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Kamis, 04 Maret 2021

US blocks Myanmar ministries, military businesses from certain trade - CNA

WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday (Mar 4) unveiled new measures to punish Myanmar's army for its Feb 1 coup, blocking the ministries of defence and home affairs and top military conglomerates from certain types of trade.

Washington has also subjected Myanmar to "military end use" export control restrictions, requiring its US suppliers to seek difficult-to-obtain US licences to ship it certain items.

The actions were taken in response to the Myanmar military's intensified crackdown on peaceful protesters who oppose the takeover that overthrew elected officials including leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had won a national election in November.

Police broke up demonstrations with tear gas and gunfire in several cities across the country. The United Nations said that at least 54 people have been killed since the coup. More than 1,700 people had been arrested, including 29 journalists.

READ: Myanmar police break up protests again after bloodiest day since coup

President Joe Biden last month rolled out sanctions on Myanmar, on those responsible for the ouster of the Southeast Asian nation's civilian-led government, including the defence minister and three companies in the jade and gems sector.

The United States will not allow Myanmar's military to continue to benefit from access to many items, the Commerce Department said in a statement on Thursday.

"The US government will continue to hold perpetrators of the coup responsible for their actions."

READ: UN expert urges 'global arms embargo', sanctions on Myanmar

The Commerce Department added that it was reviewing further potential action.

The two conglomerates identified - Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited - are among those used by the military to control vast swathes of Myanmar's economy through the holding firms and their subsidiaries, with interests ranging from beer and cigarettes to telecom, tires, mining and real estate.

Advocacy group Justice for Myanmar said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Home Affairs, which commands the police, had purchased technology from American companies that was being used for surveillance of social media, among other uses.

READ: Commentary - Myanmar protesters play cat and mouse as military shuts down online platforms

Yadanar Maung, a spokesman for the group, hailed the measures but urged more, including similar action against the Transport and Communications Ministry, which he said was used "as window dressing for the military and security forces to acquire technology for surveillance and repression".

"Comprehensive and targeted measures, including a global arms embargo, are essential to prevent the sale of arms and technology that will enable the military to sure up their brutal rule," he said.

But the measures are expected to have limited impact as the United States ships little to Myanmar annually and the entities are not major importers.

READ: Myanmar army is 'surprised' at opposition to coup - UN envoy

"The volume of trade is small so the impact won't be big," said William Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official. "A bigger impact would be to go after the financial assets of the military leaders of the coup."

Reinsch said the listing "will make it harder for those entities to get technology that would strengthen the military and other goods they might want".

The US government has yet to deploy its toughest sanctioning tool against the military conglomerates, one that would block all transactions with US persons and essentially kicks the designated companies out of the US banking system.

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2021-03-05 00:22:30Z
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Mass evacuations as large earthquakes spark Pacific-wide tsunami alert - The Straits Times

WELLINGTON (AFP, REUTERS) - Tens of thousands of coastal residents in New Zealand, New Caledonia and Vanuatu fled for higher ground Friday (March 5) as a cluster of powerful earthquakes sparked a Pacific-wide tsunami alert.

Warning sirens sounded across Noumea as authorities ordered evacuations amid fears that waves of up three metres were headed towards the French territory.

"People must leave beach areas and stop all water activities, and should not pick their children up at schools to avoid creating traffic jams," emergency services spokesman Alexandre Rosignol told public radio.

In New Zealand, communities along stretches of the North Island were warned to flee as tsunami alert sirens wailed after an 8.1-magnitude quake, which followed earlier tremors in the same region measuring 7.4 and 7.3.

An emergency alert was also issued for all coastal areas around Auckland, a city of 1.7 million, where people were told to stay away from the water’s edge.

"Do not stay at home," the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said. "People near the coast... must move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible."

The largest of the quakes struck around 1,000km off the New Zealand coast at 8.28am, the US Geological Survey said.

It was preceded by two seismic jolts that were also enormously powerful, in an unusually strong cluster even for the Pacific ring of fire, where the Earth's tectonic plates collide.

