24th February, 2021 #Day24

 Situation in Myanmar is gradually becoming a regional issue and one of the hot topic in the regional media. Indonesian Foreign Minister's plan to visit to Myanmar, the popular idea about the milk tea alliance among young protesters, and division between political parties over the meeting invitation of the Junta’s appointed election commission are some the most viral topics today. Other popular news include the dissolution of the State Counsellor's Office, locals refusing to accept junta-appointed ward and village administrators, news about members of workers' unions being arrested and harassed, and debate over whether civil servants should accept the salary for this month.

An official letter stating about the details of Indonesian Foreign Minister's visit to Myanmar was leaked on the internet this morning. Protests against the Indonesian embassy and online criticism have escalated since then. Protesters feared that the Indonesian government would recognize the legitimacy of the coup government and ignore the results of the previous election. Following the leak, the Indonesian foreign ministry cancelled the trip and announced that it is not the appropriate time to visit Myanmar. This afternoon, however, the foreign minister met the representative of the Myanmar’s military together with the Thai foreign minister in Thailand. Details of the talks have not been released, but reports suggest that the Indonesian government is negotiating between the the Tatmadaw and the NLD civilian government on behalf of ASEAN. However, among social media users, the Indonesian Foreign Minister was criticized for using the word "opposition" in referring to the NLD.

As Myanmar is gaining regional attention, young protesters are advocating to initiate “a milk tea alliance” on social media. Young activists from Taiwan, Thailand, and Hong Kong launched an online pro-democracy movement called the milk tea alliance based on the common practice of drinking sweet tea drinks in their home countries. The hashtag #MilkTeaAlliance has been popular in these countries since mid-2020 and has become a sample of pro-democracy movement throughout Asia. Protests in Myanmar since the beginning of the coup have attracted the interest of Hong Kong and Thai youths, who have been supporting the movement in Myanmar on Twitter and Facebook.

Political parties competed in the 2020 election are debating whether to attend tomorrow meeting organized by the junta’s appointed Union Election Commission in Naypyitaw. Protesters are urging political parties to boycott the meeting as many media did to junta’s press conference one week ago. It has been announced earlier that the 23 parties led by the USDP will run in the junta's elections. The SNLD, which won a majority of seats in the 2020 election, and some ethnic parties have stated that they will not attend the meeting as they cannot accept the coup and all the actions of the coup government. Several ethnic based parties including Kachin, Karenni (Kayah), Karen, and Chin have not yet commented on the meeting. But influential ethnic parties like the Arakan National Party and the Mon Unity Party which have bitter relationships with the NLD are almost certain to attend as they have already taken senior political positions given by the coup government.

According to a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the State Counsellor's Office led by Aung San Suu Kyi has been dissolved. The ministry was formed in 2016 by the president with the consent of the NLD-led parliament for Aung San Suu Kyi. Its staffs will be transferred to the Union Government Office and the SAC Advisory Board. In many wards and villages across the country, locals are protesting against the new junta-appointed administrators and shutting down the local administrative offices. Ward and village administrators, the most basic administrative bodies in Myanmar, are directly elected by the locals. The junta is trying to appoint new administrators as hundreds of elected administrators join the CDM. The KNU Brigade 4 has issued a statement saying that the two districts in Bago Division, which are under KNU control, will not accept the governing body of the SAC or the CRPH, and will continue to follow the governing mechanism of the KNU.

As payday approaches, thousands of CDM staff members are uncertain whether to accept their salaries for this month. Some argue that civil servants to take the salary but continue the CDM. But some claim that accepting the salary would allow the military to put pressure to work or prosecute them. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has warned the coup government that it would violate international law by arresting leaders of unions and workers participating in the strike at night. The G7 foreign ministers also condemned the coup and called on the military not to resort to violence.

Several reports said that a 26-year-old man who was shot in the knee during Mandalay protest has died about an hour ago. The military claimed that he tested positive and buried quickly. The family didn’t have a chance to see his body.

Acknowledge and Disclaimer: I'd like to thank all the reporters and citizen journalists who reported the news and photos contained in this summary in the midst of the dangers. This daily news summary is solely based on my observation and analysis. It does not represent any organisation or individual.