YANGON, March 12, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Britain on Friday advised its citizens
to flee Myanmar, as ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyer rejected
junta corruption claims against her as ‘groundless’.
The military authorities are cracking down with increasing severity on
daily protests against their February 1 coup, with at least 70 people killed
according to the UN’s top rights expert on the country.
The turmoil prompted Britain, the former colonial ruler, to urge its
citizens to get out if they could, warning that “political tension and unrest
are widespread since the military takeover and levels of violence are
rising”.
“The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises British nationals
to leave the country by commercial means, unless there is an urgent need to
stay,” the British foreign ministry said.
The military — which has defended its takeover by citing alleged voting
irregularities in November elections won by Suu Kyi’s National League for
Democracy party — held a rare news conference on Thursday accusing her of
corruption.
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the detained chief minister of Yangon
admitted giving Suu Kyi $600,000 in cash, along with more than 11 kilograms
($680,000 worth) of gold.
– ‘Illegal mudslinging’ –
Suu Kyi’s lawyer Khin Maung Zaw on Friday rejected the claims.
“This allegation against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the state counsellor, is
groundless, especially regarding the dollars and gold bars — it is the most
hilarious joke of all,” he told AFP.
“I’ve never seen such an illegal mudslinging.”
Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi faces other criminal charges including owning
unlicensed walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions by staging a
campaign event in 2020.
Suu Kyi — not seen in public since being detained on February 1 — has a
court hearing on Monday, but Khin Maung Zaw complained that he has not been
able to have a private meeting with her.
The junta has sought to stem the flow of news about the crackdown,
throttling the country’s internet connection every night, revoking media
licences and raiding independent media offices.
Five journalists, including Associated Press photographer Thein Zaw, were
formally charged on Friday over their coverage of the protests under a law
against “causing fear, spreading false news or agitating directly or
indirectly a government employee”.
Thein Zaw’s brother told AFP that he had been able to go into the court to
see him via video conference.
“We got the chance to speak for two minutes,” said Myint Kyaw, adding that
his brother was in tears.
“He said he’s still okay inside and not to worry too much about him and
that he is in good health.”
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 24.
Elsewhere, the foreign ministry in Warsaw confirmed that a Polish
journalist had been detained in Myanmar, and said they were seeking to
establish “urgent contact” with him. – ‘Crimes against humanity’ –
International pressure has been building on the Myanmar junta, but it has
shown no signs of heeding calls for restraint, continuing to try to quell
daily protests by force.
The United Nations has condemned the crackdown, which has seen more than
2,000 people arrested, with even traditional Myanmar ally China calling for
“de-escalation” and dialogue.
The Kremlin said Friday it was “concerned” about rising civilian
casualties, calling the situation in Myanmar “alarming”.
On Thursday Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in
Myanmar, gave a stark assessment of the crisis.
The country is “controlled by a murderous, illegal regime” that was likely
committing “crimes against humanity,” Andrews told the UN Human Rights
Council in Geneva.
These crimes likely include “acts of murder, enforced disappearance,
persecution, torture” carried out with “the knowledge of senior leadership”,
including junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, Andrews said.
While stressing that such offences can only be determined in a court of
law, he said there was clear evidence that the junta’s crimes were
“widespread” and part of a “coordinated campaign”.
Thursday saw at least nine protesters killed in different parts of the
country, including six in central Myanmar’s Myaing township — five of them
shot in the head, according to a witness.
Rights group Amnesty International released a major report on the crisis
on Thursday, accusing the junta of using battlefield weapons on unarmed
protestors and carrying out premeditated killings.
As well as using tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to break up
street protests, the military authorities have also carried out regular night
raids, searching apartments and making arrests after dark.