New Zealand's Nema said the remoteness of the quakes did not minimise their potential impact.

"The earthquake may not have been felt in some of these areas, but evacuation should be immediate as a damaging tsunami is possible," it said.

"The first wave may not be the largest," said Mr Bill Fry, a seismologist at geoscience body GNS, told a televised news conference in the capital, Wellington.

"Tsunami activity will continue for several hours, and the threat must be regarded as real until this warning is cancelled," he added.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said Vanuatu and New Caledonia were likely to experience the largest waves, measuring up to three metres.

"Based on all available data, hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts," it said.

It said initial smaller waves were already reported in Tonga, and small waves were also possible as far afield as Japan, Russia, Mexico and the South American coast.

Chile said it could experience a minor tsunami.

Australia issued a marine tsunami threat for Norfolk Island, a tiny Australian territory with about 1,750 residents, but said there was no threat to the mainland.

Norfolk Island residents in areas threatened by land inundation or flooding were advised to go to higher ground or inland, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Residents were also told to get out of the water and move away from the water’s edge at beaches, marinas, coastal estuaries and rock platforms.

No damage or injuries were reported from the earlier quakes, both of which generated tsunami warnings that were later lifted.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand was among those given an early morning wake-up.

"Hope everyone is ok out there - especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake," she posted on Instagram after the inital shake at 2.27 am.

New Zealand experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity but Emergency Services Minister Kiri Allan said she had never before experienced such a strong sequence of earthquakes.

"This has been an extraordinary morning for many New Zealanders up and down the country," she said. "From 2.30am this morning they have been up, worried about their homes and their families."

The South Pacific nation recently marked the 10th anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake, when a 6.3 tremor resulted in 185 deaths in the South Island city.

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2021-03-04 23:23:13Z
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UN expert urges 'global arms embargo', sanctions on Myanmar - CNA

GENEVA: The United Nations Security Council should impose a "global arms embargo" and targeted sanctions against Myanmar's military, a top UN rights expert said on Thursday (Mar 4), voicing alarm at the brutal repression of anti-coup protests.

In a fresh report, Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar, called for the international community to "act urgently and decisively" to support those demanding a return to democracy in the country.

"The stakes could not be higher," he said.

The UN Security Council, he said, should urgently "impose a global arms embargo" and "impose targeted economic sanctions against the Myanmar military and its sources of revenue".

It should also refer the situation in the country to the International Criminal Court "to investigate and possibly prosecute atrocity crimes that have occurred, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity", the report said.

READ: UN tells Myanmar military to 'stop murdering' protesters

The UN and the international community must meanwhile deny the military junta recognitions as the country's legitimate government, the expert said.

"I urge the members of the (Security) Council to consider the unrelenting brutality that we are witnessing in Myanmar," he said in a statement.

Myanmar has been in uproar since the military seized power on Feb 1, ending a decade-long experiment with democracy and triggering a mass uprising that the junta has increasingly sought to quash with lethal force.

READ: Myanmar army is 'surprised' at opposition to coup: UN envoy

Wednesday marked the bloodiest day so far, with the UN saying at least 38 people died, as online images streamed out of Myanmar showing security forces firing into crowds and blood-covered bodies with bullet wounds in their heads.

The UN Security Council is due to discuss the crisis on Friday, as international pressure mounts.

Western powers have repeatedly hit the generals with sanctions, and 41 states have imposed arms embargoes on Myanmar.

READ: US adds Myanmar ministries, army conglomerates to trade blacklist

"TERRIFIED"

Andrews' report covered the period up to Mar 1, so did not include the escalating violence in recent days.

But he had already said on Feb 17 that he was "terrified" at developments in the country, warning "we could be on the precipice of the military committing even greater crimes against the people of Myanmar".

READ: Hundreds mourn Myanmar's 'Everything will be OK' protester

The US national said in his report that he had requested access to Myanmar as soon as he was named to his post last year, back when Aung San Suu Kyi was still in charge of the civilian government.

But his request had been denied with reference to the pandemic.

