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Singapore calls on Myanmar's military to stop using lethal force against civilians CNA
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (Mar 1) called on Myanmar's military to stop the use of lethal force on civilians and the immediate release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees.
At least 18 people died on Sunday, said the United Nations human rights office, as Myanmar authorities cracked down on protests against the military coup.
Speaking during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) Committee of Supply debate, Dr Balakrishnan said the recent developments in Myanmar are of "grave concern" to Singapore and the larger Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) family.
"The immediate priority is to halt all acts of violence and the use of lethal force, and to step back from a rapidly deteriorating situation," said Dr Balakrishnan.
He highlighted a "significant escalation in violence" on Sunday across cities in Myanmar.
"Security forces shot at civilians with live rounds, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas - many deaths and injuries were caused," said the Foreign Minister.
"We are appalled by the use of lethal force against civilians," said Dr Balakrishnan, adding his condolences to the families of those who died.
Singapore "strongly reiterates" that the use of lethal weapons against unarmed civilians is "inexcusable in all circumstances", said Dr Balakrishnan.
"We call on the Myanmar military authorities to exercise utmost restraint, to desist from the use of lethal force, and to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation in order to prevent further bloodshed, violence and death," he added.
Prolonged instability in Myanmar would have "serious consequences" for the country, ASEAN, and across the region, he said.
He called on all parties in Myanmar to engage in discussions and to negotiate "in good faith", and to pursue long-term peaceful political solutions for them to "achieve national reconciliation, including ... to find a way to get back to the path of democratic transition".
"We believe this can only begin if President Win Myint, and State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, and the other political detainees are immediately released," said Dr Balakrishnan.
ASEAN'S ROLE
Despite ASEAN’s core principles of consensus and non-interference, it can still play a constructive role in facilitating a return to normalcy and stability in Myanmar, said Dr Balakrishnan.
"This was why Singapore strongly supported ASEAN’s efforts from the start, including the ASEAN Chair’s Statement," he said.
"We believe in engagement and dialogue in good faith with all relevant stakeholders."
A special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be convened via videoconference on Tuesday to listen to a representative of the Myanmar military authorities.
Dr Balakrishnan also said that ASEAN will work closely with its external partners to foster an inclusive dialogue with key stakeholders.
"We must ensure that the mutually beneficial relations that ASEAN and our partners that have built up do not become paralysed by this issue," he said.
YANGON: Ousted Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced court on Monday (Mar 1) via video link, being seen by her lawyer for the first time since a military coup one month ago triggered relentless and massive protests.
Aung San Suu Kyi's appearance came as demonstrators took to the streets again across the country in defiance of an escalation of force from the junta that on Sunday resulted in the deadliest day of unrest since the takeover.
At least 18 people died on Sunday as troops and police fired live bullets at demonstrators in cities across Myanmar, according to the United Nations, which cited its own credible information.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, appeared healthy during Monday's court appearance, lawyer Khin Maung Zaw, told AFP by telephone during a break in proceedings.
An additional charge from Myanmar's colonial-era penal code, which prohibits publishing information that may "cause fear or alarm", was filed against her during the hearing, Lawyer Min Min Soe said.
Aung San Suu Kyi had requested to see her legal team during the hearing via video link, the lawyer added.
Min Min Soe said the next hearing would be on Mar 15.
Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in Naypyidaw, the nation's capital, before dawn on the day of the coup, and had not been since in public since.
She has reportedly been kept under house arrest in Naypyidaw, an isolated city that the military built during a previous dictatorship.
The military has justified its takeover, ending a decade-long democratic experiment, by making unfounded allegations of widespread fraud in last November's national elections.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the election in a landslide.
The generals have hit Aung San Suu Kyi with two charges the international community widely regards as frivolous - relating to importing walkie talkies and staging a campaign rally during the pandemic.
Monday's court proceedings were preliminary matters in the case, including with Khin Maung Zaw seeking to formally represent her.
UPRISING
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to streets regularly over the past month to oppose the coup.
While the military has steadily increased the type of force used to try to contain the uprising, beginning with tear gas and water cannons, this weekend's violence saw the biggest escalation.
One person was shot while crouching behind rubbish bins and other makeshift shields, and had to be dragged away by others, with the incident filmed by media.
