SEOUL: The sister of North Korean leader, Kim Yo Jong, criticised ongoing military drills in South Korea and warned the new US administration against "causing a stink" if it wants peace, state news reported on Tuesday (Mar 15).
The statement comes a day before America's top diplomat and defence chief are due to arrive in Seoul for their first talks with South Korean counterparts.
"We take this opportunity to warn the new US administration trying hard to give off powder smell in our land," Kim said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. "If it wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step."
North Korea has so far rebuffed entreaties from the United States to engage in dialogue, the White House said on Monday, as a chill in relations that began under then-President Donald Trump has extended into Joe Biden's presidency.
Leader Kim Jong Un had three high-profile summit meetings with Trump and exchanged a series of letters, but the nuclear-armed state ended talks and said it would not engage further unless the United States drops its hostile policies.
South Korean and American troops began a joint springtime military drill, which was limited to computer simulations because of the coronavirus risk as well as the ongoing efforts to engage with the North.
"War drills and hostility can never go with dialogue and cooperation," said Kim Yo Jong, who has become a vocal critic of Seoul in state media dispatches.
She mocked South Korea for "resorting to shrunken war games, now that they find themselves in the quagmire of political, economic and epidemic crisis."
The inter-Korean engagement that had improved in 2018 and is sought by South Korea "won't come easily again" and North Korea will be watching to see if there is further provocations, she said.
North Korea would consider pulling out of an inter-Korean military agreement aimed at reducing tensions along their shared border, and would review whether to dissolve several organisations aimed at cooperation with the South, Kim said.
YANGON: At least five anti-coup protesters were killed across Myanmar on Monday (Mar 15) as demonstrators returned to the streets after the deadliest day since the military seized power from civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
At least 44 protesters were killed on Sunday as security forces cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrations, taking the death toll since the coup to more than 120, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group.
Those killed on Monday were shot dead in two locations and witnesses said the junta was again using lethal force against protesters.
"Two men were killed because of gunshots and six others were injured," a witness in Magway region's Aunglan town told AFP, adding that one of the dead was shot in the chest.
"He was right besides me. Another one got shot in his head."
The country has been in uproar since the putsch, with daily protests demanding a restoration of democracy despite the junta's increasingly forceful attempts to quell dissent.
The bulk of the earlier deaths on Sunday came from a clash in a garment-producing district in the capital Yangon where multiple Chinese-owned factories were razed, drawing a sharp rebuke Monday from Beijing, which urged Myanmar to "resolutely avoid a recurrence of such incidents".
Despite the high death toll, protesters returned to the streets Monday but by afternoon fatalities were also reported in the central city of Myingyan.
"Three people, including a woman ... with gunshots," said a Myingyan resident, telling AFP that the youngest death was 19 years old.
At least 16 were injured, though "five are in a critical condition," the resident said.
Both witnesses who spoke to AFP declined to be named for fear of repercussions.
News of the violence came out in the afternoon due to a block on mobile data networks across Myanmar - which also scuppered a scheduled video court appearance by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The court hearing for the Nobel laureate - who spent more than 15 years under house arrest during previous military rule - was scheduled for 10am in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, but it was postponed until Mar 24, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told AFP.
"There's no court hearing because there's no internet and the hearing is conducted by video conference ... We cannot do video," he said.
Myanmar authorities have throttled the internet every night for several weeks, normally restoring services in the morning, but monitoring service Netblocks said mobile data networks were kept offline Monday.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces at least four charges.
Military authorities have also accused her of accepting illegal payments - allegations her lawyer says are "groundless".
MARTIAL LAW
Aung San Suu Kyi's postponed hearing came a day after violent clashes between security forces and protesters, and the torching of several Chinese-owned factories in a textile-producing district of commercial hub Yangon as many protesters believe Beijing is supportive of the coup.
Six Yangon townships were under martial law by morning - anyone arrested there faces trial by military tribunal rather than civilian courts, with sentences ranging from three years' hard labour to execution.
Describing the incident as "nasty", foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged Myanmar Monday to take actions to "resolutely avoid a recurrence of such incidents".
China "is very concerned about the impact on the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel," he told reporters in Beijing, adding the Myanmar security forces had reinforced the area around the factories.
"China will continue to urge Myanmar to take concrete steps to stop all acts of violence and bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of Chinese people's life and property."
UN envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener also condemned Sunday's bloodshed, while the country's former colonial ruler Britain said it was "appalled" by the use of force "against innocent people".
Last week, Andrews said there was growing evidence that the junta was committing crimes against humanity - including murder, forced disappearances and torture.
Amnesty International has also accused the Myanmar military of premeditated killings and using battlefield weapons on unarmed protesters.
BEIJING: Beijing said it was "very concerned" for the safety of its citizens in Myanmar on Monday (Mar 15), after Chinese factories were attacked amid a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Yangon.
Chinese state media said 32 factories in Myanmar's commercial heart of Yangon were attacked on Sunday, causing US$37 million in damage and leaving two employees injured as security forces launched a bloody crackdown on protesters which left dozens dead.
