Hundreds of protesters opposed to Myanmar's coup demonstrated at the Chinese embassy in Yangon on Thursday (Feb 11) accusing Beijing of supporting the military junta despite Chinese denials.
"Support Myanmar, Don't support dictators," read one placard in Chinese and English.
One protester told Myanmar media: "Chinese ministers seem to be acting in a way to support the military coup."
Late on Wednesday, it posted a statement on Facebook dismissing reports on the Internet of Chinese planes bringing in technical personnel, and said the only flights were regular cargo flights importing and exporting goods such as seafood.
The embassy's Facebook page was inaccessible on Thursday.
When asked about the rumours that China is sending equipment and IT experts to Myanmar, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said he had not heard of it.
"There have been false information and rumors about China on issues relating to Myanmar," he said, reiterating that China was following the situation closely and hoped all parties would bear in mind national development and stability.
China has traditionally been viewed with suspicion in neighbouring Myanmar, where it has significant economic and strategic interests and has often backed Myanmar's position against Western criticism.
While Western countries have strongly condemned the Feb 1 coup, China has been more cautious - emphasising the importance of stability. Some Chinese state media referred to the army takeover as a "cabinet reshuffle".
China nonetheless agreed to a UN Security Council statement that called for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other detainees and voiced concern over the state of emergency.
In his annual Chinese New Year message released on Wednesday (Feb 10), he also strongly encouraged people to get vaccinated when their turn comes, to protect themselves and their loved ones.
"This year, with Covid-19, it is perhaps more important than ever to show our appreciation to our family members. The warmth, comfort and support of our families have given all of us strength to get through the most trying times of Covid-19."
The Year of the Ox brings new hope, PM Lee said, noting that countries with serious outbreaks that have started mass vaccinations have begun to bring down their cases.
"If enough of us are vaccinated, our population will have herd immunity. But we are not there yet, so in the meantime please keep up our safe distancing precautions, even if you yourself have been vaccinated," he said.
Those who are out and about are also to visit only their relatives, limited to two homes a day.
While these restrictions will dampen the festive atmosphere somewhat and also inconvenience those with big, extended families, they are necessary to keep people safe as the virus is still spreading rapidly around the world, he said.
He cited the new waves of infection that hit many countries last month, after people had gathered and let their guard down for year-end celebrations, adding that it is something to learn from and avoid.
"I thank everyone for your continued support for the tough restrictions... I am sure you will find other ways to hold your reunions and connect with family members and friends, perhaps through video calls or teleconferencing," he said.
"We can look forward to more carefree celebrations when the pandemic is over."
PM Lee said protecting Singaporeans, especially seniors, has been the Government's top priority in the pandemic.
Singapore has gone all out to control the spread of the virus, treat the infected and prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed, even at great economic cost, he added.
PM Lee wished all Singaporeans good health, and a very happy Chinese New Year. PHOTO: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
Through tremendous effort, the country has stabilised its Covid-19 situation, avoided the disastrous outbreaks experienced by many other countries and restarted most of its economy, he said.
"As we welcome the Year of the Ox, we can look back and give thanks that we have come through the Year of the Rat, not without trouble, but relatively unscathed."
PM Lee wished all Singaporeans good health, and a very happy Chinese New Year.
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden announced sanctions on Wednesday (Feb 10) against Myanmar's military leaders and demanded they relinquish power, after tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Southeast Asian nation's biggest city for a fifth consecutive day demanding a return to democracy.
The popular show of force in Yangon, which came in defiance of a protest ban in Myanmar's former capital, saw crowds swarm through the city and call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi following her ouster in a coup last week.
Protesters faced down police a day after authorities dispersed crowds elsewhere with tear gas and rubber bullets, and ramped up their harassment of the deposed leader's party.
The sudden escalation of force against demonstrations sweeping the country prompted a fresh chorus of international condemnation after officers fired live rounds at one rally in Naypyidaw, which has been the capital since 2005.
Protesters returned to the streets of Yangon on Wednesday morning, where the day before a large crowd faced off against water cannon and a phalanx of riot police. (Photo: AFP/Sai Aung Main)
"I again call on the Burmese military to immediately release democratic political leaders and activists they are now detaining including Aung San Suu Kyi and also Win Myint, the president," Biden said.
Two people were critically wounded in the Naypyidaw incident - including one woman who was shot in the head.
Images depicting her in the moments after she was shot were by Wednesday appearing on a huge protest banner and had been widely shared online alongside expressions of grief and fury.
"They can shoot a young woman but they can't steal the hope and resolve of a determined people," UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews tweeted on Wednesday.
Massive crowds returned to the streets of Yangon on Wednesday, where the day before they had faced off against a phalanx of riot police standing alongside water cannon trucks near Aung San Suu Kyi's residence.
Biden's remarks come after European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned the bloc could impose fresh sanctions on Myanmar's military, but said any measures should be targeted to avoid hitting the wider population.
Biden said the US would "work with our international partners to urge other nations to join us in these efforts".
JOURNALIST DETAINED
More politicians from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) were detained Tuesday along with 30 others - including a journalist from local broadcaster DVB - at a protest in Mandalay, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group said.