Andrews meanwhile said it was clear that "the people of Myanmar are experiencing the illegal overthrow of their government and the brutal repression of a military authoritarian regime".

He hailed that they had "risen up in opposition as a diverse yet powerfully unified whole."

"The non-violent civil disobedience movement is proving to be remarkably effective, drawing its organic power from the unflinching and democratic desires of the people," he said.

"Indeed, Myanmar appears to have never been more unified."

He called on the international community to "rise to the occasion of this moment in history by following the lead and the inspiration of the people of Myanmar", voicing hope that "justice, dignity, and human rights will prevail".

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2021-03-04 23:19:10Z
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Tsunami warnings as third strong earthquake strikes off New Zealand - The Straits Times

WELLINGTON (REUTERS) – Evacuation orders were issued for New Zealanders living in some areas on the east coast on the North Island after a third earthquake struck in the area on Friday (March 5).

The latest was a magnitude 8.0 quake that struck the Kermadec Islands, north-east of New Zealand’s North Island.

This came shortly after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in the same region.

Earlier, another large 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 900km away on the east of the North Island and was felt by tens of thousands, causing its own tsunami warning. This warning was later lifted.

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) issued a tsunami warning saying areas under threat were from the Bay of Islands to Whangarei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay including Whakatane and Opotiki, and the Great Barrier Island.

“People near the coast in the following areas must move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible. DO NOT STAY AT HOME,” Nema said on Twitter.

“The earthquake may not have been felt in some of these areas, but evacuation should be immediate as a damaging tsunami is possible,” it added.

There was no tsunami threat to other areas of New Zealand.

Earlier the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off the east of New Zealand’s North Island was felt by more than 60,000 people across the country with many describing the shaking as “severe”. Aftershocks were still being recorded in the area.

There were no immediate reports of damage from either earthquake.

“Hope everyone is ok out there – especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted on Instagram.

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2021-03-04 14:29:22Z
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Myanmar police break up protests again after bloodiest day since coup - CNA

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Myanmar police break up protests again after bloodiest day since coup CNA
Why is Myanmar’s military blocking the internet? Al Jazeera English
Myanmar security forces kill 18 protesters The Straits Times
Commentary: With violent crackdowns, is Myanmar passing the point of no return? CNA
Myanmar army is 'surprised' at opposition to coup: UN envoy CNA
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2021-03-04 13:02:00Z
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Hundreds mourn Myanmar's 'Everything will be OK' protester - CNA

YANGON: Hundreds of mourners gathered in Myanmar on Thursday (Mar 4) for the funeral of a 19-year-old protester shot and killed at a demonstration against military rule.

Angel, also known as Kyal Sin, was shot in the head and killed in the city of Mandalay on Wednesday while wearing a shirt bearing the message "Everything will be OK".

Mourners, many of them young like her, filed past her open coffin and sang protest songs, raised a three-fingered salute of defiance and chanted slogans against the Feb 1 military coup that has plunged the country into turmoil.

Angel was one of 38 people killed on Wednesday, according to a United Nations tally. A spokesman for the junta did not respond to a request for comment on the killings.

READ: Myanmar police break up protests again after bloodiest day since coup

Angel takes cover before being shot in the head in Mandalay — Protesters lie on the ground after police opened fire to disperse an anti-coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, Mar 3, 2021. Among them, Angel (bottom left), also known as Kyal Sin, took cover before she was shot in the head. (Photo: Reuters)

Sai Tun, 32, who attended the funeral, said he could not come to terms with what had happened to her.

"We feel so angry about their inhuman behaviour and really sad at the same time," he told Reuters by telephone.

"We'll fight dictatorship until the end. We must prevail."

Despite the slogan on her shirt, Angel was aware of the risk as she headed out to the protest, posting details of her blood group, a contact number and a request to donate her body in the event of her death.

READ: Myanmar soldiers use TikTok to threaten protesters, says digital rights group

Thousands turned out for Kyal Sin's funeral in Mandalay, many carrying the slogan: "Everything will be ok." (Photo: AFP)

The phrase on the shirt quickly went viral on social media among opponents of the coup.