Martial law has been declared in the townships where the factories were located. The Chinese Embassy in Yangon has accused protesters of attacking the factories.
Many in Myanmar's pro-democracy movement believe China has sided with the army since a Feb 1 coup took out the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
China is a key investor in Myanmar and has bet big on its strategic importance to its Belt and Road Initiative, a sweeping infrastructure project.
Describing the incident as "nasty", foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged Myanmar to take actions to "resolutely avoid a recurrence of such incidents".
China "is very concerned about the impact on the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel ... the actions of these outlaws are not in the interests of Myanmar and its people", he said.
Zhao said Myanmar security forces had reinforced the area around the factories.
"China will continue to urge Myanmar to take concrete steps to stop all acts of violence and bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of Chinese people's life and property," he told reporters in Beijing.
After years of testy relations between a wary Myanmar public and Chinese investors, Beijing was confident it had secured the Southeast Asian nation as a partner in its strategic ambitions for Asia.
A natural gas pipeline to a mega-port off Rakhine state is set to give China access to the Indian Ocean.
But a social media campaign by Myanmar's protest movement has urged citizens to rally against the Chinese pipeline, which crosses the country.
A widespread popular campaign against Chinese interests in the country is likely to rattle Beijing.
The Myanmar public has pushed back at Chinese investments before, with lingering suspicions over its aims and the conditions under which it employs local workers in Chinese factories.
China has called for a "de-escalation" of the situation in Myanmar, which has left more than 100 protesters dead in several weeks of unrest.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government on Monday (Mar 15) appealed a court's decision to overturn a decades-old official ban and allow Christians in the Muslim-majority country to use "Allah" to refer to God.
The word has long been divisive in multi-ethnic Malaysia, with Christians complaining that attempts to stop them using it highlight the growing influence of conservative Islam.
But some Muslims accuse the sizeable Christian minority of overstepping boundaries, and the subject has fuelled religious tensions and sparked violence over the years.
Last week the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Christians can use "Allah" in publications, siding with a member of the minority and striking down a ban that dated back to 1986.
A judge ruled the ban was unconstitutional, as Malaysia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
But the government lodged a challenge at the court of appeal saying it was "not satisfied" with the ruling, according to documents seen by AFP.
Authorities have long argued that allowing non-Muslims to use "Allah" could be confusing, and entice Muslims to convert.
The case began 13 years ago when officials seized religious materials in the local Malay language from a Christian at Kuala Lumpur airport that contained the word "Allah".
The woman - Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a member of a Malaysian indigenous group - then launched a legal challenge against the ban on Christians using the term.
Malaysia has largely avoided overt religious conflict in recent decades, but tensions have been growing.
In 2014 a church was hit with petrol bombs, while Islamic authorities have seized Bibles containing the word "Allah".
Less than 10 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million people are estimated to be Christians, coming from mostly ethnic Chinese, Indian or indigenous backgrounds, while 60 per cent are ethnically Malay Muslims.
YANGON: A block on mobile data networks across Myanmar on Monday (Mar 15) scuppered a scheduled video court appearance by ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters returned to the streets after the bloodiest day since the military coup six weeks ago.
At least 44 protesters were killed on Sunday as security forces cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrations, taking the death toll since the coup to more than 120, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group.
Myanmar has been in uproar since the putsch, with daily protests demanding a restoration of democracy despite the junta's increasingly forceful attempts to quell dissent.
The court hearing for Aung San Suu Kyi - who spent more than 15 years under house arrest during previous military rule - was scheduled for 10am in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, but it was postponed until Mar 24, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told AFP.
"There's no court hearing because there's no Internet and the hearing is conducted by video conference ... We cannot do video," he said.
Myanmar authorities have throttled the Internet every night for several weeks, normally restoring services in the morning, but monitoring service Netblocks said mobile data networks were kept offline Monday.
Suu Kyi faces at least four charges: Possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, breaching telecommunications laws, and intent to cause public unrest.
Military authorities have also accused her of accepting illegal payments of US$600,000 in cash as well as a large quantity of gold - allegations her lawyer says are "groundless".
Khin Maung Zaw had previously complained he was not allowed to meet Suu Kyi, who has been in custody since the coup, and on Monday said police have appointed two junior lawyers on his team to have the power of attorney.
"The police have no right to decide who represents the defendants," he said, adding that the whole situation is "strange" - from the lack of Wi-Fi in the court to the appointment of junior lawyers.
Aung San Suu Kyi's postponed hearing came a day after violent clashes between security forces and protesters, and the torching of several Chinese-owned factories in a textile-producing district of commercial hub Yangon as many protesters believe Beijing is supportive of the coup.
Myanmar activists planned more anti-coup rallies on Monday (Mar 15), a day after at least 39 people were killed in clashes with security forces in the commercial hub of Yangon where Chinese-financed factories were torched.
Security forces killed at least 22 pro-democracy protesters in the Hlaingthaya suburb of Yangon on Sunday, an advocacy group said.