AFP independently confirmed 10 deaths in Sunday's violence, although there were fears the toll could be much higher.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a reliable monitoring group, estimated that about 30 people had been killed by security forces since the coup on Feb 1.
On Monday, protests erupted again in multiple cities across the country, with demonstrators in Yangon using bamboo poles, sofas and tree branches to erect barricades across streets.
In one clash broadcast live on Facebook and verified by AFP, unarmed protesters fled after a volley of shots were fired.
It was not immediately clear if the security forces had fired live rounds or rubber bullets.
Hundreds of people were also arrested over the weekend with many in Yangon taken to Insein Prison, where Myanmar's leading democracy campaigners have served long jail terms under previous dictatorships.
More than 1,100 people have been arrested, charged, or sentenced since the coup, according to The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
One reporter was also shot with rubber bullets on the weekend while covering a protest in the central city of Pyay, their employer said.
Several journalists documenting Saturday's assaults by security forces were detained, including an Associated Press photographer in Yangon.
"We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protesters," Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, said.
The United States has been one of the most outspoken critics of the junta, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken also reacted with horror after Sunday's violence.
"We condemn the Burmese security forces' abhorrent violence against the people of Burma & will continue to promote accountability for those responsible," Blinken tweeted, using the country's old name.
Protesters marched in Myanmar on Monday (Mar 1) in defiance of a deadly crackdown by security forces a day earlier, as calls grow for a more united international response after the worst violence since a coup began one month ago.
Police with water cannon and military vehicles were mobilised at protest hotspots in Yangon, while demonstrators marched in Kale, northwest Myanmar, holding up pictures of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and chanting: "Democracy, our cause, our cause."
Live video on Facebook showed a small crowd in hard hats gathered across a street in Lashio, Shan State, chanting slogans as police marched towards them.
"It has been one month since the coup. They cracked down on us with shootings yesterday. We will come out today again," prominent protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on Facebook.
At least 18 people were killed as clashes took place in various parts of the country on Sunday, according to the UN human rights office. Police opened fire on crowds in the biggest city of Yangon, after tear gas and warning shots failed to clear protesters demanding the restoration of Aung San Suu Kyi's government.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and detained the elected leader and much of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party leadership on Feb 1, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.
Having not been seen in public since her detention, Aung San Suu Kyi has a court hearing scheduled for Monday. She has been charged with illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios and of violating a natural disaster law by breaching COVID-19 protocols.
The coup, which brought a halt to tentative steps towards democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule, has drawn hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets and the condemnation of Western countries.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned what he called "abhorrent violence" by security forces, while Canada's foreign minister, Marc Garneau, said the military's use of lethal force against its own people "appalling". Both called for a united response.
Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar said it was clear the junta's assault would continue so the international community should ratchet up its response.
He proposed a global arms embargo, more sanctions from more countries on those behind the coup, sanctions on the military's businesses and a UN Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court.
"Words of condemnation are welcome but insufficient. We must act," Andrews said in a statement.
"The nightmare in Myanmar that is unfolding before our eyes will get worse. The world must act."
People marked the deaths of demonstrators with red and white roses, circling with yellow, white and pink flowers the spot in front of a school where one protester was killed.
Small memorials were held for the victims, with candles lit in front of homes late on Sunday.
"WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU"
Some protesters called on Monday for destruction of surveillance cameras used by authorities, and shared pepper spray recipes on social media.
Others made metal shields for those on the front lines, who took on police and soldiers in full battle gear. Some of the security forces belonged to units notorious for tough crackdowns on ethnic rebel groups.
Along one road in Yangon, demonstrators taped to the ground hundreds of pictures of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, bearing the words "shame on you, dictator, we will never forgive you".
A committee representing lawmakers who won seats in the November election said at least 26 people were killed in the violence on Sunday, which Reuters was unable to verify.
"The excessive use of force and other violations committed by the military junta are being recorded and they will be held accountable," it said.
The military has not commented on Sunday's violence and police and military spokesmen did not answer calls.
In a post dated Feb 28, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar warned "severe action will be inevitably taken" against "anarchic mobs" that the military could not ignore, despite having previously shown restraint.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said at least 270 people were detained on Sunday, from a total 1,132 it said had been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup.
