21st April, 2021 #day80

 

On the 80th day of the coup, people across the country and those support #SpringRevolution around the world held a #BlueShirtStrike. The campaign is held in memory of U Win Tin, Myanmar’s most prominent human rights activist and journalist, who died seven years ago at the age of 85. Following what he had done for the releases of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, protesters wore blue shirts and wrote the names of their friends and family on the palms of their hands urging the immediate releases. Win Tin also known as Hanthawaddy U Win Tin, a staunch member of the NLD and a close friend of Aung San Suu Kyi, was jailed for nearly 20 years between 1989 and 2008 for his leadership role in the NLD and writing against the military regime. At the time of his release in 2008, he said that the body was released but did not feel free, therefore he decided to wear a blue prison shirt for the rest of his life. After his release, he attempted to reform the NLD which had been severely repressed by the military; he held regular meetings with party youths; and he set up Win Tin Foundation to help political prisoners and their families. He was considered as a hardliner of the party and often described as the owner of a lion's heart. He even reportedly criticized party leader Aung San Suu Kyi for being too lenient and willing to negotiate with the military’s leaders after her release resulting in distant relations between the two.

In an interview with Myanmar Now, Major Hein Thaw Oo, who joined the CDM on March 24, said that generals of the Defence Ministry's Special Operations Command in Naypyidaw have been directly supervising the crackdown and carrying out as a military operation. Therefore, the troops are not only allowed to use heavy weapons but also allowed to loot civilian properties as spoils of war. He graduated from the 48th batch of the Military Academy and served about 20 years in the army before joining the CDM. According to Khonumthung, the junta has declared curfew in five villages along the way to the Chin National Front headquarters, Victoria camp, in Thantlang Township, Chin State. Locals said it is an attempt to prevent the CDM civil servants, police and soldiers fleeing to the headquarters. In the past, about 30 members of the junta went to the headquarters due to reports of CDMers taking refuge in the camp. Since the coup, there is no report of clash between the CNF and the junta. Locals told RFA that Kanni villagers in Sagaing Region were monitored by regime forces with drones before firing seven artillery shells from a distance killing at least 10 civilians. In addition, the junta’ troops are arresting and beating civilians for banging pots and pans at 8 a.m., RFA reported. According to AAPP, at least 738 people have been killed and 3300 people have been arbitrarily arrested as of April 21. A resident told Voice of Myanmar that the explosion took place at around 9 pm tonight at the home of Thein Nyunt, a member of the military council, near Lay Daung Kan Road in Thingangyun Township, Yangon.

Netizens are also urging people not to drink other military owned beers, such as Andaman Gold and Black Shield, after Myanmar Beer sales fell by about 80 percent in two months. These brands are being consumed in the market as they are not known to be military products. Yesterday, 403 Myanmar civil society organizations sent an open letter to French Total and US Chevron not to pay their taxes to the junta. One of Total's officials previously responded that they would continue their drilling activities for the safety of their employees. According to Justice for Myanmar, the Italian company Puma continues to work with the military regime and supplies jet fuel at Rangoon International Airport. In addition, Justice for Myanmar has demanded the dismissal of Kay Kuok Oon Kwong, director of Sule Square project in downtown Yangon, from the board of Yale-NUS College. The Shangri-La Group, which operates the project, has joint ventures with the military. However, the college responded on social media that they are aware of the concern and they would not comment on her business association in Myanmar.

Despite widespread criticism, coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will attend the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on April 24, the junta spokesman Gen. Zaw Min Tun confirmed to Nikkei Asia. The meeting was initially proposed by the Indonesian president Joko Widodo and supported by Malaysia and Singapore. The spokesman also denied report of 11 high-ranking military officers, including Lieutenant General Yar Pyae, have been arrested. This rumour has been going viral on social media soon after the NUG's Minister of Federal Affairs, Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong urged generals he know through peace process to do CDM and join the NUG. Lt. Gen. Yar Pyae is the leader of the Tatmadaw peace negotiation committee which was formed in November 2020 with other four lieutenant generals and also the head of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee.

The NUG's foreign ministry announced yesterday that the NUG have been elected as a member of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Committee at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSCO) for three years. Netizens claimed that this announcement is a blow to the junta, which is seeking international recognition and that more countries will be backing the NUG soon. Photos of UN-branded military vehicles arriving in Singapore port have caused a stir among the Myanmar netizens in the past two days. These vehicles are not intended to attack Myanmar, but to move to neighbouring Bangladesh, which has the largest contribution of troops in UN peacekeeping operations. Some claimed that a joint military drill has been done in Chittagong region involving Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka peacekeeping forces. International troops are unlikely to intervene, but many Myanmar people are constantly calling for an R2P to end the atrocities in the country.