More than 50 people have now been killed as the military struggles to impose its authority, in particular on a generation that has grown up in recent years under a government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi.

The military, which ruled for nearly 50 years until it began stepping back from politics a decade ago, said an election Aung San Suu Kyi won in a landslide in November was marred by fraud. The election commission dismissed the complaint of fraud.

READ: Singapore advises citizens to consider leaving Myanmar as soon as they can

Funeral Procession for Kyal Sin, who was killed during protests on Wednesday, in Mandalay, Myanmar — Funeral procession for, also known as Kyal Sin in Mandalay, Myanmar on Mar 4, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Mizzima Daily)

In the central town of Monywa, family and friends mourned the death of young poet TZ Win, who was also killed on Wednesday.

The day before he was killed he posted a poem on Facebook with the line: "The louder the song of the youth, The more the whole world will be cleansed."

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2021-03-04 12:22:30Z
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UN tells Myanmar military to 'stop murdering' protesters - CNA

GENEVA: At least 54 people have been killed and more than 1,700 detained since Myanmar's Feb 1 coup, the UN rights chief said on Thursday (Mar 4), demanding that the military "stop murdering" protesters.

The comments come after the deadliest day of protests in Myanmar, with at least 38 dead Wednesday in rallies where security forces were seen firing into crowds.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged security forces to "halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters".

"Myanmar's military must stop murdering and jailing protesters," she said in a statement.

"It is utterly abhorrent that security forces are firing live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country," she added.

Bachelet added that she was "also appalled at the documented attacks against emergency medical staff and ambulances attempting to provide care to those who have been injured".

READ: Hundreds mourn Myanmar's 'Everything will be OK' protester

Dozens of people were killed in the deadliest day of the crackdown by Myanmar's military against anti-coup protesters. (Photo: AFP)

The UN rights office said it had corroborated information that at least 54 people had been killed by police and military officers since Feb 1.

"The actual death toll, however, could be much higher as these are the figures the office has been able to verify," it stressed.

The killings have escalated sharply in recent days.

The rights office had verified 30 of the 38 deaths reported by other UN entities on Wednesday, saying the killings by security forces had taken place in Yangon, Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway and Mon.

Another person was documented killed on Tuesday and 18 people on Sunday, with five prior to that.

It said it was difficult to document injuries, but that "at a minimum, hundreds have been wounded during protests".

READ: Myanmar police break up protests again after bloodiest day since coup

APTOPIX Myanmar — Anti-coup protesters run as one of them discharges a fire extinguisher to counter the impact of tear gas fired by riot policemen in Yangon, Myanmar, on Mar 3, 2021. (Photo: AP)

Since the coup, more than 1,700 people have also been "arbitrarily arrested and detained in relation to their participation in protests or engagement in political activity", the statement said.

At least 700 people were detained on Wednesday alone, with many of them reportedly swept up as soldiers and police conducted door-to-door searches.

END MILITARY "STRANGLEHOLD"

Those arrested include parliamentarians, political and rights activists, election officials, teachers, healthcare workers, journalists and monks, it said.

"Many of the arbitrary arrests and detentions that have been carried out since Feb 1 may constitute enforced disappearances," Bachelet warned, calling for the immediate release of all those who remain arbitrarily detained.

READ: Singapore advises citizens to consider leaving Myanmar as soon as they can

Protest against the military coup in Yangon — Tear gas and fire extinguisher gas float around demonstrators during a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, Mar 2, 2021. Picture taken from behind a window. (Photo: Reuters)

She also expressed alarm at the targeting of media workers, with at least 29 journalists arrested in recent days, eight of whom had been charged with crimes, including inciting opposition or hatred of the government and attending unlawful assemblies.

"I urge all those with information and influence ... to support international efforts to hold military leaders accountable for the serious human rights violations that have been committed both now and in the past," Bachelet said.

"This is the moment to turn the tables towards justice and end the military's stranglehold over democracy in Myanmar."

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2021-03-04 12:07:00Z
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