24th April, 2021 #Day83

 

ASEAN special meeting on Myanmar was held in Jakarta today. Including the coup leader Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, foreign ministers of Thailand, Laos and Philippines and government leaders of other countries attended. During the meeting, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who has been a vocal critic of the Tatmadaw since the Rohingya crisis in 2017, said, "the deplorable situation in Myanmar must stop immediately." He also called for immediate release of political prisoners, and visit of ASEAN delegation into Myanmar, Nikkei Asia reported. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who proposed the meeting, also called for the release all political prisoners and appointment of an ASEAN special envoy. At the end of the meeting, the participants have reached a consensus on five points: cessation of all acts of violence, open dialogue among all parties, ASEAN Special Envoy to lead mediation, providing humanitarian assistance, and ASEAN delegation to visit Myanmar. UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner was not allowed to meet with the military leader but she could met leaders of Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, according to DVB. Protests led by Indonesian civil society organizations took place near the ASEAN Secretariat during the meeting, and three people, including two lawyers, were arrested, according to Cabut Omnibus law's twitter account. Myanmar netizens are praising Indonesians for their concerns.

NUG's Union Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Sasa welcomed the call for an end to military violence and the release of political prisoners and praised the remarks of the President of Indonesia. However, releasing the detainees was not included in the final statement of the meeting making people confused and critical about the significance of the meeting. Moreover, ASEAN has been criticised for failing to invite NUG representative and allowing the military leader to make decisions on behalf of Myanmar. This is the first face-to-face meeting of ASEAN senior officials since COVID showing the ASEAN’s concern over the situation in Myanmar, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. Apparently, leaders have carefully avoided the term "State Administrative Council" or "head of government" in order to avoid the situation of recognizing the military leader as criticized. Netizens have also mocked the military leader for getting a seat in the corner of the meeting room and hidden away from the media and claimed that the junta will never keep their promises despite the consensus agreements. There have been protests over the invitation of the military leader to the meeting across the country as well. In addition, 744 individuals, 402 Myanmar civil society organizations, and 444 civil society organizations across Southeast Asian countries have sent an open letter before today’s meeting requesting temporary suspension of Myanmar from ASEAN, DVB reported.

At the same time as the ASEAN meeting agreed to end the violence immediately, protests in Mandalay were violently suppressed and a young man was shot dead by the plainclothes soldier. According to Myanmar Now, his body was taken away by the junta troops. In addition, a motorcycle strike in Pyinmana near Nay Pyi Taw was violently suppressed killing another protester. In Taunggyi, a young man driving a motorcycle was hit by a car before he was abducted by the soldiers, a citizen reporter wrote on social media. In Monywa, the junta has charged 42 detained protesters, including a prominent protest leader Wai Moe Naing, on five counts, including murder count. In Yangon’s Thamine quarter (1), Mayangone Township, junta troops forced a woman to dance on the street for banging pots and pans and arbitrarily arrested a group men tonight, according to Khit Thit Media.

Strike committees from all states and regions have jointly issued a letter urging ethnic armed organizations across Myanmar to form a temporary alliance and attack the military council. There are about 20 ethnic armed groups operating in Myanmar, most of them based along Thai border and Chinese border. In Pyay, Bago Region, where the street protests were strong, three soldiers from the Army's 959th Energy and Industry Brigade fled with their weapons yesterday morning, according to the Irrawaddy. Locals said junta troops have been inspecting door to door. This is the first time that police and soldiers deserted with their weapons to join CDM as many fled without their weapons. The Ayeyarwaddy Times reports that a bomb exploded at the home of Thet Thet Khaing, chairwoman of the People's Pioneer Party and currently in charge of the military council’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. A few days ago, a bomb blast at another military council member Thein Nyunt's home in Yangon. No one was injured or killed in both incidents, media reported.