Their arrests in Yangon came as police fired tear gas at protesters who were waving red NLD flags.
State media reported the crowd had thrown objects at police and injured four officers - its first direct mention of the protests since they began on the weekend.
"Therefore, the police members dispersed in accordance with the methods and laws," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported, without mentioning other police confrontations elsewhere in the country.
Hundreds of protesters in Mandalay were undeterred Wednesday, returning to the streets carrying signs that said "Down with dictatorship".
Myanmar has been roiled by a burgeoning civil disobedience campaign and massive street protests. (Photo: AFP/STR)
Elsewhere, the discipline of security forces appeared to be breaking down, with four officers defecting from their lines in the eastern town of Loikaw to join the anti-coup protests, according to local media reports.
Soldiers raided NLD headquarters in Yangon after night fell, but party member Soe Win told AFP that his colleagues had been prevented from intervening due to a blanket curfew imposed on the city.
The following morning he arrived on the scene to find door locks broken, computer equipment missing, server cables cut and bank documents taken from a safe box.
'RESPECT THE VOTE'
The military justified last week's power grab by claiming widespread voter fraud in the November polls, which saw a landslide for Aung San Suu Kyi's party.
It quickly moved to stack courts and political offices with loyalists.
In the 10 days since army chief Min Aung Hlaing ousted the Nobel laureate from power and ended a decade of civilian rule, Myanmar has been roiled by a burgeoning civil disobedience campaign and massive street protests.
Medical staff, air traffic controllers and teachers have staged strikes, while others have fastened red ribbons on their uniforms or posed for photos while brandishing the three-finger salute adopted by the anti-coup movement.
Medical staff, air traffic controllers and teachers have staged strikes, fronted for work while wearing red ribbons on their uniforms or posed for photos while brandishing the three-finger salute adopted by the anti-coup movement. (Photo: AFP/STR)
By Wednesday, the military announced that special hotlines have been set up for civil servants to report if they were being bullied for not participating in anti-coup activities.
A tech-focused Myanmar civil society organisation also tweeted that a draft cyber security bill had been sent to telecoms companies - which last week were ordered to briefly shut down internet services.
According to MIDO, the bill will allow the military to "order shutdowns, website bans, content take downs and interceptions", while also requiring social media platforms to hand over users' metadata to authorities upon request.
The UN Human Rights Council has said it would hold a special session on Friday to discuss the crisis.
WASHINGTON: Democrats begin formally making their case on Wednesday (Feb 10) that former President Donald Trump should be convicted for inciting the United States Capitol siege, a day after a divided Senate concluded his impeachment trial could proceed even though Trump has already left office.
The House of Representatives has charged Trump with inciting an insurrection after he delivered a fiery speech on Jan 6 exhorting thousands of supporters to march on the Capitol, where members of Congress were gathered to certify President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
In an assault that stunned the world, rioters stormed the building in a futile effort to stop Biden's win, sending lawmakers into hiding and leaving five people dead, including a police officer.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted largely along party lines that the impeachment trial could move ahead even though Trump's term ended on Jan 20. Six out of 50 Republican senators broke with their caucus to side with Democrats.
The outcome suggests Democrats face long odds in securing a conviction and barring Trump from ever again seeking public office. A two-thirds majority in the Senate must vote to convict, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to defy Trump's still-potent popularity among Republican voters.
The trial is unfolding inside the Senate chamber, where senators now serving as jurors were forced to flee for their safety a month ago as a mob broke into the building.
Nine Democratic House members acting as Trump's prosecutors began the proceedings on Tuesday by airing a graphic video that interspersed excerpts of Trump's speech with scenes from the attack, including clips of police officers under assault and a rioter fatally shot by authorities.
The Democrats accused Trump of committing an unforgivable offence by encouraging his backers to block the peaceful transfer of power, a hallmark of American democracy.
"If that's not an impeachable offence, then there's no such thing," said US Representative Jamie Raskin, who delivered an emotional speech recounting how he became separated from his daughter and son-in-law during the violence.
FREE-SPEECH RIGHTS
Trump's lawyers argued that the former president's rhetoric, including repeated false claims that the election was stolen, is protected by the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, and that the individuals who breached the Capitol, not Trump, were responsible for their own criminal behaviour.
The lawyers sought to portray the trial as a sham, asserting that Democrats had weaponised impeachment to end Trump's political career while ignoring basic principles of fairness and due process.
"We are really here because the majority in the House of Representatives does not want to face Donald Trump as a political rival in the future," Bruce Castor, one of Trump's lawyers, told senators.
The Democratic-led House impeached Trump one week after the riot, making him only the third US president to be impeached and the first to be impeached twice.
Trump's first impeachment trial, which stemmed from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden during the presidential campaign, ended in an acquittal a year ago in what was then a Republican-controlled Senate.
Party leaders have agreed on a fast-moving schedule that could lead to a vote on conviction or acquittal by early next week. Some Democrats had expressed concern that a prolonged trial could delay progress on Biden's agenda, including a proposed US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.
Biden will not watch much of the trial, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said this week, adding that he is focused on the pandemic rather than his predecessor's fate.
When asked by reporters on Monday, the president declined to say whether he believed Trump should be convicted.