Some witnesses said they saw people beaten by police before being taken away on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Blinken on Sunday said the United States stood firmly with the people of Myanmar.
"(We) encourage all countries to speak with one voice in support of their will," he said on Twitter.
Defiance of the coup has emerged not just on the streets but more broadly in the civil service, municipal administration, the judiciary, the education and health sectors and the media.
Activists across Asia held protests in support, with the rallying cry "Milk Tea Alliance" which first united pro-democracy activists in Thailand and Hong Kong.
While some Western countries have imposed limited sanctions, the generals have traditionally shrugged off diplomatic pressure. They have promised to hold a new election but have not set a date.
(Reuters) - Protesters marched in Myanmar on Monday in defiance of a crackdown by security forces that killed at least 18 people a day earlier, as calls grew for a more united international response after the worst violence since a coup one month ago.
Clashes took place in various parts of the country on Sunday and police opened fire on crowds in the biggest city of Yangon, after tear gas and warning shots failed to clear protesters demanding the restoration of Aung San Suu Kyi's government.
Police with water cannon and military vehicles were mobilised at protest hotspots in Yangon on Monday, while demonstrators marched in Kale, in northwest Myanmar, holding up pictures of Suu Kyi and chanting "democracy, our cause, our cause".
Live video on Facebook showed a small crowd in hard hats gathered across a street in Lashio, Shan State, chanting slogans as police marched towards them.
"It has been one month since the coup. They cracked down on us with shootings yesterday. We will come out today again," prominent protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on Facebook.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and detained elected leader Suu Kyi and much of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party leadership on Feb. 1, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.
Having not been seen in public since her detention, Suu Kyi has a court hearing scheduled for Monday. She has been charged with illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios and of violating a natural disaster law by breaching coronavirus protocols.
The coup, which brought a halt to tentative steps towards democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule, has drawn hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets and the condemnation of Western countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned what he called "abhorrent violence" by security forces, while Canada's foreign minister, Marc Garneau, said the military's use of lethal force against its own people "appalling". Both called for a united response.
Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar said it was clear the junta's assault would continue so the international community should ratchet up its response.
He proposed a global arms embargo, more sanctions from more countries on those behind the coup, sanctions on the military's businesses and a U.N Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court.
"Words of condemnation are welcome but insufficient. We must act," Andrews said in a statement.
"The nightmare in Myanmar that is unfolding before our eyes will get worse. The world must act."
People marked the deaths of demonstrators with red and white roses, circling with yellow, white and pink flowers the spot in front of a school where one protester was killed.
Small memorials were held for the victims, with candles lit in front of homes late on Sunday.
'WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU'
Some protesters called on Monday for destruction of surveillance cameras used by authorities, and shared pepper spray recipes on social media.
Others made metal shields for those on the front lines, who took on police and soldiers in full battle gear. Some of the security forces belonged to units notorious for tough crackdowns on ethnic rebel groups.
Along one road in Yangon, demonstrators taped to the ground hundreds of pictures of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, bearing the words "shame on you, dictator, we will never forgive you".
A committee representing lawmakers who won seats in the November election said at least 26 people were killed in the violence on Sunday, which Reuters was unable to verify.
"The excessive use of force and other violations committed by the military junta are being recorded and they will be held accountable," it said.
The military has not commented on Sunday's violence and police and military spokesmen did not answer calls.
In a post dated Feb. 28, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar warned "severe action will be inevitably taken" against "anarchic mobs" that the military could not ignore, despite having previously shown restraint.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said at least 270 people were detained on Sunday, from a total 1,132 it said had been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup.
Some witnesses said they saw people beaten by police before being taken away on Sunday.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken on Sunday said the United States stood firmly with the people of Myanmar.
"(We) encourage all countries to speak with one voice in support of their will," he said on Twitter.
Defiance of the coup has emerged not just on the streets but more broadly in the civil service, municipal administration, the judiciary, the education and health sectors and the media.
Activists across Asia held protests in support, with the rallying cry "Milk Tea Alliance" which first united pro-democracy activists in Thailand and Hong Kong.
While some Western countries have imposed limited sanctions, the generals have traditionally shrugged off diplomatic pressure. They have promised to hold a new election but not set a date.