A further 16 protesters were killed in other places, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said, as well as one policeman, making it the bloodiest day since the Feb 1 coup against elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Martial law was imposed in Hlaingthaya and in the Shwepyitha districts of Yangon, state media announced.
The Chinese embassy said many Chinese staff members were injured and trapped in arson attacks by unidentified assailants on garment factories in Hlaingthaya, and that it had called on Myanmar to protect Chinese property and citizens. China is viewed as being supportive of the military junta that has taken power.
As plumes of smoke rose from the industrial area, security forces opened fire on protesters in the suburb that is home to migrants from across the country, local media said.
"It was horrible. People were shot before my eyes. It will never leave my memory," said one photojournalist on the scene who did not want to be named.
Army-run Myawadday television said security forces acted after four garment factories and a fertiliser plant were set ablaze and about 2,000 people had stopped fire engines from reaching them.
People flash a three-finger salute as they take part in an anti-coup protest at Hledan junction in Yangon, Myanmar, Mar 14, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
Protests were planned for Monday in the country's second city of Mandalay, activist Myat Thu said, while residents in Yangon said demonstrations were planned in two areas of the city. Violence also broke out in other parts of Yangon as protests ran late into Sunday night.
"Three people died in my arms. We rescued about 20 injured people last night," said Zizawah, 32, a resident and protester in the Thingyunkyun district of Yangon.
Another resident, May Myat Noe, 21, said there were three fatalities and scores of people were injured in the South Dagon district after they came out to protest.
"They used machine guns and were constantly firing at the people," she said.
A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment.
Dr Sasa, a representative of elected lawmakers from the assembly that was ousted by the army, voiced solidarity with the people of Hlaingthaya.
"The perpetrators, attackers, enemies of the people of Myanmar, the evil SAC (State Administrative Council) will be held accountable for every drop of blood that shed," he said in a message.
The latest deaths would bring the toll from the protests to 126, the AAPP said. It said more than 2,150 people had been detained by Saturday. More than 300 have since been released.
Security forces stand guard during a demonstration by protesters against the military coup in Yangon on Mar 14, 2021. (Photo: AFP/STR)
Tom Andrews, the United Nations human rights investigator on Myanmar, appealed for United Nations member states to cut the supply of cash and weapons to the military.
"Heartbroken/outraged at news of the largest number of protesters murdered by Myanmar security forces in a single day. Junta leaders don't belong in power, they belong behind bars," he said on Twitter.
China's embassy described the situation as "very severe" after the attacks on the Chinese-financed factories.
Marking the strongest comments by China about the violence up to now, it urged Myanmar authorities to "stop all acts of violence, punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law and ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese companies and personnel".
No group claimed responsibility for burning the factories.
Anti-Chinese sentiment has risen since the coup that plunged Myanmar into turmoil, with opponents of the army takeover noting Beijing's muted criticism compared to Western condemnation.
Protesters sit on a makeshift barricade erected to deter security forces during demonstrations against the military coup in Yangon's Hlaing Tharyar township on Mar 14, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Stringer)
Only two factories had been burnt for now, protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on Facebook.
"If you want to do business in Myanmar stably, then respect Myanmar people," she said. "Fighting Hlaingthaya, we are proud of you!!"
An editorial in the Global Times, which is published by the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, condemned what it described as "barbaric acts".
"We strongly urge Myanmar side to stop this kind of crimes, punish the perpetrators and compensate Chinese factories for the losses," it said.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar condemned what she termed the "ongoing brutality".
Christine Schraner Burgener said she had "personally heard from contacts in Myanmar heartbreaking accounts of killings, mistreatment of demonstrators and torture of prisoners over the weekend".
The repression undermined the prospects for peace and stability, she said, appealing to the international community to support the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations.
Britain, Myanmar's former colonial ruler, said it was appalled by the security forces' use of deadly force against innocent people in Hlaingthaya and elsewhere.
"We call for an immediate cessation of this violence and for the military regime to hand back power to those democratically elected by the people of Myanmar," British Ambassador Dan Chugg said.
People take part in an anti-coup protest at Hledan junction in Yangon, Myanmar, Mar 14, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
AUNG SAN SUU KYI COURT SESSION ADJOURNED
The army said it took power after its accusations of fraud in a Nov 8 election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were rejected by the electoral commission. It has promised to hold a new election, but has not set a date.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since the coup and faces various charges, including the illegal importing of walkie-talkie radios and infringing coronavirus protocols. Last week, a charge related to accepting illegal payments was added to the list.
She was due to face another virtual court hearing on Monday but her lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, told Reuters the session could not go ahead because the internet was down which meant no video conferencing. The next hearing will be on March 24, he said.
Away from Hlaingthaya, at least 16 deaths were reported elsewhere in Myanmar, including in Mandalay and Bago, where state television MRTV said a police officer had died of a chest wound after a confrontation with protesters.
He is the second policeman reported dead in the protests.
The violence took place a day after Mahn Win Khaing Than, who is on the run along with most senior officials from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party, said the civilian government would give people the legal right to defend themselves. It announced a law to that effect on Sunday.
