledan road in Kamayut township of Yangon in Myanmar, March 29, 2021.Also Monday, the United States suspended a trade agreement with Myanmar, also known as Burma, until democracy is restored in the country.“The United States supports the people of Burma in their efforts to restore a democratically elected government,” U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.Tai said the military’s killing of peaceful protesters “has shocked the conscience of the international community.”The announcement does not stop trade between the United States and Myanmar, but it suspends a 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement that laid out ways to boost business between the two countries.Tai said the United States would also consider Myanmar’s participation in the Generalized System of Preferences program, which reduces U.S. tariffs and provides other special trade access for some developing countries.The United States had already imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar following the February 1 coup.“We condemn this abhorrent violence against the Burmese people,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.Defense chiefs from a dozen countries, including the United States, issued a rare joint statement Saturday condemning Myanmar’s use of lethal force against unarmed people.“A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting — not harming — the people it serves,” U.S. President Joe Biden talks to reporters as he arrives at New Castle Airport in New Castle, Delaware, March 26, 2021.“It’s terrible,” U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters Sunday of the violence in Myanmar. “It’s absolutely outrageous. Based on the reporting I’ve gotten, an awful lot of people have been killed. Totally unnecessary.”Myanmar’s security forces further escalated violence Sunday by opening fire on a funeral in Bago, near the commercial capital of Yangon. The funeral was held for 20-year-old Thae Maung Maung, who was one of the protesters killed on Saturday.Former de factor leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) led Myanmar since its first open democratic election in 2015, but Myanmar’s military contested last November’s election results, claiming widespread electoral fraud, largely without evidence.On February 1, the military removed the NLD government, detaining Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. Martial law has been imposed in townships across Myanmar.
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