(Reporting by Reuters Staff; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols and Matt Spetalnick; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Stephen Coates & Simon Cameron-Moore)
WASHINGTON: The US government is preparing "additional actions" in coming days against those responsible for the violent crackdown and military coup in Myanmar, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday (Feb 28).
"We will continue coordinating closely with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world to hold those responsible for violence to account," Sullivan said in a statement.
"We are preparing additional actions to impose further costs on those responsible for this latest outbreak of violence and the recent coup. We will have more to share in the coming days," he added.
Washington has already imposed a round of sanctions on Myanmar military leaders since the army seized power.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday also condemned what he called "abhorrent violence" by Myanmar security forces against the protesters.
"We stand firmly with the courageous people of Burma and encourage all countries to speak with one voice in support of their will," Blinken said on Twitter.
He said the US "will continue to promote accountability for those responsible".
At least 18 people were killed after Myanmar police fired on protesters around the country, the United Nations said, calling on the international community to act to stop the repression.
"Police and military forces have confronted peaceful demonstrations, using lethal force and less-than-lethal force that – according to credible information received by the UN Human Rights Office – has left at least 18 people dead and over 30 wounded," the UN human rights office said.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and detained elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership on Feb 1, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.
The coup, which brought a halt to tentative steps towards democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule, has drawn hundreds of thousands onto the streets and the condemnation of Western countries.
Crowds of demonstrators came under fire in various parts of the biggest city of Yangon after stun grenades, tear gas and shots in the air failed to break up their protests.
Across the country, protesters wearing plastic work helmets and with makeshift shields faced off against police and soldiers in battle gear, including some from units notorious for tough crackdowns on ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar's border regions.
WASHINGTON: Former President Donald Trump on Sunday (Feb 28) hinted at a possible run for president again in 2024, attacked President Joe Biden, and repeated his fraudulent claims that he won the 2020 election in his first major appearance since leaving the White House nearly six weeks ago.
"Our movement of proud, hard-working American patriots is just getting started, and in the end we will win. We will win," Trump said in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Refusing to admit he lost the Nov 3 presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump offered a withering critique of his Democratic successor's first weeks in office and suggested he might run again.
"They just lost the White House," the Republican former president said after criticising Biden's handling of border security. "But who knows, who knows, I may even decide to beat them for a third time."
Trump’s tumultuous final weeks in office saw his supporters launch a deadly attack on the US Capitol on Jan 6 in an attempt to block Congress from certifying Biden’s election victory, a win that Trump falsely claimed was tainted by widespread fraud.
A civil war has erupted within the Republican Party with establishment figures like Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell eager to put Trump in the rearview mirror and others, like Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham, believing the party's future depends on the energy of the pro-Trump conservative base.
Trump declared the Republican Party is united and said he had no plans to try to launch a third party, an idea he has discussed with advisers in the last couple of months.
"We’re not starting new parties. We have the Republican Party. It's going to be united and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party," he said.
The results of a straw poll of CPAC conference participants gave Trump a strong show of support with 55 per cent saying they would vote for him in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came in second place with 21 per cent.
Without Trump, DeSantis led the field with 43 per cent, and other potential Republican candidates had single digits.
But not everyone supported Trump. A separate question on the poll asked whether Trump should run again in 2024 and it led to a mixed result, with 68 per cent saying he should run and 32 per cent saying opposed or having no opinion.
"It's tough to get seven out of 10 to agree on anything," pollster Jim McLaughlin told CPAC in explaining away the results.
Still, Trump fervor at the four-day CPAC event has been so strong that Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr declared it "T-PAC" and participants rolled out a golden statue of the former president.
In the short term, he is making plans to set up a super PAC political organisation to support candidates who mirror his policies, an adviser said.
Starting his speech more than an hour late, Trump said he wanted to save the culture and identity of the United States.
He sought to position himself as the lead critic of the new president, including on immigration and security along the US border with Mexico, and the slow reopening of schools closed due to the pandemic.
"Joe Biden has had the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history," Trump said.
Recent polls have given Biden a job approval rating well past 50 per cent, a strong showing from Americans.
The Biden White House has made it clear it plans to ignore Trump's speech.
“Our focus is certainly not on what President Trump is saying” at CPAC, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters last week.
